07-03-2013, 04:18 AM
Larry!
Can't agree with you in all aspects.
The sound decoders which Bachmann is outfitting their locos now are Soundrax Tsunamis, here i agree fully with you. The full version in the Spectrum Line and also the downgraded OEM Tsunamis in the Bachmann Line are excellent decoders.
The the 21-pin MTC decoders Bachmann offers in their British Outline Range, are very similar to the ESU Lopi Basic decoders and they are also o.k.
But i had several original Bachmman decoders in "DCC On Board" Spectrum locomotives. They are just like the first generation Lenz decoders, for example LE-130 and LE-131 mobile decoders, out of the early 1980's.
These decoders were not very affordable.
The 1980's were the stone age of DCC equipment and Spectrum locos offered about 2005 had 20 years of DCC backstep on board.
Low frequency motor management let the motors even not humming, but really grumbling. May be good for those old pancake motors of earlier years, but not for the modern low current motors. And for coreless coil motors low frequencies are the pure poison.
Then the lack of BEMF, a requirement for smooth low speed operations.
It may be o.k. for toy train action (fast, faster and still faster), but smooth and slow driving is an other chapter.
My 2 cent
Lutz
Can't agree with you in all aspects.
The sound decoders which Bachmann is outfitting their locos now are Soundrax Tsunamis, here i agree fully with you. The full version in the Spectrum Line and also the downgraded OEM Tsunamis in the Bachmann Line are excellent decoders.
The the 21-pin MTC decoders Bachmann offers in their British Outline Range, are very similar to the ESU Lopi Basic decoders and they are also o.k.
But i had several original Bachmman decoders in "DCC On Board" Spectrum locomotives. They are just like the first generation Lenz decoders, for example LE-130 and LE-131 mobile decoders, out of the early 1980's.
These decoders were not very affordable.
The 1980's were the stone age of DCC equipment and Spectrum locos offered about 2005 had 20 years of DCC backstep on board.
Low frequency motor management let the motors even not humming, but really grumbling. May be good for those old pancake motors of earlier years, but not for the modern low current motors. And for coreless coil motors low frequencies are the pure poison.
Then the lack of BEMF, a requirement for smooth low speed operations.
It may be o.k. for toy train action (fast, faster and still faster), but smooth and slow driving is an other chapter.
My 2 cent
Lutz