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Post by edwardsutorik on Sept 18, 2012 17:40:58 GMT -8
I just got done watching the Athearn video about their new reefers with sound. It was revealed that they would work in DC and DCC and that you could take the roof off to adjust the sound.
But I didn't hear a word about there being a DCC decoder involved. In particular, why take the roof off to adjust the sound if it's DCC?
And, if it's not DCC, how do you turn the sound off without handling the car? D'ya have to take the roof off, too?
So, I'm asking if anyone KNOWS there's a DCC decoder involved such that I/we can play with the sound adjustments without constantly manhandling the car.
Ed
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Post by mlehman on Sept 18, 2012 21:33:14 GMT -8
You are correct. There is no decoder involved. I found this out after more digging, as it seemed like there should be. Nope. There's a manual switch, maybe under the roof? I haven't watched the video.
This sort of undermined my interest in it.
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Post by Brakie on Sept 19, 2012 2:43:28 GMT -8
Doesn't sound like a good idea having to manhandle the car every time you want to shut off the refrigerator unit.
Maybe it was cheaper then adding a decoder? Maybe a (say) $200.00 DCC sound decoder equipped reefer was a poor marketing idea?
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Post by calzephyr on Sept 19, 2012 6:20:45 GMT -8
Doesn't sound like a good idea having to manhandle the car every time you want to shut off the refrigerator unit. Maybe it was cheaper then adding a decoder? Maybe a (say) $200.00 DCC sound decoder equipped reefer was a poor marketing idea? The track power is the key to the sound and the adjustment for the volume is under the roof panel. According to the video, you would adjust the sound to the level you want and it cycles on and off much like the prototype does. The sound does continue the cycle as long as the track power is on. Larry |
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Post by Brakie on Sept 19, 2012 11:29:28 GMT -8
The sound does continue the cycle as long as the track power is on.
Larry
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I wonder if you want to run a empty you just turn the volume all the way down..
I would like to see one of these souped up reefers in action before deciding if I want one..
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Post by calzephyr on Sept 19, 2012 13:28:16 GMT -8
The sound does continue the cycle as long as the track power is on. Larry --------------------------- I wonder if you want to run a empty you just turn the volume all the way down.. I would like to see one of these souped up reefers in action before deciding if I want one.. No doubt that the roof would have to be removed to turn the volume down for an empty reefer train. This could be a pain to shut off 10 or more of these cars. The Union Pacific runs a train of twenty to thirty cars so 10 or more would be needed for the salid bowl express. Some of the train could be the silent version which would be much like the real ones between the motor starting up. I thought that having a yard track that the voltage could be isolated would be one solution for storing the cars without the sound starting up. A decoder would allow this function to be turned off, but would cost much more. Athearn is bringing this car for about double the price of a regular car and a decoder would probably add an additional $40 to $50 over the price. Larry |
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Post by Judge Doom on Sept 19, 2012 14:28:33 GMT -8
How about a magnetic reed switch and a "magic sound wand" to turn the sound on/off, a la Rapido passenger cars?
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Post by edwardsutorik on Sept 19, 2012 17:35:32 GMT -8
Thanks, all, for your responses.
I admit I'm attracted to these as sound items--it just seems like fun. BUT, it's not so much fun that I'm going to get a huge string of these. Of this first batch, I'm getting a BNSF, a BN, and two yellow FGE's. So, I'm just dabbling.
That said, I s'pose it's not the end of the world to have these guys puttin' away in the background. If I later want to turn 'em on and off remotely, I think it would be awfully easy to put a $20 accessory decoder inside. There's a LOT of room. And if you can afford $80 a car, you can afford $100. Occasionally.
And I hope to see/hear the nice big string that someone(s) going to someday put together 'cause they can't help themselves. That'll be fun.
