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Digitrax SoundFX decoders
Lame review. No mention of how the diesel sounded.
I installed the SDH164D in a Bachmann 60301 GP40, replacing the Bachmann installed board. There was plenty of room in the top of the engine compartment to place the board and headlamps, but finding a place for the speaker and capacitor required some milling of the zinc casting. For the capacitor found that the recess for the rear screw that holds the top and bottom casting could be reamed out a little and the cap would drop right in. I mounted new LED lamps for the headlamp and backup lamps on small pieces of perf board from Radio Shack and used heat shrink to prevent excess side lighting. The speaker was mounted to a milled out circle in the bottom of the casting below the rear of the motor (fuel tank). Not much clearance, but enough. A few holes to direct the sound down to the roadbed, and it worked like a champ. I would have liked more information from Digitrax about the undocumented wires, though. Great sound in my opinion. This was my first conversion and based on what I have read, this is a fairly easy one.
I was disappointed in the review. While one sentence delt with the steam sound problem at increased throttle, the review didn’t say if this could be corrected. Also while it made reference that the specs said GP38-2 there was no mention if the sounds were authentic or good or bad. The price is attractive but so was the MRC sound decoders and you got what you paid for. The photo shows the speaker but no mention of an enclosure. Is one available? Does it need one? Review should be on the quality of the item not just a rehash of the Digitrax spec sheet. I would not buy one based upon this incomplete review.
I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED A "SDH164D " AND COULD NOT GET THE LIGHTS TO OPERATE ON A DC LAYOUT. DCC IS JUST FINE. AN EMAIL TO DIGITRAX AND VOILA - THEIR ANSWERS IS THAT “NO DIGITRAX SOUND” DECODERS INCLUDING THE SDH164 WILL OPERATE THE LIGHTS ON DC.
SO IT IS NOT A TRULY “DUAL” MODE. ALSO THE WEBSIGHT OFFERS VERY LITTLE IN DOWNLOADABLE CHOICES.
Well; The price is excellent for a complete decoder with sound. At first I thought this was a sound only add on to a loco already equiped with a DCC decoder. I will try one of these to see how it compares to other sound equipped engines I have. I am hoping Digitrax will have complete sound packages with specific engines for download on their web site for those who don’t want a generic sound set. I am rating this a “5” for the affordable pricing and great idea.
I have been using these Decoders most of the time since I got back into Model Railroading. As you say, the steam leaves something to be desired as you increase speed. I have used 8ohm 3/4 speakers in smaller engines (Proto 2000 diesels) and they have worked great. I purchased the PR3 for use with the soundloader program and it works great. So far I am a happy camper…
I installed an SDH164D in a Baughman steam locomotive. As a novice it installed very easily especially after purchasing the short pre-wired 8 pin plug adoptor. The decoder and speaker all mounted in the tender. The only issue I have is the volume not being loud enough but I have not gotten into program of the unit.
My first intent was to install it in a Baughman diesel unit but discovered that this installation would require some structure modification in order to place a speaker inside the case.
I had a problem with an SDH164D that I purchased. The sound worked OK but but the locomotive wouldn’t move in DCC mode (it worked fine on DC). It was a hassle to exchange it for a new one and it makes me wonder about the quality control. The speaker should really have an enclosure - I got one from Tony’s that fit perfectly, but that’s like another $5. To me the sound is loud enough but the quality of the sound is just OK. I think MRC has a better sound and more sounds to select from, but MRC doesn’t have a peak rating of 2 amps, which is better for old brass engines.
I have no experience with the decoder mentioned here, however I did buy a SDN144PS decoder which I believe is similar. The first one I got had sound so soft I had to put my ear to the speaker to here it. After setting the CVs for highest volme. It was still barely audiable. I emailed Digitrax and they suggested a larger speaker. This helped but still all I could hear was a hissing sound. I returned it and promptly received a new one. The sound worked fine on this one but the engine wouldn’t go forward. Returned it for a third which works OK but the steam chuff at higher speeds is disapointing and the sound is weak compared to my MRC equipped loco. Has anyone else had these problems?
For the price these decoders are great. They should not be compared to the MRC ones as they are far superior and the back up service is second to none. A speaker enclosure is a must with this or any other sound decoder. They are available from Sountraxx at a very reasonable price. With larger steam engines I would recommend using two speakers to improve sound. Only drawback is the limited library of downloadable sounds. I believe this will improve in time.
I have considered buying one these sound decoders but have some questions based on the review. What do you mean by, “As I increased the speed, though, the sound sped up so it sounded more like a drumbeat than a steam locomotive.” That really tells me nothing. What speed; a scale 30 MPH or 130 MPH? The answer to that would be very helpful. There was only a mention of a few of the sounds available and no actual review of the quality or volume of the sounds (as found in the several comments above.) Therefore I can not take your word that, “Digitrax’s new SoundFX decoders are a good choice for the modeler with a large fleet of steam engines or EMD diesels to convert to DCC.”
The harnesses unplug at both ends so decoder can be removed easilty for testing / use w another engine - buy new harnesses. Somewhat sensitive (buzz) to mfr installed dc electronics (may need to disconnect mfr board) on non-dcc ready engines.
Hard to find in stores - am told that Digitrax is having problems w parts suppliers but worth the search to find them.
Question? Would an N gauge unit work in a small very old 4-4-0 type locomotive. I want to start a small layout with digitrax and the locos I have are very old and need much upgrading.
Just getting back into the model rr after being in live steam for years and this information is great.
I have installed 3 of these in Kato SD40-2 engines. The ‘install’ takes about 10-15 minutes as the speaker fits in the speaker enclosure in the fuel tank. I have a Digitrax PR3 with ‘SoundLoader’ software so I was able to download the correct 645E turbo sound files. The sound quality is quite good, but it gets drowned out at the club, as the sound volume is not as great as a QSI or Tsunami sound decoder. At home they are fine, and I have turned down the sound level to about 50%. For the $40 I payed(on line discount via eBay) they are very good. I have been testing an install in an Atlas GP38. Two 8 ohm speakers in series in the ‘A’ frame work fine(and the sound is much louder). I think I will use these for my no-sound equipped GP38’s and Trainman GP30/30-2 engines as well. They have 6 function outputs so I will be able to get all of the ditch lights to flash.
Jim