DCC Decoder and Transponders

[tryoung]

I have a Bachmann B&M Alco 2-6-0 DCC equipped with sound.
I would like to switch out the DCC decoder with one that has a built in transponder.
Is the sound decoder in this engine a seperate decoder or integrated with the DCC decoder.
I don't want to lose the sound if i switch the decoder out for one with a transponder.

[ACY]

It is definitely not a separate decoder.  There is only one decoder in the locomotive and it is most likely built into the board.

[Len]

I agree, only one decoder in the tender. The parts diagram shows a board labeled 'DCC01', and when I searched the parts list for the 2-6-0 that board came up as a PCB with an 8-pin socket with a dummy plug in it.

So it looks like 'Plug-n-play' for swapping decoders, the question is finding another 8-pin sound decoder with transponder capability. The only thing that popped up doing a quick search was this:

http://www.digitrax.com/static/apps/products/sound-decoders/sdn136ps/documents/SDN136PS.pdf

Len

[tryoung]

The SDN136PS looks like it will work. I'm new to DCC so I'm not comfortable yet with how everything is tied or connected together. I will check with Digitrax and see what they have to say. Thanks for the help. I never thought to look at the parts diagram, and I'm a hardware engineer too.

[bapguy]

If you go with Digitrax, get the SDXN136PS. It's the newer 16 bit decoder. The other one is 8 bit. Use a 1" speaker with this one. There should be a whole in the bottom of the tender floor for a speaker to fit. These come with several sound schemes loaded in them. 1 should be steam. You can down load other sound files to them but you need a PR3 Xtra to do this. Digitrax has a list of sound files on their web site  http://www.digitrax.com/sound-depot/list/
Check to see what the sound file type is: 8 or 16 bit. The files only work for the correct decoder: 16 bit file for the 16 bit decoder, 8 bit file for the 8 bit decoder.  Joe