I have both a Athearn challenger and bigboy from the first run. What decoder is recommended to replace the piece of crud MRC decoder. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
I would suggest you try the DCC Electronics forum. Some only watch that forum.
Rich
A SoundTraxx Tsunami or LokSound Select would be good choices. You should have room for a good sized oval speaker with enclosure in the tender of both engines.
After purchasing three of them, my #1 replacement choice is the QSI Titan-Universal. I have not experienced the latest LokSounds, but based on my early experience with them, they would be my #2 choice.
In my perhaps solitary opinion, the bloom is off the rose for the now-aged Tsunami. They are still excellent decoders, but…they could stand some updating, particularly in their sounds. The next version should have simpler motor tuning, too. However, if you follow the manual, you can get your motor silky smooth by fiddling with about six CV’s up in the low 200’s.
-Crandell