Which DCC Decoder Board Do You Use ?

[Smudge617]

We all have our favourite "Go To" decoders, and I'm aware that it's subjective as to what your intending to want from it (sound/Non Sound, lights etc), but I've noticed when using different branded decoders, some seem to work better when fitted to a particular brand of Locomotive than others as an example, Digitrax works well with Athearn loco's not so well with Kato. SoundTraxx decoders work better with Atlas but not so well with Athearn, so my question is what are your experience's?

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I have quite a few factory installed decoders but for those that I have installed myself, it's between Soundtrax and ESU. It also has a lot to do with the speaker that ya use. Some of the ESU decoders that I've installed in the past are barely audible using sugar cube speakers or the smaller round speakers. I recently discovered the Bowser double sugar cube speaker system works really good with ESU and TCS decoders. Gives great sound that I can actually hear from across the room at least.

 

[Selector]

I started purchasing BLI Paragon with QSI decoders in 2005. That brand has been gone since about 2014. When BLI spanked Mike from Mike's Train House in a lawsuit, they offered an upgrade chip which permitted better drive control and BEMF for $20. I had to purchase 6 chips by the time the case was settled, but they certainly improved the drive characteristics. They're all still working, too. Later, when the Tsunami came out in 2006, it was clunky. It sounded great, although the sound files were generic for steam with a modest selection of whistles. Rod clank, hiss, blowdown, it was all the same. But the motor control was horrible. The worst. It wasn't until someone did some work and trails, and then published a 300 word article describing how to enter esoteric CV's above 200 and get very fine motor control. I did that, following his prescription, for a BLI 'Stealth' DC-only Class J 4-8-4 that had a clunky drive. Darned if that beast isn't silky smooth to this day. I just had to learn how to use the decoder. Who knew!

ESU LokSound decoders were always very smooth in my estimation, but their sound files often suck. When Rivarossi brought an upgraded H-8 2-6-6-6 with Tsunami in 2007, they had just been bought by Hornby. I couldn't believe the horrible and inappropriate sound files. The chuff of a heavy 7000 hp boiler literally sounded like a chiff. The whistle was from some yard switcher, almost like a banshee whistle of the kind the Pennsy I1sa would have used. Not at all like the hooter the Allegheny had. But motor control was, as usual, fantastic.

These days, it's a pretty horrid decoder that can't be tuned, or have the correct sound files loaded. You just have to do some reading and be prepared to go to the trouble it takes. I maybe took five minutes to read that article, and then maybe took another five minutes to fiddle with four or five CVs in order, as per the instruction. I made a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

 

[Smudge617]

I started purchasing BLI Paragon with QSI decoders in 2005. That brand has been gone since about 2014. When BLI spanked Mike from Mike's Train House in a lawsuit, they offered an upgrade chip which permitted better drive control and BEMF for $20. I had to purchase 6 chips by the time the case was settled, but they certainly improved the drive characteristics. They're all still working, too. Later, when the Tsunami came out in 2006, it was clunky. It sounded great, although the sound files were generic for steam with a modest selection of whistles. Rod clank, hiss, blowdown, it was all the same. But the motor control was horrible. The worst. It wasn't until someone did some work and trails, and then published a 300 word article describing how to enter esoteric CV's above 200 and get very fine motor control. I did that, following his prescription, for a BLI 'Stealth' DC-only Class J 4-8-4 that had a clunky drive. Darned if that beast isn't silky smooth to this day. I just had to learn how to use the decoder. Who knew!

ESU LokSound decoders were always very smooth in my estimation, but their sound files often suck. When Rivarossi brought an upgraded H-8 2-6-6-6 with Tsunami in 2007, they had just been bought by Hornby. I couldn't believe the horrible and inappropriate sound files. The chuff of a heavy 7000 hp boiler literally sounded like a chiff. The whistle was from some yard switcher, almost like a banshee whistle of the kind the Pennsy I1sa would have used. Not at all like the hooter the Allegheny had. But motor control was, as usual, fantastic.

These days, it's a pretty horrid decoder that can't be tuned, or have the correct sound files loaded. You just have to do some reading and be prepared to go to the trouble it takes. I maybe took five minutes to read that article, and then maybe took another five minutes to fiddle with four or five CVs in order, as per the instruction. I made a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

I've heard about these QSI decoders, never heard of a decoder going to sleep before tho', guy here is flogging a GP20 with a qsi in, non runner, light and sound work, but not the motor, which seems like it's the decoder, he knows about them tho so either he can't wake the decoder or there's a motor issue, but not something I intend to mess with.

