Reading some older posts, some seem to dislike TCS and complain about motor control and difficulty altering CVs. Is that a universal problem or just one person’s experience?
It would seem that TCS’s “kits” for conversion to DCC Sound would be a major advantage for anyone not expeienced/skilled in conversions.
TCS decoders - motor-only or sound - have EXCELLENT motor-control and is my go-to for motor-only decoder installations.
TCS sound decoders give you two ways to change CVs: manual or audio-assist. The latter takes a bit getting used to but the sound is terrific.
And I’ve never used a TCS motherboard for a sound installation but would agree that it would provide convenience, if room is available under the shell.
Tom
I got re-started in the hobby in 2012 and went DCC. Even back then as I recall, TCS and LokSound decoders generally were noted for good motor control. I soon got into converting DC locos and went with LokSound mainly related to sound file choices and updating ability. I have noted consistently positive statements about TCS quality since then, and think the newer WowSounds with conversion kits (I prefer to add my own custom speaker enclosures and speakers) and onboard keep alive capacitors are a good choice. I can’t comment on the ease of TCS CV adjustments.
I’m like Tom. For motor and lights you can’t go wrong with TCS. I have 2 WOW sound steam decoders and another in the mail. I can’t comment on the diesel sounds. The audio assist works pretty good with my NCE Power Cab. I lately got into Decoder Pro and that works good too.
I also have quite a few ESU Loksound decoders diesel and steam. Their micro next 18 decoders are the smallest decoders around. Good sound and excellent motor control. I have the Loksound programmer, so CV changes are easy.
You really can’t go wrong with either one. Once they are programmed you really don’t need to keep changing CVs.
Pete.
I have two TCS WOW decoders, one in an Atlas GP7 and the other in a Kato SD40-2.
The Atlas GP7 runs okay, but the Kato SD40-2, which was a VERY smooth runner with a non-sound Digitrax decoder, cogs very badly at slow speeds with the TCS WOW decoder.
None of the suggested tuning procedures or work-arounds have helped, so this loco spends most of it’s time in the display cabinet. Maybe someday I’ll replace the WOW with a TSU2, which has become my go-to sound decoder.
Oh, and for setting CV’s: I’ve used JMRI’s DecoderPro for the past 19+ years, and currently use it with a Digitrax PR4, so I don’t have difficulty setting CV’s on ANY decoder!
EDIT: Fixed typo.
I don’t know about that. What it’s doing is taking the existing ‘greenboard’ / ‘lightboard’ out of the engine, and replacing it with a TCS board which includes their “keep alive” electronics, and then plugging a TCS decoder into the TCS board.
Replacing the board is going to involve a certain amount of soldering to make the new lightboard’s connections secure. Even a careful soldering job can harm the electronics of a lightboard. Also, as I understand it, you can only use a TCS decoder with the new TCS lightboard. So if you later want to change to a different maker’s decoder, you’d have to uninstall the lightboard too.
I guess if you have an old engine whose lightboard doesn’t have a DCC receptacle (or a very old one that doesn’t have a lightboard at all) and needs “keep alive” because of poor power pickup, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do the TCS kit. Otherwise, to my mind, it would be easier just to plug a decoder into the receptacle in the existing lightboard. If you later want to change decoders, just take that one out and plug the other one in.
That all aside, I’ve always found TCS decoders to be amongst the easiest to program and very reliable.
I have several TSC WOW decoders and I am very pleased with them, both with sound and with motor control. That does not mean that in some cases, I had to use other brand, because WOW simply could not provide what I expected.
For example, in Trix Big Boy, I was amazed with smooth runing, i.e., motor control is superb. I made two videos, unfortunately not in HD, but I think you still can see smooth start and stop and hear excellent sound it can create (little too loud, I know). Video 1, Video 2. I think it is not possible to have better running than what I achieved by installing TCS WOW in that locomotive.
I like Audio adjust feature, it enables user to make most settings thru voice guided system, but CV adjustment is also possible, although more complicated. I also like gradual five step brake, a feature unique on the market, which is very useful and I think, realistic.
There was one situation where I realized that TCS WOW cannot be used - with Trix Mixado, which has 16 mm coreless motor. I tried it with two different locomotives, and later with some other diesel locomotives I remotorized with coreless motor, the result was always the same - unpleasant, jerky slow speed preformance. I used Tsunami 2 instead, and problem dissapeared. I must admit I am very delicate when it comes to smooth running, and will go a long way to achieve what I want.
I think every system has advantages and disadvantages. TCS WOW offers motor control that is self-adjustable, meaning there are no CV’s that user can change to adapt decoder to particular motor - decoder manages this by itself, which is very covenient (compared to e.g. ESU, with eleven (11!!) CV’s just for motor control, although ESU offers automatic adjustment too, but I think TCS WOW does it better). In most cases, with good iron core (mostly five pole) motors, this is excellent approach, i.e. motor co
Even I can install these TCS decoders. They are very well thought out and the installation instructions on their website are complete, well thought out and accurate. Great choice for anyone uncertain about their soldering skills.
The T1 (I recognize this is a motor only 2 function decoder) literally just plugs in. The LL8 for LifeLike Proto 2000 is a two screws installation, literally.
I have a few of their other specialized designs to try which use a similar installation method. I plan on posting my experiences as I install more of these.
Sound is only complicated by the need to install and connect a speaker. DCC did not originally contemplate sound.
I’ve standardised on TCS WOWsound decoders and couldn’t be happier with them. The boards are easy to install with built-in keep-alives and large solder pads. Great sound and very smooth motor control. I can’t comment on the Sound Assist feature as I use JMRI to program them. I tried ESU Loksound but thought the TCS decoders were better for my purposes.
TCS WOW sound decoders for the past maybe three years mostly in Atlas diesels, no steam. All working just fine. All being set up with a Lenz DCC system.
Next in line for a TCS WOW sound decoder install is a LL BL2.