Ed
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Post by mlehman on Sept 20, 2012 1:18:32 GMT -8
SNIP That said, I s'pose it's not the end of the world to have these guys puttin' away in the background. If I later want to turn 'em on and off remotely, I think it would be awfully easy to put a $20 accessory decoder inside. There's a LOT of room. And if you can afford $80 a car, you can afford $100. Occasionally. And I hope to see/hear the nice big string that someone(s) going to someday put together 'cause they can't help themselves. That'll be fun. Ed Ed, Yeah, a $20 decoder probably costs $3. It's possible that the physical switch might cost more than a very basic on-off control via a decoder. Not sure why Athearn omitted a decoder in favor of an on-off switch, as that really takes away the interactive potential of having sound on-board. True, a decoder can probably be installed easily, but there goes the warranty. Would you buy a locomotive that only made sound, with no way to control it except a switch to make it run or not on it? Heck, Bachmann is selling entire locomotives with sound and DCC for not that much more than this reefer. Except for the quality of the sound, this is a new item right out of 1990... |
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Post by Brakie on Sept 20, 2012 6:40:23 GMT -8
Except for the quality of the sound, this is a new item right out of 1990... Maybe Lionel?  |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Sept 20, 2012 6:49:54 GMT -8
Ed, Yeah, a $20 decoder probably costs $3. It's possible that the physical switch might cost more than a very basic on-off control via a decoder. Not sure why Athearn omitted a decoder in favor of an on-off switch, as that really takes away the interactive potential of having sound on-board. True, a decoder can probably be installed easily, but there goes the warranty. Warranty? There's a warranty? Intrinsic problems should show up early in their operating lives, and I intend to try them out for awhile (How many years, Ed?) before I do the operation. I think I have. Back before I started setting up for DCC (but having it in the back of my mind), I bought a Lionel Veranda and three T55 locos. I think all of them on DC had sound. And there may not even have been a switch. It's been awhile since I've run them. Ed |
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Post by mlehman on Sept 20, 2012 8:15:09 GMT -8
Just guessing they give you 90 days to find out if it works or not. Athearn has backed up several items in the past for me, so presuming there will be some suggestion it's intended to work out of the box and they will fix or replace if not. Your strategy of "enjoying" manual control until the warranty runs out before going under the knife is a good one. Problem is some people are impatient and will want to hack it right away. But they know they're not going to get warranty on a hacked item anyway. |
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Post by buffalobill on Sept 20, 2012 14:38:08 GMT -8
Makes me glad the three I ordered are without sound.
Bill
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Post by theengineshed on Sept 20, 2012 16:16:38 GMT -8
Makes me glad the three I ordered are without sound. One sound, two without. The club has switches that can isolate the yard tracks. Set the volume once, don't worry about it. Diesel gen sets in mechanical reefers is a lot less gimmicky than stock cars that moo. Heck, if you were to file a wheel flat on a car, folks would probably say, that's cool! Are sound reefers really that different? |
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Post by Brakie on Sept 20, 2012 16:58:07 GMT -8
Heck, if you were to file a wheel flat on a car, folks would probably say, that's cool!
--------------------------------
I might try that and see what happens..
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Post by calzephyr on Sept 20, 2012 17:04:56 GMT -8
Anyone wanting sound and a way of turning it off could install a micro switch in the bottom of the car out of sight. Any cut in the track lead power will shut it off.
Larry
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Post by Judge Doom on Sept 20, 2012 20:20:22 GMT -8
Heck, if you were to file a wheel flat on a car, folks would probably say, that's cool! -------------------------------- I might try that and see what happens.. Problem with that is, it won't really reproduce well; you won't get the sound volume of the real thing (that bone-jarring bang-bang-Bang-BANG-BANG!-BANG!! when one rolls by you trackside). You'll probably just get something slightly above the normal model RR clickety-clack.  |
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Post by bnsf971 on Sept 21, 2012 3:42:02 GMT -8
Heck, if you were to file a wheel flat on a car, folks would probably say, that's cool! -------------------------------- I might try that and see what happens.. I tried that, and it was just a bunch of unsatisfying click-click-clicks going down the track. I guess if you were that enamored with the sound, you could put a sound-only decoder in a car and program it with the flat-wheel sound. You'd have to MU it with the motive power, so it wouldn't just sit there going "clunk-clunk". |
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