 

[beiland]

It wasn't until someone did some work and trails, and then published a 300 word article describing how to enter esoteric CV's above 200 and get very fine motor control. I did that, following his prescription, for a BLI 'Stealth' DC-only Class J 4-8-4 that had a clunky drive. Darned if that beast isn't silky smooth to this day. I just had to learn how to use the decoder. Who knew!

I'll have to try and remember that posting. BTW where can one find a copy of that article??

ESU LokSound decoders were always very smooth in my estimation, but their sound files often suck. When Rivarossi brought an upgraded H-8 2-6-6-6 with Tsunami in 2007, they had just been bought by Hornby. I couldn't believe the horrible and inappropriate sound files. The chuff of a heavy 7000 hp boiler literally sounded like a chiff. The whistle was from some yard switcher, almost like a banshee whistle of the kind the Pennsy I1sa would have used. Not at all like the hooter the Allegheny had. But motor control was, as usual, fantastic.

These days, it's a pretty horrid decoder that can't be tuned, or have the correct sound files loaded. You just have to do some reading and be prepared to go to the trouble it takes. I maybe took five minutes to read that article, and then maybe took another five minutes to fiddle with four or five CVs in order, as per the instruction. I made a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

I had heard of this before, and in fact one of my Alleghenys had that factory equipped ESU. I sold it off to someone who was not bothered by that sound.

I intend to put WOW decoders in my other Alleghenys, and I may just sell off another of my Alleghenys,...too many of these beautiful 'never to be built again' locos.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I've stripped out all my QSI decoders. Worst of all decoders I have ever used.
On a layout with only one power district, they are fine but going from one power district to another where the voltage may be off a fraction, the decoder will reboot which slams the train to a stop then resumes travel.
QSI claimed they were strictly compliant with DCC standards and that's why they perform like that.

 

[wvg_ca]

i've tried quite a few, but seem to go back to my home made one ...i updated some of the components but basically it's the origional merg decoder ... cost was good, maybe ten bucks each

 

[Greg@mnrr]

never heard of a decoder going to sleep before tho', guy here is flogging a GP20 with a qsi in, non runner, light and sound work, but not the motor, which seems like it's the decoder, he knows about them tho so either he can't wake the decoder or there's a motor issue, but not something I intend to mess with.

I've had problems with earlier decoders that were non-sound and only the lights worked and no movement. I found that reprogramming the address gave the decoder a chance to wake up and work properly. It has been only with decoders that I installed 15 or more years ago. It seldom happened, but did.

 

[Selector]

I'll have to try and remember that posting. BTW where can one find a copy of that article??

I had heard of this before, and in fact one of my Alleghenys had that factory equipped ESU. I sold it off to someone who was not bothered by that sound.

I intend to put WOW decoders in my other Alleghenys, and I may just sell off another of my Alleghenys,...too many of these beautiful 'never to be built again' locos.

Rivarossi is about to release the H-8 again, or so I read last week....can't recall where. I removed the ESU decoder from mine right away and installed a Tsunami. Got the hooter which was an absolute for me...for that particular engine.

 

[Selector]

I've heard about these QSI decoders, never heard of a decoder going to sleep before tho', guy here is flogging a GP20 with a qsi in, non runner, light and sound work, but not the motor, which seems like it's the decoder, he knows about them tho so either he can't wake the decoder or there's a motor issue, but not something I intend to mess with.

The QSIs had features I really liked. They could be left on the layout in a 'coma'. Two or three successive double-taps o F9 put them into successively deeper stages of sleepiness. A single doubletap meant that the decoder went into non-motive mode. It wouldn't respond to inadvertent or intentional commands to cause the locomotive to commence motion. But it would still sound like a steamer at rest making all sorts of noises. Some people did NOT like that function because.....wait for it.....they'd forget. They'd go to operate the loco after three weeks and had forgotten to bring it back to 'consciousness'. That requires a series of double-taps on F6. Worked like a charm...IF....you remembered that you had sidelined the engine so that it didn't contribute to the din in the train room, and so that it didn't draw power doing it.

The QSIs also had a muting function, still with F8, that allowed the user to configure the CV down to partial volume. I used that all the time so that my steamers would still make steam sounds, especially the neutral ones, but they wouldn't compete so vociferously with the locomotives active on my DT400 throttles. Many decoders now allow this through repeated taps on F8. At least, my Paragon variety do that.

If you ever get a decoder that seems wonky, either flat dead or that only gives partial control, the first recourse is to do a full factory reset. It's cheap...like borscht. Often it's also the ticket. Simply perform the reset procedure, but there's a trick few know about or understand:

Do it in Paged Mode using ADD '00'. That's a universal address. Paged Mode will destroy all customization in any other decoders getting the same reset signals, so do take care to isolate them or remove them from the rails. Once only the affected decoder is on the powered rails, or the only one getting the reset instructions, do it.

