New video "Sound File Review SD40-3 w/Smart Start" online!

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How do these sound units function in battery r/c large scale models? Track power and DCC are strangers to me.

tac
 
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DCC sound decoders will work in analogue (track or even battery) but you tend to only get the main sounds or whole start up sequences without being able to 'control' them.
A DCC control handset lets you apply individual different sounds at will. It also facilitates the amending of 'knotchng' etc, whereas analogue would give you the sound automatically depending on the voltage being supplied at the time.
 
However, many decoders have a 'chuff' facility, which can be used to provide speed information. - Rather than relying on voltage to the motor.
Additionally, they quite often have two trigger inputs (often used with reed switches and track magnets) these can be fed by outputs from the radio gear, so you can trigger two effects, say whistle and bell..

Non-DCC (or hybrid units like Phoenix) have many trigger inputs, so can offer more.

HTH?
 
Spot on Phil....
I was trying to keep it simple as there are quite a few 'extras that the current run of decoders can achieve for instance, DCC decoders have back-emf which can keep the loco at the same speed, up or down dale but then change the sound accordingly
Most DCC boards also have load sensing so that extra loco 'power' or cruising (with rod clank etc) can be heard. (The non-DCC MyLocosound board also has a feature like this to simulate the loco 'coasting')
Although 'triggers' (reed switches etc) are great for sounding of horns and bells etc at particular places on a layout where a magnet has been placed,..the automatic triggering by the decoder's own inbuilt sensor circuitry can be altered and set to sound horns, bells blow-downs etc etc in response to load or speed conditions.

DCC, with the use of radio control systems like that from Airwire, is a great way to control a layout and hear multitudes of digital quality sounds, without track power being necessary.

Massoth were supposed to be bringing out their own radio control loco-based DCC board for a few years now but this has never appeared.
 
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