I run DCC and have a HO DC steam engine that has a DCC 9 pin plug in the tender, this MRC decoder is not only sound and 9 pin ( with harness pulled off ) socket but is also the running DCC part.
I know MRC has had a bad rep for its decoders but since this is one of the newest versions I was just wondering how good it really is.
Here are the specs.
•
24 types of synchronized chuff sounds
•
Double chuff enabling
•
1.5 amp capacity
•
34 different types of whistles and 7 types of bells
The general complaint about MRC decoders really isn;t with the quality of the sound, it the durability of the decoder. That one does look like it’s put together a lot better than someof the old ones, like the ones with the capacitor just hanging off the board by the leads. Maybe they ARE getting better. There have been enough complaints, and Athearn even dropped them as a sound decoder supplier, so maybe some of this is getting through to the bean counters at MRC - make a better quality product because people will not put up with garbage for long.
Capacitor hanging off by the leads. Yeah I forgot about that one. [:D]
The pic above post shows the other side of the board of what shows in my package as there are five capacitors soldered nice and neat to the perf board. Maybe the cousins of the one that hung off the side on the older decoders???
BTW these are not cheap either as they list for $99 USD. No I didn’t pay that much.[8D]
Here’s a couple of pics of the older MRC’s (currently sold but not what the op posted)
I too am curious if the new decoder shown by the op is a sign that MRC has waken up. Time will tell.
As about 7 AM this morning myself and two friends have been running this 1823 decoder installed in a Model Power/Mantua and both have survived surgery and are doing well.
I’ve posted more about 1823 MRC decoder on thread:
MRC #1823 Steam sound decoder - any others tried it?
