I am looking to install sound into a dummy F7 to test the waters with. Is there a decent decoder/speaker combo under $60 (or $50)? Ideally it could work on DC as well..... so what do you say guys? Anything worth buying? Keep in mind I can use a pretty big speaker in that hollow F7 shell..... esp. an oblong speaker. I believe (due to interior space available) that HO sound decoders are fine too. Looking forward to not using MRC decoders though..... they seem to produce more burnouts than California High Schools.....
I recently installed a digitrax N scale SDN144PS into an HO Thomas. The speaker is really tiny but is included as well as an 8 pin NMRA wiring harness if needed. They run $39.99 online. This was my first run with an N scale sound decoder but Thomas had little room inside. I'm sure a larger speaker would make it much better but for $40 you can't go wrong. If you have a PR3 programmer then you can make your own sound project from .wav files. Don't get me wrong.....it's NOT a Tsunami but it IS 1/3 the price. BTW it will work on DC. -Art
I also am using the digitrax SDN144PS in my N scale steam engines. Have had no problems. I admit it does not have the same sound as a Tsunami but for the price ($39) it is well worth it. I used to use MRC sound decoders, but have had problems with them. Fred
Another option is the Digitrax SFX004("Sound Bug"), also ~$40. It is fatter but shorter than a SDN144, so depending on the shape of the space it might fit better. It is designed for HO, but will fit in an N-scale F unit.
Wow! Hadn't seen the sound bug before. Very cool multi-application tech. Alas, I would like to have lighting as well so the 144PS is likely my better option. Seems I can swap for a bigger/better speaker after I play around a bit, too..... Thanks for the advice guys! (feel free to keep recomending as necessary!)
The problem I have with the Digitrax sound decoders is that you can't blow the horn or any other sounds without the locomotive slowing down. You can turn BEMF off to correct this, but then the loco won't start rolling until around step 40.
Jerry, is that related to sharing amperage between speaker and motor? Or some other technical malady? Does the loco's "chuff" or diesel sound slow down with the motor?
The decoder is an SDN144A1 and is installed inside of an Atlas SD50. It's apparently a known issue at Digitrax as I called them to ask about it and they told me to disable BEMF.They didn't say what exactly causes this issue, but from my LHS's and my guess, it does seem that there is not enough power for both the speaker and the motor. We thought it may be that the volume was too high, but the slowdowns occurred on all volume levels. This decoder does have a capacitor included and installed from the factory, but it only appears to be used to keep the sound active over dirty spots so that the decoder doesn't have to replay the engine start up every time it hits dirty track. As far as the prime mover goes, it sounds fairly consistent. I don't hear it changing aside from normal notching up or down like its supposed to. The motor slows down slightly when the bell rings and by about 50% when a horn is blown with BEMF enabled.
