Loksound vs MRC vs Soundtraxx vs CTelectronik for Kato N-Scale

[TCWORLD]

I'm looking at getting a couple of Kato Locos for my DCC layout (NW2 and SD70M), and will need to get decoders for them. I know TCS offer replacement boards for the locos, but I was also looking into the world of sound decoders, which TCS don't offer.

So the question is, which sound decoder?

The problem is, as it is N-scale, there isn't alot of sound decoders likely to fit.
So here is where i am at:

MRC
Advantages - Direct replacement boards for the KATO loco's
------------- Sound's are OK for the Deisel decoders (Is that right?)
------------- Cheapest of the sound decoders
Disadvantages - I believe they have poor motor control (Is that correct?)
--------------- Reliability?

LokSound
Advantages - Good Motor control
------------- Should be small enough to fit - length and width (any ideas about height?)
------------- Great sound, and can program own sounds
Disadvantages - No direct replacement boards availiable
--------------- More expensive (nearly twice the cost)

CTelectronik
Advantages - Good Motor control (I think?)
------------- Should be small enough to fit
Disadvantages - No direct replacement boards availiable
--------------- Don't know how good the sound is
--------------- Reliability?

Soundtraxx
Advantages - Good motor control
------------- Range of different sounds
------------- Excellent sound
Disadvantages - No direct replacement boards availiable
--------------- Most expensive
--------------- I have no idea if they will fit?!?

a) Any recommendations about which to go for
b) Anyone know whether the locos can be fitted with these decoders
c) Has anyone fitted sound to these locos.

[Finley]

Hi Tom,
I have only fitted digitrax direct board replacement decoders to both these types of locos, and there is not much room left in either body shell for much else, so to fit a speaker would need some chassis moding, but the 70M may have room in the fuel tank,
I have read that both the european makes do have very good motor control but does take time to get right,( the CT ones are harder) but I find no problems with the digitrax low speed control when in yard mode,
I also get the feeling that the MRC decoders are not very good from what I read on the Yahoo forums,
not much help but hope it helps

cheers Neil.....

[TCWORLD]

It is quite helpful, thanks.
Do you still have those locos? If so, could you take a photo of how the decoders fit?
Don't worry if you don't.

[TCWORLD]

I was just wondering, the MRC decoder has a 13mm speaker. Is this a circular speaker? because if so, the inside of the loco must allow for things 13mm wide. The TSU-750 is on 12.7mm wide, so should fit?

[Finley]

Tom,
here are some pictures hope they help
first off the NW2
[IMG][/IMG]

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You might get a speaker in the cab if you remove the detail,

[IMG][/IMG]

the fuel tank is full of chassis on this and the SD70 as well.

[Finley]

Now the SD70 pics, these are a MAC not a M but it think the chassis is the same, as the 4400 is the same, (same decoder!)

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

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[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

the last picture is the 4400 and there is no room under the rad cover at the back but there is room under the back of the decoder, but the body is only 10.7mm wide (forgot to zero the verniers )

cheers Neil....

[TCWORLD]

Thanks for those. They do somewhat confirm my suspicion that sound will be difficult. I might just go for standard decoders when i get the locos. Probably the TCS ones rather than the Digitrax ones.

On another note, The reason I have been looking at new locos is that my current ones keep stalling at low speeds on the sudden gradient changes, and I was hoping thaqt investing in some Kato ones would solve that thanks to their flywheels.
I have been experimenting with my current locos to get them working, and have discovered a solution. All you need to do is solder a 2200uF capacitor to the Blue wire, and a -ve somewhere on the decoder (This is easy on Lenz Gold decoders). It works unbelieveably well. Though the cap that i have is too large to fit inside the loco.
I have however found a source of much smaller oones (They are oonly 220uF, but there is room for 11 of them in my H16-44).

Still though, I am going to invest in some new locos as i only have 3 at the moment. Those pictures have persuaded me to get some, they do look very nice.

[iansouthaustralia]

If sound is required my choice would be Loksound 3.5 every time. Loksound Micro if space is at a premium.
ESU have quite an extensive range of different size speakers if the one supplied are to big.
If non sound is required then TCS decoders are ,IMHO, very good value for money.

Ian

[JackBlack]

The first photo thats on Finley's post is the same as mine but mines black and in HO scale.

[JohnGymer]

I've used LokSound 3.5, LokSound Micro and CT Elektronik sound decoders so far. They are all excellent in their own way, but with some notable differences:

LokSound 3.5 is BIG. You wont get it in an 'N'.
LokSound Micro is significantly smaller, but still quite thick an especially long. It might fit in some longer 'N' models.
LokSound offer better features and programmability than CT (just) including bigger memory and 4-channel sound instead of 3-channel, although in practise there isn't much real difference.

Personally I prefer CT, but it has been a long hard slog to learn how to program them. If you are happy with a stock diesel sound though, it is pretty straight forward. It is really only if you want to play with loading your own sounds that it becomes a minefield - documentation and support is very poor.

However, I have tried to help on this score by documenting most of my findings on my web site www.youchoos.co.uk (look in the Guides & Documentation pages) including translated manuals for my favourite decoder the CT SL51-4.

CT use 8ohm speakers, whereas LokSound use 100ohm, which is a big consideration. Choice of speakers is quite varied, but the best overall sound I've found is from the tiny CT 'sugar cube' which measures just 15x11x8mm (including resonater). This should be small enough to fit some 'N' models. Incredible that the smallest speaker should produce the best sound!! (sound quality is an opinion of course!!)

The SL51-4 is too big for 'N', but its little brother the SL75 is designed for 'N' so is much smaller, and very thin. I think the CT decoders are the smallest in the world right now, and despite this, they are very well featured and technically excellent. Build quality is good nowadays too - no worse than LokSound.

CT decoders are hard to get hold of though, and you might have to resort to ordering direct from CT www.tran.at (all German I'm afraid - e-mail the verkauf address for sales - don't bother with the info address as you wont get a reply).

LokSound are 2-a-penny, but are much more expensive... for comparison LokSound 3.5 inc speaker goes for around the £100 mark whereas SL75 inc speaker will set you back around £70 to £75.

Matter of choice of course. Zimo do some pretty good looking stuff too, although I've not used them myself. They have a small footprint and work off 8ohm speakers too.

Hope that helps a bit.
I'm not necessarily trying to plug CT here, as I know everyone has their own opinion, but I certainly like the CT SL51-4 A LOT now that I've got to know it, and have created lots of my own sound-sets for it (mostly UK steam).

---
John