dcc decoder (tight budget)

[dapper d]

I have purchased a Bachman Spectrum K4 4-6-2 loco dcc ready and need a decoder.  If anyone has suggestions for a decoder that will work (tight budget) I would appreciate the help, also  best low end sound decoder.  I need the plug and play method.  Thanks in advance for your help.
DD

[Tim]

DD

Check out this site, they make very good inexpensive decoders.
You can buy them direct if you want.

http://www.tcsdcc.com/

Two other great dealers are:

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

And

http://tonystrains.com/

Tim Anders
Souderton, PA

[Yampa Bob]

Hi Dapper,
You might also check out the Soundtraxx site. They make excellent sound decoders, each tailored to the prime mover of each generation of locomotive. You can listen to actual sound samples of their decoders.

http://www.soundtraxx.com

The decoders are a bit pricey, but the sound is great. To use in your K4, you would need a 9 pin to 8 pin adapter harness, readily available from most sources. I don't know where you are, but I get all my train supplies from Caboose Hobbies in Denver.
http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/index_home.php

Regards

[dapper d]

Thanks for your help on my question for a decoder.  I live in the country far removed from a good hobby store so I do a lot of on line shopping.  I will check out the sites that you gave me and again thanks.

Dapper D.

[pdlethbridge]

I use these from gadget tom's.
http://www.gadgettom.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DH123D&Category_Code=D-H

[Jim Banner]

PD, that is a great price and an excellent decoder.  For a few dollars more, you can buy the Z-scale version which is small enough to fit really tight locations and has enough punch to run most modern H0 locomotives.  The major difference (other than size) is that the DZ125 includes back emf control which gives fantastic low speed control to switchers.  They are available on the same site at:
http://www.gadgettom.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DZ125&Category_Code=D-Z

Jim

[pdlethbridge]

The one I mentioned is about as cheap as you can get.

[Pacific Northern]

As you are installing into a Bachmann I would suggest that you stick with the Bachmann DCC decoders. If using decoders other than a Bachmann you will need to cut any capicators on the PC board.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/BACHMANN-SPECTRUM-LOCO-TRAIN-DECODER-N-HO-ON30-44915_W0QQitemZ370196810942QQcmdZViewItemQQptZModel_RR_Trains?hash=item5631730cbe&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A30

[Rangerover]

As you are installing into a Bachmann I would suggest that you stick with the Bachmann DCC decoders. If using decoders other than a Bachmann you will need to cut any capicators on the PC board.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/BACHMANN-SPECTRUM-LOCO-TRAIN-DECODER-N-HO-ON30-44915_W0QQitemZ370196810942QQcmdZViewItemQQptZModel_RR_Trains?hash=item5631730cbe&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A30

Ditto on this..I tried installing a Digitrax DZ143 in a Bachmann GE Dash 8-40CW, it jerked about a foot and I could smell it cooking. I grabbed it off the program track before it fried. I called Tony's train and they recommended and I bought a TCS decoder MC2 P-MH since I wanted to program it and adjust the cv's. Otherwise I would have installed the Bachmann decoder. No harm done to either the loco installed light board or the decoder, caught it in time. "Any ole decoder" won't work!

Note..... it wasn't the brown capcitators giving me the problem, it was the 2 dark blue or black electonic look like capictators or whatever's that were getting "hot".

[Robertj668]

DD
I just bought the same engine 2 wks ago. I am having a bear of a time with how little the space is in the tender.  I just put in a Tsunami TSU1000 sounder decoder. It sounds great. I am making modifications to the inside to fit it all. I could of used a smaller speaker but I like the sound I got from the one I picked out.  Unfortunately A few of the wires connected to the PC board just came off.  Now I have to figure out where they broke of from. Bachmann has a decoder for about $20 that should work.
Robert