After doing my research, I've learned DCC Control on my pre-2001 FA/FB's is out of the question, for now as I plan to upgrade to a current body chasis next year. What about sound? I've done a lot of research but never found a straight forward answer. I know at one point Aristocraft did analog sound, well even if I could find a rare expensive unit like that, the sound was infact horrible by today's modeling standards. I know Dallee has come out with a sound unit now, but they don't really say which generation of Alco's. Pheonix and Sierra have been around aswell but again, they don't say which generation. The only upgrade, power wise/circuit board wise, I know of us the Ball Bearing truck swaps. In short, if anyone can help me figure out if there is a digital sound unit that's compatable with the pre-2001 Aristocraft FA/FB's, please help me out. Also if you have a QSI Solutions one, are they compatable pre-2001? I know QSI has Airwire controls too but I'm only concerned about the sound not the DCC.
I have personally listened to the Dalle sound units and don't care for them, they are too generic. Phoenix sound does have a digital sound system just for the Alco FA units which has the distict 4 stroke engine sound and they just come out with a nice system which is more compact and less expensive. You can listen to a demo at their site here > www.phoenixsound.com They are more expensive, but worth the price and the best part is, if you sell your locomotive, you can keep the sound system and reporgram it to anouther sound for a different locomotive, with Dalle you can't do that.
Pheonix has always been the one I've leant towards, but with so many models, I'm not sure. And even so, like with the 2k board, it has DCC built in, so wouldn't that mean the DCC would be plugging into the sound board instead of the locomotive's motherboard and in a sense piggybacking? I searched through their knowledge base and all I found was about how to install the speakers in the FA fuel tanks, I actually kinda already knew how to do that. Still, I'm not sure which model could be used. If I seem confused, it's honestly because I am.
