I’m just starting in DCC, but have been reading the columns, posts, and books faithfully. I think I can manage to install a speaker and a sound decoder in the 2-8-0 reviewed in February’s MR. But are there only certain ones that will work? Are some easier to install than others? I’m not sure what questions to ask, or criteria to apply. Can you suggest what will be possible for someone with modest skills (including soldering), adequate funding, plenty of time and patience, and no experience in DCC generally? Thanks for any recommendations and/or tips.
I would go with a Soundtraxx Tsunami. But, first go to their website and download the installation manual as well as tech ref and general manual. Familiarize yourself with those, they are very good. They have recordings of the sounds for each of the loco sizes. When you find one you like with the right whistle, buy the form factor that seems easiest for you to install. For steamers, the traditional wired version can be helpful as you normally put them in the tender along with the speaker. I would go with a large 1.22 high bass speaker pointed down with a good enclosure in the tender. I actually try to seal the tender so that the entire body is the enclosure, if possible. I have them in my steamers and they can crawl very slowly.
Richard
I would also recommend the Tsunami sound decoder.
This is a small loco with a rather small tender, so I would recommend that you look at the 750 series of the Tsunami’s. They are approx 1/2 the size of the regular Tsunami’s. A 750 would be easier to install in a tender of this size.
I’m not recommending anything, only observing that the SoundTraxX Tsunami sound decoder seems to win hands down. They are more expensive. I have a PFM Samhongsa Northern Pacific Y1 Consolidation 2-8-0 that I will be installing a Digitrax SFX064D sound decoder in, as I just couldn’t part with the money for a Tsunami. I have a Digitrax DCC Zypher and other than a BLI NYC Hudson with sound, which is O.K, all my other decoders are Digitrax, so I thought I would give Digitrax a try. SFX064D=$55.00 as opposed to SoundTraxx TSU750=$112.00 both @ ModelTrainstuff.
People say you get what you pay for; so, we shall see!
Wow, that’s quite a price differential. Please let us know what you think about it after installing and using the Digitrax sound decoder. Thank you. -Lloyd