Model Railroading > DCC Decoders for Ho Scale

Our Model RR club is just finally making the conversion from DC to DCC. We are using the Digitrax Super Chief. We have several engines with DCC decoders ready to run as soon as wiring is complete but we would like to go ahead and get at least 20 more ready to go. I was talking to a DCC dealer the other day and he recommended TCS for decoders. Of course, we looked at the price and saw they were higher for example than the standard Digitrax decoders.
What would be a good non-sound decoder to use ? Is it worth the extra $5 or so per decoder to go with TCS for example ?
Is it kind of like a chevy vs Lincoln vs Cadillac type deal.....

thanks,
Joe

Remember the old saying "You get what you pay for?"
TCS are top quality decoders which they cost a little more.
NCE also has top quality decoders.
cf7

My vote is Soundtraxx. Always have great results, and they seem to do well for speed matching.

J

Joel Brazy
Coatesville, PA

If you were to buy them in ten packs from Litchfield Station, the cost can be brought down to about $13 per decoder for NCE D13SRJ's. This is a 9-pin decoder that includes plugs for hard wiring. I recommend them for use in the late model Athearn RTR and Genesis diesels. Just pull the dummy plug and replace with decoder, as plug n play as it gets... I prefer them or NCE DA-SR decoders.

jobrazy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My vote is Soundtraxx. Always have great results,
> and they seem to do well for speed matching.
>
> J


I would also strongly agree. Excellent motor control. I have converted all of decoders from Digitrax to Soundtraxx.

These are the two I use depending on the installation;

852002 MC2H104AT
852003 MC2H104OP



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/14 18:20 by sphauler.

thank you for the suggestions. The NCE 10 pack sounds very good especially the price and yet it is good quality.

I prefer NCE & Soundtraxx as well, but I believe the best motor control currently is Loksound.

I agree on the Loksound.
unbelievable motor control and the sound
will blow any Soundtraxx right out of the water.
cf7

Acculites is a good source for decoders and they sell most of the major brands. I have found that my local hobby shop gives me as good of a deal as most of the internet stores. I regularly get a 20% discount which brings a $29.00 decoder down to $23.20 which is about the same price as the internet stores. Plus you don't have to pay for shipping.
Dave

Can't speak for sound, but take this advice now and save the money. Yes tch decoders are OK for a tch system, wait do they have one? I personally do a lot of work for people and there dcc layouts setting up there units to run.. a lot of time I spend more time getting one system to speak to another because no not all systems are the same. When you try to take a Lenz decoder into a digitrax system you lose certain functions, and the units start acting funny. Try to keep Lenz with lenz, nce with nce, digitrax with digitrax.

or go the expensive route and buy everything twice!!

Posted from Android

Yes they do Mr. Doe. Been out for a long time and they are outstanding. Best decoders on the street in IMHO. The motor control is outstanding.

http://soundtraxx.com/MotorDecoders/MotorDecoders.php

Bruce


wsf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sphauler Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > jobrazy Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > My vote is Soundtraxx. Always have great
> > results,
> > > and they seem to do well for speed matching.
> > >
> > > J
> >
> >
> > I would also strongly agree. Excellent motor
> > control. I have converted all of decoders from
> > Digitrax to Soundtraxx.
> >
> > These are the two I use depending on the
> > installation;
> >
> > 852002 MC2H104AT
> > 852003 MC2H104OP
>
> He specifically asked for a non-sound decoder.
> Does Soundtraxx make non-sound decoders?

I second what Bruce says but I don't get enough run time to have anything to say about motor control.

Note the decoders come with the 8 pin NMRA plug attached. The decoder body actually has a 9 pin connector built into it. The decoder shrink wrap locks the 8 pin connector tight but if you just cut around the end of the 9 pin connector you can remove the pig tails and plug the decoder into the 9 pin plug in on common light boards such as Athearn. Leave the pigtails on for the 8 pin plug ins with Kato.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

The Soundtraxx non sound two function decoder retails for $19.99.
It is to ease speed matching. They understand you are not going
to put sound in every engine. They also have a four function one.

