Hi guys, I have 2 C-44 locos that I have recently converted to dcc . I have a nce powercab and I installed 2 nce da-sr decoders. Is it possible to add sound to that decoder or do I have to get a decoder that already has sound built-in. I contacted NCE and he said he thought it was possible just hook it up to the power from the board. he didn’t sound real convincing.
Chuck
It’s possible to piggy-back a sound -only decoder onto the NCE one, but it would be much simpler to just replace the entire decoder. Do you have room for good speakers in the C-44? If not, trying to add sound is not going to be worth the cost.
No idea on the brand of loco but here is the decoder selector page for SoundTraxx. Some diesels you can use a 28 mm round or a 16mm x 35 mm oval. I have gone both ways. One Atlas I have has two 28mm round standing and facing each other in an aluminum A frame.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/choose/step2.php?s=ho
Right now I doubt you want to piggy back a sound decoder with a decoder for the motor and lights. A sound only module is a possibility. Some decoder company sells them as an ad on. Others here will comment.
I have to assume from your question that you might now be very familiar with DCC, plus DCC with sound.
Rich
You would be better off removing the DA-SR decoder and installing a sound decoder.
NCE does not manufacture sound decoders, so you need to search elsewhere.
No big loss, the DA-SR is not one of my favorite decoders anyhow. Too fragile and too easy to fry the function outputs for the lights.
You can always sell the DA-SR decoders on eBay.
Rich
I have to agree with the others. While sound could be added in several ways I think it would be much cheaper and easier just to replace the DA-SRs with a sound decoder.
Hey guys…news flash…NCE does make sound decoders. To the op, dual decoder installs are undesirable for 2 reasons. 1. Sound decoders rely on a resistance between their gray and orange wires for programming. 2. Shared CVs (cv conflict) between the decoders require you to lock one decoder (or physically seperate it from the power sorce) before programming the second. David B
That is a news flash, at least to me.
Can you provide more info?
I am unaware of any NCE sound decoders.
Rich
It was tongue in cheek…some of their decoders are not supersonic drive so they buzz…
David B
David, shame on you. LOL
I thought you were referring to the DA-SR.
You can hear the sizzle as it fries. [(-D]
Rich
All of NCE’s decoders have high frequency drive. Everything made in the past 7+ years anyway. Maybe way back when they didn’t have it.
The D13SRJ continues to be one of the cheapest decoders you can get, in price, but not in quality. It’s cheaper than Bachmann sells their rather junky decoder which definitely does not have silent drive for.
–Randy
All of which begs the question, why doesn’t NCE manufacture sound decoders?
Rich
Insufficient resources? Sound takes a lot of effort and specialized talent to get the sound files recorded and edited. TCS only makes decoders, so all their efforts can be spent on decoder design and development. NCE also makes complete systems and accessories. Digitrax got into sound, but they pretty much left the sounds part up to end users, the sound sets they supplied were less than good, a few took the ball and ran and there are some really neat things possible with thei decoders that folks on the Digitrax Sound Yahoo group have accomplished more or less on their own since it requires extensive programming experience as well as sound editing ability to actually do it all.
Other sound decoder makes, pretty much only make decoders as well. ESU is a bit of an exception, as they also have systems and accessories as well as decoders. But they also appear to be a somewhat larger company than some of the others.
–Randy