decoders for steam

[wallydowrie]

  Hi: Just wondering which decoders with sound people have found best for steam

Wally

[richG]

I use the Micro-Tsunami, 0.75 amp max. I cannot say that the Tsunami, 1 amp max, or Micro-Tsunami are the "Best", though they are pretty good. Cannot comment on other brands of steam sound decoders.
Speaker type, size, baffle,  varies between different installations. Others will no doubt comment. The last I heard, the sound decoder used in Bachmann steamers are not available separately.

Rich

[Frisco]

The Tsunami is great. Also from its maker,Soundtraxx, is the LC serries these sound almost as good although they don't have as many sounds, how ever they are very cheap. Loksound has some very good sounding decoders these are almost as good as the Tsunami, cost about the same price, but have the advantige of having a 8-pin plug attached to them. The MRC decoders are not very good but if you need to install sound in a lot of locomotives then they are very cheap.

[Yampa Bob]

If you have the room, the Tsunami 1000 has good sound.  The latest versions have built in "diagnostic sensing", if it is overheating or there is some intermittent wiring, motor or feedback problem, the loco will stop, and the headlight will flash.  By counting the number of flashes and reporting it to Soundtraxx, they can help diagnose the problem.

The 1000 has a JST connector, but will work with 8 pin by using a separate adapter harness.  For warranty concerns, Soundtraxx recommends hard wiring the attached harness, unless you are absolutely sure your loco that has a JST plug is properly wired as per instructions.   

You can download all the installation, programming and technical manuals from the Soundtraxx web site.