My family is switching over to DCC. My daughters have two ~$70 Athearn locomotives:
GP38-2, Model #7996, “Ready to Roll” series; and
SD40-2, Model #6303, “Quality Kit” series.
We got them new just two years ago. Both have the NS road name.
I have been cautioned about installing sound encoders in noisy locomotives. I have never regarded these locomotives as noisy, but I am poorly experienced.
My question is this:
Are sound encoders, particularly LokSound 3.5, a bad investment for these locomotives?
I understand that the LokSound encoders result in “super silent” motor running due to their pulse frequency of 40 kHz. Gears are another source of noise. I understand that a couple drops of oil can help that. I am looking to have these encoders professionally installed.
It would be a little bit hard for me to cut my losses if this would be a bad investment. Santa Claus brought these locomotives two Christmas’s ago. So, there is a bit of emotional attachment to these engines.
They are probably quiet enough, since they are relatively new. If you’re looking to have them professionally installed, seek the advice of the installer. If you can, compare their sound to a new, sound-free engine. I just installed a sound decoder in a P1K engine, and it’s fine.
I have a 50-year-old Athearn F7, and another that’s about 20 in my estimate. Both of these are way too loud. They would drown out the sound of a new sound loco, so I know they won’t be getting sound installed.
I think both those locomotives would be OK with sound installed. I am certain the children are going to care much more about ringing the bell and blowing the whistle rather than if the engine sounds exactly like a specific real locomotive.
Where do you live? Do you have a reliable - proven dealer lined up to do the installations?
I live in the Philadelphia area. I have got in touch with a proven dealer. He says that this is worth doing, and he knows a few techniques to get get locomotives quiter.
I am going to go ahead with installing these. I also going to have the headlight improved and ditch lights added. Furtherore, I am looking into rear lighting and possibly adding inside cab lighting if such is ever reasonably done.
I recently purchased two Athearn Genesis F3 AB sets, and basically plan on doing just that. May only put basic function decoders in the B units and the Loksounds in the A units. From what I’ve read on several threads on this forum, the Loksound(and others) are probably better sound decoders than the MRC’s that come on the new Athearn F3’s.
I thought, and still feel good about it, that placing a Tsunami in an IHC Mike was a reasonable thing to do. Nothing is permanent, so if the loco turns out to be a poor performer, despite your best efforts to correct it, rip out the decoder and place it where it will offer you a more rewarding experience.
I couldn’t agree more. Been there, done that. Just one thing, though: tell your installer you might want to move it later on, and to leave some extra length on the wires. I cut some a bit close to the decoder for a nice neat installation, and had a difficult time moving it later: after cutting-off the soldered connections, there wasn’t much wire left to solder the new connections to!
Dumb question: why didn’t you just unsolder the old connections and re-use the wire as-is? I do it all the time and as long as I’m careful, I’ve yet to have a problem.
I’ve found it difficult to get the shrink tubing off and melt the solder off the wires completely so they can be re-twisted around a new wire without heating up the remaining wire & insulation. Can’t always get a heat sink in there securely. I haven’t ruined a decoder with too much heat on a wire, but don’t much want to, either! So now I leave plenty of wire – but some of the professional installations I’ve seen have been too close to the decoder for my comfort, leaving less than an inch. That’s all I was warning about.