Bachamnn DCC decoders

[Pacific Northern]

I have a question on the Bachmann line of DCC decoders.

These are found in many of Bachmann's Spectrum steamers of which I have many. I, myself, have no problems with the Bachmann decoders.  However, that certainly is not the case on other boards that I have viewed. The main complaint is that the Bachmann decoders can not be adjusted as to speed, acceleration.

Many members have stated that one should immediately replace these decoders. Are these posters slamming the Bachmann decoders without merit, or are these decoders so striped down that they lack being able to be programmed?

[ABC]

Yep, it doesn't have BEMF. It is mostly bare bones, just basic effects. It supports CVs 1,2,3,4,7,8,17,18,19,29,50,51,52. These include short address, start voltage, Acceleration, Deceleration, Address High Byte and Low Byte, MU address, Digital/analog operation on/off,14,27,28,128 speed steps, Direction, extended address on/off, and function output dimming.

[Jim Banner]

Bachmann decoders do not allow for much programming but they do allow Bachmann to sell their DCC on board locomotives around the world and still meet international standards for Radio Frequency Interference radiation.  They do provide the basic functions, controlling motor speed and direction, turning head and rear lights on and off, adjustment of how much throttle must be applied to start the locomotive, and reversing the sense of direction so that pairs of locomotives can be run back to back.

It you want some of the fancier things like back EMF control for superb low speed starts and precise control at switching speeds, or being able to speed match different locomotives by different manufacturers, or set acceleration and deceleration rates and maximum speed, then you will have to upgrade the decoder.  Such decoders are available for as little as $20 and you can save the old ones for other duties, such as controlling a turntable, including turning on and off the lights on the bridge and in the roundhouse, dimming lights in passenger cars for best visual effect vis-a-vis room lighting, turning on and off marker lights on passenger cars and cabooses, controlling turnouts (with a relay or a simple home built adapter card,) controlling signals, particularly semaphore and ball types, and various other types of animation and control.

If you would prefer to stay well away from replacing decoders, consider purchasing Bachmann locomotives with DCC and sound.  The Tsunami decoders Bachmann installs have superb motion control, with all the goodies ABC mentioned, and more, plus sound that will blow you away.  Or if you are comfortable with replacing decoders, consider upgrading the original motion only decoder with a Tsunami or other motion plus sound decoder.  It is not much harder to install, and I would be surprised if you did not like it.

One last comment on Bachmann decoders.  Less than a decade ago, we would have given our eye teeth for such a decoder.  And it still does everything now that it ever did.  Yes, there are now better decoders.  But even the best today will be looking a little archaic in a few years.  That is just the way of the world of technology.

Jim