Remove track power if your system doesn't do it automatically like my Digitrax does. This is critical. Failure to remove track power after pressing 'enter' will not complete the reset.

Then, restore track power, acquire ADD '03' since the reset should revert the decoder to this universal address, and your locomotive should come back to life. Hopefully. If it still won't move the loco, and it's not a diesel, you have a tether problem from the tender, poorly seated or bent pins in the plug/socket, or the motor function is kaput.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Rivarossi is about to release the H-8 again, or so I read last week....can't recall where. I removed the ESU decoder from mine right away and installed a Tsunami. Got the hooter which was an absolute for me...for that particular engine.

Can ya still use it to cut up pizza?

 

[Smudge617]

The QSIs had features I really liked. They could be left on the layout in a 'coma'. Two or three successive double-taps o F9 put them into successively deeper stages of sleepiness. A single doubletap meant that the decoder went into non-motive mode. It wouldn't respond to inadvertent or intentional commands to cause the locomotive to commence motion. But it would still sound like a steamer at rest making all sorts of noises. Some people did NOT like that function because.....wait for it.....they'd forget. They'd go to operate the loco after three weeks and had forgotten to bring it back to 'consciousness'. That requires a series of double-taps on F6. Worked like a charm...IF....you remembered that you had sidelined the engine so that it didn't contribute to the din in the train room, and so that it didn't draw power doing it.

The QSIs also had a muting function, still with F8, that allowed the user to configure the CV down to partial volume. I used that all the time so that my steamers would still make steam sounds, especially the neutral ones, but they wouldn't compete so vociferously with the locomotives active on my DT400 throttles. Many decoders now allow this through repeated taps on F8. At least, my Paragon variety do that.

If you ever get a decoder that seems wonky, either flat dead or that only gives partial control, the first recourse is to do a full factory reset. It's cheap...like borscht. Often it's also the ticket. Simply perform the reset procedure, but there's a trick few know about or understand:

Do it in Paged Mode using ADD '00'. That's a universal address. Paged Mode will destroy all customization in any other decoders getting the same reset signals, so do take care to isolate them or remove them from the rails. Once only the affected decoder is on the powered rails, or the only one getting the reset instructions, do it.

Remove track power if your system doesn't do it automatically like my Digitrax does. This is critical. Failure to remove track power after pressing 'enter' will not complete the reset.

Then, restore track power, acquire ADD '03' since the reset should revert the decoder to this universal address, and your locomotive should come back to life. Hopefully. If it still won't move the loco, and it's not a diesel, you have a tether problem from the tender, poorly seated or bent pins in the plug/socket, or the motor function is kaput.

WOW! learn something everyday, I don't know if I should get this GP20 now, the guy seems to know his onions, so I don't want to take the risk of getting it and finding I have a motor problem and he's not aware of this way of resetting the decoder, but he's tried the CV8 way and it's not worked. Interesting

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Some decoders require a pounding of cv8=8 several times to get back to the factory settings.

 

[bnsf971]

WOW! learn something everyday, I don't know if I should get this GP20 now, the guy seems to know his onions, so I don't want to take the risk of getting it and finding I have a motor problem and he's not aware of this way of resetting the decoder, but he's tried the CV8 way and it's not worked. Interesting

If it’s a QSI decoder, resetting does not involve cv8 at all, and is a multi-cv process.

 

[Smudge617]

If it’s a QSI decoder, resetting does not involve cv8 at all, and is a multi-cv process.

Yeah it's a QSI decoder, just don't know how much this guy knows about them, so it's either a dead motor or comatose decoder
I didn't realise the Proto 2000 series used them as factory fitted.

 

[kjd]

I used NCE for years but needed something with BEMF to get the slow speed needed for loading coal trains. I couldn't get it done with NCE so have been experimenting with LokSound and LokPilots from ESU. There is a bit of a curve programming but once figured out I like them.

 

[Selector]

As stated earlier by bnsf971, QSI decoders do not reset using the more common CV8 process. They can be reset using a magnetic wand if the decoder variant has a magnetic reed switch (the instructions for the locomotive/decoder will indicate as much), OR it has a jumper that must be removed from the decoder board and reinserted backward or whatever it was. However, as far as I know, all QSI decoders can be reset using three steps and three different CVs, also in the manual.

Everyone forgets the last vital step...removing track power, and then restoring it.

 

[hunslet040]

According to the QSI manual I have the reset to factory defaults is

Reset Quantum decoder to original factory defaults (i.e. Reset all CV’s)
1. Set CV 49 to 128.
2. Set CV 50 to 255.
3. Set CV 56 to 113. In Ops Mode, you will hear “Reset” when reset is competed.

