Mantua makes a 4-6-2 that looks interesting and I was wondering if anyone here has experience/suggestions at adding a sound decoder to the locomotive? The website says there’s a 9-pin dsc in the tender and I have no idea what that means----except I should look for a 9-pin decoder?
MRC seems to have an “8/9pin” sound decoder, so does QSI and LokSound.
Any suggestions? Oh yes, I’m an amateur at wiring/soldering so I need something simple to just plug in
Karl Sonkin
Menlo Park, CA
For a sound installation this will not be a quick plug in and go. You’ll have to modify the loco to accommodate the speaker. If you go with the QSI I believe you might have to do something for the chuff. I would go with the Tsunami decoder and wire the whole thing or save your time and spend some money on having it installed. There are several reputable places that will do the install for a good price.
First, check the current draw of the motor using 12 volts DC with the drivers slipping. Isolate the one motor brush that connects to the metal frame.
If around 0.5 amp, use a SoundTraxx Micro Tsunami which is rated for 0.75 amp.
If around 0.7 amps, use a Standard Tsunami which is rated for 1 amp.
I have a Mantua 0-6-0T that has a can motor and draws around 0.52 amps.
I use mostly the Micro Tsunami in Roundhouse and Spectrum steamers.
You can put a 28mm speaker in the tender facing down. Drill some holes first but only below where the speaker will face.
Pickups on all the tender wheels will be a help for proper pickup.
Follow the NMRA wiring code. The decoders come with instructions for all the wires.
Rich
If you can’t find a plug-in decoder that matches the engine, I would recommend getting a Tsunami (either light steam or medium steam) and the appropriate plug with “pig tails.” These are the same wires that connect to the decoder, and they should be color-coded the same way. You will have to strip the wire ends, thread the wires through some shrink-tubing for insulation, solder the wires, position and heat the shrink tube, and repeat for each wire. This is relatively easy soldering, and it will help develop skills that will serve you well as you progress in the hobby. No one is born with the ability to solder. No one is even born with the ability to not burn your fingers on the hot iron, either, but we can generally learn these things.
I would avoid the MRC decoders, by the way. They have a poor reliability record. Tsunamis, on the other hand, are highly regarded by all.