Stupid question dept.I have no sound equipped locos and run off straight DC. To get the sound to work on an engine do I need DCC? If not,what equipment would I need to operate the sound system?Thanks for the help[:)]!
I am pretty sure BLI 's come with a DC controller to activate sounds, as for other systems I think you will need DCC.
BLI Engines use QSI that tells the difference between DC and DCC automatically.
The problem with DC is that you need the direction switch for the whistle. They [BLI] sells Sidekicks which provide whistling etc.
Another issue with DC on BLI engines is the very high throttle setting to “load” the electronics with sufficient voltage.
However, BLI steamers have performed very well on grades and that was what I was looking for. The sound is icing on the cake.
To take advantage of the full capability DCC is the best way to go.
I was going to stay away from sound systems for at least a while, since i’m kinda new to this hobby. But then I saw a BLI M1a steamer at that super closeout price, and I couldn’t resist.
What a difference sound makes to me. I am hooked. I rushed out and bought their SD40 just to have a diesel with sound. I have two BLI switchers on order with Tony’s for when the second batch comes out later this month (hopefully … they have been delayed already).
DCC and sound has hooked me. But, as I said, I am not an old timer to this hobby, so I am not really breaking old habits of DC and no sound.
Cost definately is an issue for me, and I do have “dummies” sitting in my engine yard and on a couple of sidings.
Ken
No such thing as a stupid question.
The BLI and Atlas sound locomotives run and make great sound on DC, but the options and control is much better when they operate on DCC. I have run the Atlas units on DC and they sound great but you are limited to automatic sounds except for the horn, which can be sounded by using the reverse switch. Sound is great and is for you too.
Broadway/QSI sound decoders work fine on DC you just can’t get all the sounds at the touch of a button like you can on DCC, although I see a new gadget from atlas to give you everything on DC with the later QSI decoders. Most of the other decoders only produce sound running on DCC but some will still run on DC although silently.
I’ve got 7 broadway locos and run them on DC and DCC on different peoples layouts and would love to be able to get QSI decoders to fit in my other locos. Now there’s an idea!
I’ve got a BLI, a P2K, and just got an Atlas, they all have QSI sound, and I’ve had to turn them all down because they were too loud with all of them running together.
Ugh. Me no wanna touch locos more than have to. Me have sausage fingers. [:D]
Seriously, once I graduate to a full-blown permanent-standing layout, I don’t want to be handling locos more than I need to, namely for lubrication. I don’t want to have to worry about
- trying to FIT batteries into HO-scale hood units (speakers are bad-enough!)
- having to replace batteries
when I can just run off track power.
Brian Pickering
Espee, the BLI locos will automatically sense if you are running DC or DCC and will run and sound fine on DC, just not as many sound functions, ie: couplers, squeals, etc. With a sidekick you have control of bell and horn/whistle. There are button sequences so you can program various things even in DC mode. One word of caution! Sound will make you want to run prototypically! And it is addictive. Once you get into the sound thing you never want to go back to silent’s, it just isn’t the same. Enjoy! I ran DC about three months before getting the prodigy advance DCC.
No Brian, the batteries need to be rechargeable … you should never have to open the shell to do anything with the batteries.
But batteries are an option instead of a capacitor to supplement a sound unit., or even supplement the loco power. The idea is kind of like Lenz’s new USP feature. It allows the loco to run across sections of dirty track and not stall, not lose the sound, etc.
There would still be power to the track, too.
That is an interesting way to describe it. I would never have said a 567 roared to life. I always thought they seemed to ummm… “hic-up” into a higher rev setting. Sort of like they had to stall before they could accelerate.
And I’ve always thought that Athearn units sounded more like a grind rather than a roar.
So to answer your question, I’ll take a nice quiet Stewart, Atlas, or Kato with no toy motor noise and the fancy electronic reproductions of real locomotives to make the “sound”.
Noise is Noise - sound is an attempt at moving toward the prototype.
