This article relates to the manufacturers of decoders and sound decoders which includes controllers, virtual readouts, reliability and warranties. The foundation of the discussion is my enjoy as well as 8 fellow railroaders in my vicinity. The enjoy of anyone is between forty five to 50 years as version railroaders. Experience with DCC is three years plus for anyone.
First I would like to head over a number of the producers I and my friends have had experience with. We will begin with IP encoders and decoders in wellknown and their reliability based totally on manufacturer.
We will start with Digitrax and their decoders consisting of the various DCC system they manufacture. The decoders are desirable but I have had extra failures with Digitrax than another emblem. The Throttles are top notch as is the Zephyr Digitrax Command Control Basic Set. I have one and it's miles the best one of all manufacturers' merchandise that has a virtual readout so that you can set the CVs and control number and spot straight away if the decoder has ordinary your instructions. The virtual display screen will let you know if you have a brief by way of blinking across the face of the display. It tells, you the usage of specific codes located within the handbook, if the command and control is communicating with the decoder. It need to be referred to that the Zephyr will talk to all decoders discussed in this article.
The bizarre aspect is that Digitrax does no longer have the virtual readout on their greater advanced command and manage sets. The throttle can be plugged into any of their command and manipulate units to run trains.
Digitrax has superb downloads on the WEB web site for installation, CV usages and different facts to allow the consumer to maximize Digitrax decoders.
The difficulty I have with Digitrax is that they've the worst assurance program than anybody else. It is the motive I not buy Digitrax decoders. The cause being, that in case you do now not have you purchase receipt, you need to pay a $17.00 charge for a substitute. It is a $25.00 charge for the throttle repairs. Even when I had the receipt for a throttle that failed and it become still in the warranty time period, they charged me the $25.00. However, the maximum grievous element was after I bought 5 (five) DZ123 decoders on-line from a supplier and that they were all horrific. The DZ123 had a regarded hassle where the small wires coming out of the decoder had bad solder joints. I did not right away try to used the DZ123 decoders. In truth, it became numerous months before I observed the trouble after I went to strip the leads and wires just fell out of the decoder. I went via all 5 and every one had the same trouble.
I no longer had the receipt however sent the decoder returned anyway with out and payment. I learned when I had despatched the decoder back that there was a acknowledged trouble with a selected batch of DZ123 decoders. I acquired a letter from Digitrax soliciting for payment for the alternative. I in turn wrote again approximately their admitted regarded flaw and that I had 4 different DZ123 decoders with the equal problem. They answered asking for a credit score card variety to pay for the one decoder. Needless to mention, I refused to pay two times for the same decoder.
If it became not for the throttles and command and manage set I might in no way do enterprise with them again. This is sad because the energy supplies, command and manage sets, throttles, tune block controls, and so forth., are high-quality. This is a judgment call and the modeler need to decide for his or herself what to do.
The next manufacturer is NCE who produce decoders broadly speaking. They are very good to brilliant and I actually have had no hassle with them. The are easy to install and program with the Digitrax Zephyr. They provide very good downloads off their WEB web site in decoder use and installation.
NCE has an extremely good assurance for their merchandise. I had one decoder fail and I back it with a proof of what befell and it became changed with out a problems. If you provide an explanation for the occasions that occurred when the decoder failed they will test the decoder and could either replace it or go back it to you with an explanation of what went wrong and a way to re-install the decoder so it works.
The manufacturer that I now do the maximum commercial enterprise is Train Control Systems (TCS). From my perspective they are the excellent manufacturers of decoders and their guarantee is "Our Famous Goof Proof No Questions Asked Warranty".
They have extra decoders to match any diesel and steam engine made. Their WEB website is suitable. You can down load all their decoder facts with color pics of every decoder. In addition, you can down load a large installation application with colored pics of each engines' installation and written reason behind pretty much every producer's engines. I've finished this and placed all the information in a binder and also have a quick reference for any engine I have. The exception is brass engines. There a breed all their very own.
When it comes to sound decoders there are most effective that I could endorse for steam sound. For diesel there are three I could choose from. For steam sound the excellent is Soundtraxx Tsunami's and Quantum (QSI). QSI has now launched the Quantum Revolution Aftermarket HO DC/DCC Sound Decoder Systems. Quantum Revolution has been evolved for set up in present non-sound HO engines. Before, QSI sold only to engine manufacturers and importers. Lok-Sound is okay in a pinch but the chuff is extra for European trains. Lok-Sound is manufactured in Germany.
Broadway Limited (BLI) now produces their very own sound. It's right however you've got to buy a decoder due to the fact that BLI does now not have decoders constructed into their sound gadget. BLI as soon as used QSI sound decoders exclusively however a falling-out change all that.
Precision Craft Models, a sister enterprise to BLI, uses LOK-Sound solely.
The MRC steam sound is junk. They use MRC solely that is unlucky. The MRC CVs cannot be changed permanently. You set the sound ranges wherein you want them and then you take the engine off the track. Once you do that, whilst you visit run the engine again the CVs have routinely rest themselves to manufacturing unit settings. MRC does no longer produce any WEB website downloads.
When it comes to diesel sound all four manufacturers sound decoders are superb. The peculiar factor is that the MRC diesel sound decoder CVs may be set completely. I actually have numerous Athearn Genesis F devices and the sound is exquisite and I set the CVs and everything is copasetic.
It is the Athearn new steam engines that are inflicting modelers to reconsider buying them. The in advance steam engines got here with or without sound. In a few cases you could not get, for instance, an Athearn Big Boy with out sound. Several of us model railroaders sold Big Boys with sound and right away tore out the sound device and installed Tsunami's. This was costly so we are ignoring the Athearn steam engines for now. This is unhappy on the grounds that Athearn Genesis steam engines are exquisite however the MRC sound isn't pleasant to the hobbyist.