A friend uses TCS in the lead engine for their excellent lights, and
uses cheaper NCE or Digitrax decoders for trailing units that will
never have lights. He models SP, so he really wants a good look-
ing Gyralight simulation.

I'm trying to get him to try the Soundtraxx four function for the
lights ($22.99?).

Larry

And this is where people run into the issue, lenz decoders suck, nce are a joke , and tsunami well I wouldn't give them away before I burnt them in the back yard!!

Don't mix decoders and systems, where I find a lot of people run into problems is NO NOT ALL DECODERS RUN AS DESIGNED ON OTHER SYSTEMS!! You just proved my point!! By saying the cheaper decoders, not everyone can afford the high dollar decoders you speak of. I for one can , but like I said before save yourself some money!! If your running on an nce system by all means buy nce decoders!! If your running on a digitrax system buy digitrax decoders!! If your running on a Lenz system buy lenz decoders!!

And by all means avoid mth dcs unless you have the patients to play around with them as there a perfect example of what point I'm trying to make!!

Sorry if your offended but I don't care!!

Scott

Posted from Android

So where do I buy a TCS command station?

Larry

Drum roll.........

Yes I do agree with swsf aka Mr. John Doe! LOL

There is not a stitch of truth to Big Blue's recommendations. I have been in DCC since the first Digitrax boxes were released way back when. I met Bernard Lenz who is the person who donated the DCC spec to the NMRA and he even came to my home. I was a beta tester for the first Lenz DCC command stations and decoders.(These were the only DCC stuff period for a short time) So in summary I have allot of mileage with DCC. Bottom line is all the decoders that are from main stream manufacturers like Digitrax, NCE, Sountraxx, Lenz and TCS to name a few can be used very easily on all the DCC command stations. I, like Mr. Doe have used all types of decoders on various engines over our lifetime and they all work fine. Although many in this world wish we had interchangeable boosters, throttles and accessories between the various DCC vendors, the decoder is one example where you can use them all and they work just fine and cooperate with each other.

Have a wonderful day.

Bruce


swsf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Big_Blue_mac_attack Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And this is where people run into the issue,
> lenz
> > decoders suck, nce are a joke , and tsunami well
> I
> > wouldn't give them away before I burnt them in
> the
> > back yard!!
> >
> > Don't mix decoders and systems, where I find a
> lot
> > of people run into problems is NO NOT ALL
> DECODERS
> > RUN AS DESIGNED ON OTHER SYSTEMS!! You just
> proved
> > my point!! By saying the cheaper decoders, not
> > everyone can afford the high dollar decoders
> you
> > speak of. I for one can , but like I said
> before
> > save yourself some money!! If your running on
> an
> > nce system by all means buy nce decoders!! If
> your
> > running on a digitrax system buy digitrax
> > decoders!! If your running on a Lenz system buy
> > lenz decoders!!
> >
> > And by all means avoid mth dcs unless you have
> the
> > patients to play around with them as there a
> > perfect example of what point I'm trying to
> > make!!
> >
> > Sorry if your offended but I don't care!!
> >
> > Scott
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Again, more incorrect information. I would bet
> that even my Digitrax nemesis here would agree
> that there is no issue mixing and matching
> decoders. I have been doing so for years. This
> past weekend I just discovered a loco on my roster
> that is at least 15 years old has an old Lenz
> decoder in it. It has been operating on my NCE
> system for all these years, and has been in and
> out of consists with Digitrax, NCE and very old
> Wangrow decoders, sometimes even as the lead loco,
> with never a hint that it was different than the
> others.
>
> As to those "high dollar" decoders you claim I
> use, my preferred decoder costs less than $15 each
> when bought in bulk pack of ten at the discount
> price everybody gets at our local hobby shop.
> Can't get much cheaper than that.
>
> I hate to think that you are installing decoders
> for people based on all the incorrect information
> you have. Yikes! Those poor people!
>
> And I'm not offended by anything you say. I'm just
> appalled at how misinformed you are. Which isn't a
> problem for me, but certainly is a problem for
> those people you are "helping".