After some installation tips from forum friends, particularly a link to Litchfield station, I made a neat and successful installation in an Atlas 8-40B. However, my dealer had mistakenly provided the wrong decoder, and before I caught it, I had EMD sounds coming from a GE locomotive. The dealer swapped it for the correct one and I made the installation but noticed that the GE sounds were MUCH quieter than the EMD. Around the same time I purchased a dealer-installed sound decoder in a Proto SD 50. It was much louder, but the horn would not turn off once it was turned on, and then the engine produced sound but would not move. My dealer is being very cooperative and is replacing both decoders since he also feels the GE is too quiet. Horn sounds are plenty loud, indicating no problem with speaker installation, but engine exhaust is whisper quiet.
Check to see if your GE decoder is a LC series. There is a big difference in the volume between a DSD (or DSX) and any of the LC decoders, the LC decoders are much quieter than the DSD / DSX decoders. I will not buy LC decoders anymore for that reason and a few others, they are cheaper but they are not worth the money saved.
Also, GEs do tend to be a little quieter than EMDs in the prototype world when they are in the first couple throttle notches.
I agree with jmkraker – there’s a big difference between the SoundTraxx DSD150 and LC decoders as far as volume and accuracy of the sounds. I hope the new Tsunami decoders are available soon, because they are replacing the DSD150, and the DSD150 seems to be sold out.
All sound volumes are adjustable through the decoders CV’s. If you haven’t already downloaded the
manual for your Soundtraxx decoder, do it. The information in the manual is priceless when you run
into these problems. Good luck, Dave
A very good friend of mine will be researching this as he’s worked with an HO unit equipped with a factory installed “LC type” decoder.
Still looking forward to the Tsunami. Wish we could get an explanation from Soundtraxx for yet another delay. Guess they’re trying to cover all the bases.
All of the volumes on the LC decoders are adjustable, but even when you program the engine exhaust volume to it’s max it is not as loud as a DSD decoder. I called Soundtraxx and they said there is a smaller amplifier in the LC decoders than what they use in the DSD, Which is one of a few of the cost saving features.
Yep, I had already adjusted CV to the max. My dealer felt there was not enough change as we advanced through the notches in either manual or auto mode. Thanks for all of your replies!