Multiple decoders - damn fool question

[Martino]

I just know that I'm being daft here, but anyway..... All my DCC conversions so far have been tank engines, and I've used a Digitrax large scale decoder to run the motor and a Tsunami for the sound. Everything has been wired together and despite a few niggles everything has been OK. I'm considering building another loco (on an LGB 2080 chassis) and this will be a tender loco. I presume that I can have the motor decoder in the loco and the sound decoder in the tender with no connection between them other than that they share the same address and trundle around together. That's true isn't it? I'm just having a beer induced crisis of thought. Similarly, I could install a sound decoder only in a non motorized hulk and have it pulled around by another loco (in a multiple) consist just making noise? Please put me out of my stupidity!

 

[mike]

no.. you link the track feed between them , so in effect your loco is shareing track power between both decodas..try useing the same manufacture when useing 2 decodas, difernt chips have differnt cartristics..

 

[Cliff George]

You can have a decoder in the tender and one in the loco, but I wouldn't recommend it particularly if the tender is not itself motorised. You wouldn't get the subtle changes in sound (chuff) depending on how hard the motor is working.

Decoders that both drive the motor and produce the sound are available, these are often about the same size as a motor only decoder would be. I would fit one of these into the loco. If there was not room for a speaker in the loco (and their usually is, for example the cab roof) I would put the speaker in the tender and link the loco to the tender with only the two wires that connect to the speaker. You could also, although not essential, connect the power pick up from the wheels in the tender to the power picked up in the loco, just to give more power pick ups from the rails.

As Mike says if you do go for two decoders it is best to go with two of the same type.

I have converted an old analogue LGB Mogul to DCC+Sound. This was done (as above) with a single sound decoder in the loco with the speaker in the tender. On the other hand my LGB euro tender loco has a motor in the tender as well. In this case I used two of the same type of driving only decoders, one for the loco and one for the tender, but also used a (SUSI) sound only decoder in the tender.

I hope this helps.

 

[Martino]

Thanks Mike an Cliff As you can see electronics are not my strong point (have yet to find out if I have a strong point!). That's good advice. Thanks again Martin