Model Railroading > Install Digitrax SDXH166D sound decoder

I have a couple of these I bought over a year ago just to give them a try. I installed one in a genesis GP38-2. I used the 9 pin connection to the motherboard and the results are disappointing. The 1.5 v incandescent bulbs look good but the rotary beacon only flashes when you ring the bell. The sound is barely audible with the bell and horn sound synthesized.

The 9 decoder wires do not seem to match the motherboard connection and the rear wires from the decoder seem to also connect through the motherboard connection.

The digitrax instructions recommend using the wires in a harness connected to the 9 pin decoder socket.

So for those of you who have installed this decoder is it wise to ditch the motherboard and hardwire the decoder harnes and resistors to make it all work?

Thanks

You can link to the instruction sheets from this decoder site which also gives the decoder wiring diagram.


http://www.digitrax.com/products/sound-decoders/sdxh166d/

Could be a programing deal on your mother board as you can assign functions to specific wires. Dont right off hand know how to correctly say it but on can make the bell come on and off with diffrent buttons on my NCE hand held by assigning diffrent outputs. Also sound volume can be controled by another CV.  Read the instructions as they are easy to understand and change.
  And if you decide to pitch them offer them to someone who might need them first as they with very little effort will work fine. They are not always plug and play or were they ever ment to as if you buy an RTR unit the mfg has done the correct functions for you.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/19 06:48 by BAB.

I have changed the overall volume as well as the bell and horn volumes but only the bell is nicely audible. I will test a different speaker next.

The motherboard/decoder connection for the bell/beacon is going to take some deciphering.

I spoke with a dealer in Calgary at Supertrain this weekend about the decoders. He said he doesn't care for them but he has customers who do like them and buy a large number of them. I was hoping to find some of them here on TO so I could find out if they use the 9 pin plug to connect to the factory motherboard or if they just remove the motherboard and hardwire everything through the 9 wire harness.

Thanks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/19 11:00 by fbe.

I give up. The little white truck left a pair of Tsunami2 EMD-2 PNP decoders which will go into the Genesis GP38-2 MILW units. I will try the Rapido packaged iPhone/mp3 player speakers.

I put one Tsunami2 and iPhone speaker in one GP38-2 and left the Digitrax SDHX decoder and speaker in the other. I tried numerous adjustments with the Digitrax but there is no way to get the sound I want out of it.

If anyone wants a pair, PM me.