Few months ago I bought a Bachmann PRR GP 30 with there decoder. Engine now has around 50 hours on it and has turned into a fair runner.
When I went to set the decoder speed control I was stunned I could not find or set CV 5 and 6. I was able to speed match my PK 2000 GP 20 to it with a DH 123, but boy I had to put in some strange CV’s to do it.
My main complaint is at 20% power setting the pair now run like a slot car. But when they hit a slight grade they slow way down. Much more than my Proto engines using the same DH 123 decoders.
I all so know there DCC On Board is aimed at the folks getting into the hobby or children. People at that stage are happy if there trains don’t derail! I know I was. [swg]
If they spent say spent $3.00 more on a better decoder and charged a extra $10.00 and called it DCC On Board Plus, I would buy it.
Yea, I know, look at it like I got the decoder for free and replace it. While I can hard wire decoders, I hate doing it so I tried the DCC On Board.
By the way, do there sound decoders have better speed control, I know the decoders come from another company.
For the price you did get the decoder free when compared to the prices other manufacturers charge. I leave the Bachmann decoder in for light control and piggyback a Digitrax decoder onto the Bachmann decoder for motor control. That way I get the speed tables Digitrax offers and I don’t have to mess around with LED’s and resistors for lights. Both decoders have the same reset code. CV8=8. I haven’t tried programming a four digit address to the pair but setting a two digit address is the same as setting a two digit address on a single decoder. Not all the Bachmann diesels use hardwired decoders. My GP7’s came with decoders plugged into 8-pin sockets so changing decoders was easy.
Was it a Bachmann “DCC On-Board” or “Sound On-Board” locomotive? I don’t know for sure who makes their plain DCC decoder, but the SoundTraxx Tsunami in the Sound version does not support CVs 5 and 6, and neither does the full-blown Tsunami, no matter which one it is.
Every other decoder I have ever used from any manufacturer supports CVs 5 and 6, except SoundTraxx. To me, that’s a major error on SoundTraxx’ part.
If this is a ‘DCC on Board’ decoder, you may or not may have CV5 & CV6. IIRC, very early decoder were an entry level Lenz, and current decoders are an entry level ESU-Loksound(not confirmed). The ‘Sound on Board’ decoders are an OEM version of a Tsunami specific for Bachmann. Again, there does not appear to be a CV5 or CV6. However, their is a FWD Max(CV66) and a REV Max(CV95). There does not appear to be a Vmid like the CV6 many decoders have.
The non-sound lightboard/decoder used in many of Bachmann’s newer DCC OnBoard diesels are still of the Lenz knockoff variety. They have CV2 for starting voltage but CV5 and CV6 are non-existent. I know this to be current as late as late last year as I went through one in a GP38-2 and found that the decoder has very few CV’s. 1, 2, 3, 4. 7, 8. 17, 18, 19. 29. 50, 51, 52 and that’s it. As far as I know their black decoder is just as limited.
I suspect It is in the works as Bachmann is changing over to SoundTraxx. There is a lot more to changing decoder companies than most of us realize.
SoundTraxx does make a non sound decoder. A couple Bachmann steamers come with a non sound and you insert a SoundTraxx sound module if you want sound. That tells me eventually they will have better non sound decoders.
NCE sells the BACH DSL decoder is designed for Bachmann diesels which comes with lights. It is a board replacement and much better decoder. Some switch over. About $20.00 the last time I looked. Even the manual is at the NCE site.
I have seen this many times in the Bachmann forums and a couple other forums.
I have the NCE BACH DSL decoder in my Baldwin Sharks I run the two back to back so I had to use CV29 to reverse one’s direction, and I assigned them 4 digit road numbers to match their prototype. I have not gone beyond that to program SV or speed match, they run well together in the default program.
The GP7s, GP9s and RS3s all use a 8 pin plug, so they all have Digitrax DN 135 decoders.
I’m now looking in to replacing the shells of the RS3s with shells from Athearn RTR RS3s, since I have a fleet of Lemons from Athearn, but the shells are well detailed. The digitrax decoders all allow for programing of CV5 & CV6, among others.
BTW: Some Bachmann dcc on board diesels do not like climbing or descending hills especially on curves. This has nothing to do with the decoder, abut is in the power train.
My GP7’s didn’t much like it. I changed out the decoders in them with Digitrax DZ125’s and they do much better. As far as I can tell the GP7 and GP9 appear to have flywheels.
Not sure if it’s still the case, but the Bachmann DCC On Board locos used to have 28 step decoders.
Ultimately, it’s the fault of the DCC standard. There is virtually no reason for a crippled decoder to be part of the standard. The cost difference between a 28 step decoder and a 128 step decoder is negligible.
The Bachmann CV table I’m looking at says 14, 27, 28, 128 speed steps. You switch between 14/27 and 28/128 via CV29. It comes factory preset for 28/128.
Thanks for all the answers and your thoughts. I only paid $59.99 for the engine so I guess it is a fair prices. I am not a Bachmann hater and I have had 4 of them. Only reason I sold the first 3 was at the time I had just changed over to DCC and had no clue how to add a decoder. Plus I was really set back by the split in half frame.
I still think they could get more buyers if they had a fully functional decoder. (so could MTH) At this point with there limited CV’s only other Bachmann I may take a chances on is the B&O Yellowstone. Other than that I don’t think I could stand there substandard Decoders.
Motor control is generally the only real issue with the cheap bachmann decoder. Consider it is essentially free, I guess it’s not too horrible, but Lenz themselves discontinued selling the equivalent decoder long ago because it is woefully outdated. What’s really bad is that if you look at Bachmann’s price for the decoder seperately - it has a list price of $19.95. For a decoder without silent running and no BEMF. MSRP $19.95 gets you a TCS T1 with both. For LESS you cna get many NCE decoders which have silent running and excellent motor control, just no BEMF.
Exactly right. For the same money you can get a better decoder from several manufacturers. I just picked up two Digitrax DZ125 decoders for $20 each. Silent drive and BEMF included.