This worked on another forum for a dead Broadway Limited, N&W 2-6-6-4 !

Hope this helps.
Colin

 

[Iron Horseman]

We all have our favourite "Go To" decoders, and I'm aware that it's subjective as to what your intending to want from it (sound/Non Sound, lights etc), but I've noticed when using different branded decoders, some seem to work better when fitted to a particular brand of Locomotive than others as an example, Digitrax works well with Athearn loco's not so well with Kato. SoundTraxx decoders work better with Atlas but not so well with Athearn, so my question is what are your experience's?

I guess the question is really are we talking about just decoders OR sound decoders.

And my answer is "the best decoder for the locomotive". If a manufacturer makes a drop in for that loco, that is often my first choice. Spent to long wedging too big decoders into too small locos to spend my time that way. For many years I was in the NCE DASR and D13SR decoder camp because one could get them in bulk for about $13.00 each. At the time, that was a phenomenal price especially when one has hundreds of locomotives to convert to DCC.

Then many of the manufacturers started putting out locomotives with 1.5V lamps and the DASR is not designed to handle that. It was bad enough in a Proto-2000 PA unit with just two headlamps, but then I burnt out every bulb in a Genesis F set for the same reason. It was not fun replacing all those bulbs (8 headlamp bulbs, and 4 marker lamp bulbs). Grumble grumble. I really wish the manufactures would specify in large letters the voltage used in their units. Anyway, enter the Digitrax DH165KO. It has a trace that can be cut or uncut to have the lamp be track voltage or 1.5V. Yay!

While I had already been using LEDs on a limited basis because they were so expensive, they finally got to a price point it they became more main stream and it was practical to use them everywhere. That made me rethink the decoder choice. If I was changing to LEDs then I was back to using the NCE DASR.

Rewind a few decades and then on to sound. Now you have to realize I've had sound since 1981, I mean really really good sound (Pacific Fast Mail and PBL to be specific), but by 1992 with the new DCC system they were incompatible. grumble grumble. So I was intrigued when Soundtraxx started introducing their sound units, but I just couldn't afford a $300 decoder for each locomotive. I only purchased 3 or 4 for "special" locomotives. But I had sound AND DCC. how cool was that!

And then DCC started becoming more mainstream and both decoder price and sound price dropped dramatically while the quality improved. Now I do not have a "go to" decoder. The ONLY sound decoder I have had serious problems with were the first MRC Brilliance that Athearn decided to install in the Genesis line. I had a 4-6-6-4 that I called up channel 3. Drove the locomotive to the programming track. Tried to change the channel to the loco number, and it died. I tried every trick in the book to reset the decoder. Every mode, of every DCC system, of every given command to reset to factory default. No luck. So I purchased a Tsunami (which was the newst thing on the market at the time). Could not figure out how to get the tender shell off. Tried for hours and finally gave up. The new decoder set in the box with the loco for about .... 7 years, and I finally got back to that project. Took the locomotive out, put it on the track it fired up on channel 3, (?!??) I changed to the new number and it has been running ever since. It is loud and blaring on any but the lowest setting, but one less project to do, so I still have a Tsunami for something else. Ditto for a set of Genesis F units. I think they made one loop at the club before I attempted to change something and the decoders locked up. So I threw them in a box under the layout and they sat there for a few years. I boycotted Athearn based on the electronics until they switched (think that lasted 3 or 4 years). Anyway DO NOT BUY the ORIGINAL MRC brilliance decoders.

Now I just buy sound equipped and use whatever the manufacturer puts in the unit. I have bunches of everything and have not had the problems that other people seem to report. Maybe I am just not as picky with sound quality as I used to be, or maybe the museum track is so well maintained that any dirty track/wheel glitches just aren't there and the sound detail gets lost in the emenseness of the place. But having been installing decoders (that were originally the size of Ohio) into HO equipment since 1979 with the original CTC-16 system, then the sound PFM stuff, then the Railcommand (and yes I've done Railcommand with sound mostly because I had one fellow tell me it was impossible), then DCC (literally hundreds of installs) I've just gotten tired of it. I want to spend my time running my trains and watching them run not working on them anymore.

I suppose when I want good sound I'll listen to my stereo instead of the tinny squeaky speakers we put in toy trains.

 

[Iron Horseman]

Yeah it's a QSI decoder, just don't know how much this guy knows about them, so it's either a dead motor or comatose decoder
I didn't realise the Proto 2000 series used them as factory fitted.

I have that exact model. Was the only BN unit I had for years and years.

The problem with the original QSI were they had strange CV settings where one had to first set controller CVs before one could set other CVs. A fellow at the club made our own manual that helped, step by step, but I have long misplaced mine. I cringe to think about doing that again. CV51 comes to mind as one of the problem children.