Well, you never know, and just because not everyone likes it doesn’t mean they can’t shut if off. Way more cars come with cruise control now, but in most situations, you can’t use it either. Just saying…
And whats not to like about smooth and slow? Thats why I’d like to have BEMF in all my decoders - duh! But I’m gathering information and getting feedback before I spend more money. Each persons comments are a data point so the more feedback the better.
I did look on the TCS website for mounting the T1 in the Athearn
Just use the A4X, or A6X if you want ditch lights, and repalce the factory junk - replace the light bulbs with LEDs, too, cheapy AThearn and their junky light bulbs are a whole other thread. The 9 pin connection allows for 4 total function - you just have to tap off on the board seperately for the extra lights, since they are all tied together on the Athearn board. That’s not enough for ditch lights, headlight, gyralight, and rear light though, you need a 5 (but usually they don’t make 5, so really a 6) function decoder for all those lights. For SP’s crazy lighting package, you pretty much need a second function-only decoder to get enough total functions to operate all that independently.
A T1 would never do, it only has 2 functions, the extra wirew in the 9 pin harness aren;t even connected to anything. A T4X has all 4 functions. Any brand decoder would be the same, it’s how Athearn wired the factory board, not the 9 pin connection.
I’m pre-ditchlights - its the Mars or Pyle oscillating lights I need on most of my D&RGW or SP engines. But on Athearn SD’s, I believe they will have to be wired separately. I don’t think the UDE light on the Athearn SP engines is functional, nor were they used much in real live so I’m ok with only the main and oscillating light. I do have several SD45R’s which had the revised light packages and plan on a couple of the SD40R’s due out late this year.
As for the T1, the “budget” alternate wiring described by some would be to use function 1 for the main light and 2 for the oscillating and nothing for back up - yes I realize thats unacceptable for some - but speaking plainly - it’s easier to have higher standards if you have the finances to back up those higher standards; that is why I am researching the various options out there and started this topic - economical fleet decoders and exploring all the options. Of course lower cost decoders means I’m going to have to accept possibly compromises, which may come in various kinds - so I want to be informed of what all those are - funtions is one thing, BEMF another etc.
The NCE decoder I mentioned previously that I use as my fleet decoder has 4 functions. I like you have the gyralight on my tunnel motors and Geeps. (I also model the Rio Grande). I removed all the quick connect boards and hardwired my locomotives. I connected the gyralight to the F5 function so that i could make it do its thing.
As for the non-sound soundtraxx decoders, I use those as well. My F7- A-B-A set has them in in the A units. The B unit has the sound decoder. Their lighting effects are some the of the best out there. You can have the lights do the gyralight thing when the horn blows and go steady when it is not. I like that the soundtraxx non-sound decoders have the same light functions as the sound decoders. I have two A-B-A sets where the A units have non-sound and the B has the sound decoder. All three units are powered (all are Old Stewart/Kato drives).
As for the tunnel motors, the majority of mine have sound because they have the perfect amount of space for a speaker (Railmaster hobbies makes a speaker/enclosure that fits almost perfectly where the removable wieght is attached). I mounted it above the air intake on the rear of the locomotive and used soundtraxx decoders.
One critical thing that I now require in all my decoders is the ability to set speed curves. I have some older locomotives that have ancient digitax decoder (DH-121’s) in them and I am not able to speed curve them. They get the old decoder pulled out and the new NCE decoder is plugged in. I use the old digitrax decoders in things that are one-offs that will not be speed matched (mckeen car or doodlebugs)
Every locomotive on the layout runs with every other locomotive. It doesn’t matter who the manufacturer is, they all run together. This is why a decoder that can be speed curved is important to me. I run multi-loco consists on all my trains so it is important for me that they run smoothly together.
The NCE, and Soundtraxx decoders (sound and non-sound) have