Purchasing decoders

[uncbob]

I have Bachmann DCC equipped and want to upgrade to Sound
I run DC so I can't program the decoders

Can I purchase a replacement part Bachmann decoder for a sound powered version

[Kris Everett]

if your going to go through the expense of buying new decoders why dont u just up grade to a Cheap DCC system?

[uncbob]

I may do that eventually but right now I am satisfied with running sound equipped in  DC

I'll probably only switch my DCC equipped 2-8-4 over as I already have a 2-8-0----4-8-2----2-8-2 and 2-6-6-2 running DCC/DC sound

[richg]

I have Bachmann DCC equipped and want to upgrade to Sound
I run DC so I can't program the decoders

Can I purchase a replacement part Bachmann decoder for a sound powered version

Bachmann does not sell sound decoders. You have to go with LokSound, the most expensive, SoundTraxx Tsunami a little less expensive, there is QSI sound, Digitrax sound and MRC sound.
Do a Google search for each for their sites. Store the links in Favorites. There are a lot of variables.
Litchfield Station is good for advising on sound decoders and speakers. The speaker installs can be an issue with some locos.

http://www.litchfieldstation.com/DCC-University/index.htm

Rich

[uncbob]

I have sources for the decorders but they have to be programmed

Since Bachmann uses the decoders they are already programmed

I would have thought you could buy them as a replacement part similar to other parts of the engines if they had malfunctioned

[Kris Everett]

there's a program called decoderpro that u can use on your computer but i don't know what u have to have in order to use it

go to this website and look for it in the reading /http://jmri.sourceforge.net/


might help might not. worth a look into

[uncbob]

Thanks

I'll look into it

[Kris Everett]

no prob

[richg]

I have sources for the decorders but they have to be programmed

Since Bachmann uses the decoders they are already programmed

I would have thought you could buy them as a replacement part similar to other parts of the engines if they had malfunctioned

Decoders from other sources are programmed as most are dual mode. Not sure if any are programmed for the loco number. If the sound goes bad in a Bachmann, send the whole loco back. SOP, Standard Operating Procedure.
Even with the non-sound decoders, send the loco back if you are not able to do a replacement. Those non-sound decoders can be bought from Bachmann the last time I looked.
The Tsunami sound decoders are made by SoundTraxx and are not available separately.
SoundTraxx makes the Tsunami sound decoders for Athearn also and are not available separately. Again, SOP. Common knowledge.

Rich

[Jim Banner]

Rich, I seem to remember an announcement that Bachmann was switching from 'Tsunami Technology Decoders' i.e. ones with a reduced number of functions, to full blown Tsunami Decoders.  If this has happened, then the sound decoders are available from Soundtraxx but they are programmed to Soundtraxx's defaults, not Bachmann's.  So to upgrade to sound would require not only buying the Tsunami Decoder but also programming it to the sounds Bachmann has chosen or to sounds that you choose.

Perhaps Mr. B. will confirm or refute the use of standard Tsunamis at this time.

Jim

[ChrisS]

If you can't program them and aren't going to dcc, find a friend that will program them for you on his dcc
System. Takes but 2 minutes to swap decoders if there is the nmra plug Installed

[uncbob]

The 2-8-4 is DCC on board but not sound

Looking at digitrax sound decoders for the 2-8-4 it is not just a simple swap out to add sound to a DCC on board tender

[Jim Banner]

... it is not just a simple swap out to add sound to a DCC on board tender

There is also a small matter of installing a speaker.  And if your tender is not sound ready, drilling some holes and adding a baffle too.



Kris mentioned Decoder Pro.  It is not quite "CVs for Dummies" but it does take much of the pain out of figuring out which CV to program to do what, and helps a lot with figuring out the values needed in those CVs.  As Kris suspected, there is some hardware involved to connect the decoder to your computer and much of this hardware requires a DCC command station in the loop as well.  As much as I like the convenience of Decoder Pro, I do not regret having learned to program manually first.  At least that way I can step in and unmuddle things when Decoder Pro goes astray.  But as Decoder Pro continues to improve, that seems to be happening less and less often.  I suspect the day will come when knowing how to manually program a decoder will only prove that the programmer is a relic from the days of wooden computers and iron men.

Jim