I have an Atlas SD26 with QSI sound and love it to death! I hope to get a BLI steamer with sound somtime in the near future as well!
I have an HO P2K SW8 with QSI and it’s wonderful. Very realistic and it idles and adjusts according to speed very well. But…I also have an Athearn GP30 with an MRC 0001632/33 decoder and I would call it “noise” instead of “sound”. There are volume adjustments but even at 0 it idles way too loud and the “sound” just seems strange to me.
Also, I can’t get a very smooth start and stop. I’ve played with the start voltage, acceleration and deceleration and it’s better but still not as smooth at starting and stoping as I would like. It will crawl very slowing after it starts rolling but that 1st jump out and quick stop is nothing like my SW8.
Two questions:
- Any suggestions on improving the MRC performance?
2 Is it possible to get QSI for my non-sound diesel locos (none are older that 3 - 4 years). They are Atlas Master series, Athearn RTR DCC ready, and ConCor.
Jerry
QSI sound diesels will work with DC and DCC. DCC will give you more sound options, but straight DC is quite good. You can make different sounds by flipping the direction switch quickly… Or buy one of these designed for DC use.
http://atlasrr.com/dcc/quantumengineer.htm
A friend of mine has a Proto GP-9 and Atlas Quantum Engineer. I was VERY impressed with what it will do on DC.
Joe,
Not a bad idea using some sort of battery. The capacitor can cause problems on a layout not equiped to handle many QSI units. Even with the sound off, multiple engines on storage tracks sap the startup voltage and cause power problems. Many boosters and power districts needed to be added to my club’s layout, especially with all the members using sound equipt locos during shows. Before the modification, we had to limit the number of units stored in the yards.
Bob K.
No idea about the MRC, but the QSI decoders are supposed to be coming out soon for after market installation. Mind you, they have been coming out soon for almost a year, so who knows when we will see them?
I have this one brass Baldwin diesel that as it runs, it makes Baldwin type sounds. Think because it has open gear towers. As for all my other diesels, I make their sound in my head. Works for me.
I have a 2-8-2 with QSI and one with ESU LokSound. The QSI will be getting replaced with the new upgrade chip that is due out. I am now told by Tony’s that QSI has even more sound choices available so I told them to hold my order till I decide on which chip I want. The QSI chip is good but a bit tinny for my years. I’m hoping (and have heard) that the upgrade chip has some real improvements in quality of sound.
My other 2-8-2 comes with the older LokSound chip. I’ve heard a number of folks complain about the quality of the sound on the v. 2.0 chip. To be honest, I actually prefer the chuff from the LokSound chip over the QSI chip. At low speed, it decays too quickly. But as soon as you get above say speed step 20, the locomotive gets a very nice throaty “choe-choe-choe-choe” sound, which I think sounds better than the tinnier QSI chuff. The pressure release before the locomotive starts off is also a very nice feature. The fixed whistle is okay but a playable one is better.
In a couple of months, I’ll be receiving a Stewart NYC FT A-B diesel, with the dummy B-unit containing a DSX sound decoder, speaker(s), and baffle. I’ve been informed by Tim @ Empire Northern that it will sound “awesome”.
Granted, sound is great. But, sometimes F8 is also a nice option when I just want to hear the trains circle quietly around the layout at the end of the day.
Tom
I’ll definitely second that, I thought I’d burned something up when I took the cover off the tender of my BLI Hudson, the sound was horrible, but as soon as I got the cover set back, it sounded as good as ever.
Greg
While I don’t run 10 or more trains at a time on the BRVRR, I have run 4 sound equipped steamers at one time. Two BLIs, 1-Soundtraxx equipped and 1-MRC equipped without any power problems from my Zephyr. I can and have run 3 sound equipped diesels, multi-unit sets, with a total of 7 powered units without problems. I think the power ‘inrush’ at startup with sound units is overstated. Mind you, I believe it exists, it is just given too much weight in the hobby literature and by the manufacturers of DCC/power equipment. Wonder why?
My 2-cents worth.