All this is not at all new to me. But, i never knew the following : If an ad for a loco says 'DCC on board', I completely realize there is no sound but is otherwise DCC. I also assume DCC ready means engine is basically still analog but leads exist to add (plug in or solder in) a decoder. Here's what just dawned on me : Whether DCC on board or DCC ready, if we want sound, does the present decoder have the capability to produce this sound, but just needs a speaker ? Do engines with no speaker still come with the grill holes on floor of tender or in a diesel's shell (roof area ?) ? OR, if it does say DCC on board mean that this decoder must be removed and a whole different decoder capable of sound, be installed ? Do all Bachmann tender shells or, say, Atlas diesel shells have the speaker grill and mounting studs present regardless ?
Howdy Markinla the terms can be confusing huh. Here's the way I interpret all the DCC "lingo" "DCC on board" means a decoder is already installed. "DCC ready" means one need not solder anything when installing a decoder. They are either "drop in" (ala new Atlas or Kato) or plug in (ala Fox Valley) "Not DCC ready" means you will either have to modify the frame to make room for a decoder or at a minimum have to solder the decoder to specific parts of the mechanism. Standard decoders will NOT produce sound. If you want sound you'll need to buy a "sound decoder" When referring to decoders with sound they should be referenced as "DCC with sound" or "sound decoder" There are very few locomotives currently being produced with preinstalled "DCC with sound". In N scale the Broadway limited Paragon PA/PB, and Atheran F59PHI are the only ones I know of. But now a days there are more and more being produced. I have not caught the sound bug (yet) but I understand that few if any locomotives are "sound ready" In other words you will need to do some kind of frame/shell modifications in order to fit the speaker and/or sound decoder if you want to install a sound decoder in a locomotive. Hope that helps some. Brian
Thanks. I have been in DCC about 5 years now, with NCE control. I have 3 Bach HO locos; a modern 4-4-0 (came with no bell !), a 2-6-0 (ironically, sound is broken on it so I stopped running it until I feel like dealing with Bachmann repair for the umteenth time. What I am up up here with is that Bmann has a repair Dept., but they seem to do little if no repair and instead either offer you a new one (OK unless you've painted, weathered and decaled it). Or, what happens too often is they confiscate the one you sent in and then urge you or are forced to accept an entirely different type of loco as yours is out of production or such. This is why I have the 4-4-0. It replaced my broken wire, 2-8-0 (which I still miss). Anyway, back to the DCC story. Are you saying that there are not even speaker grill holes and speaker/decoder mounting studs if buying a non-sound DCC loco ? Or, by default they are there but just not employed yet ?
AFAIK (again speaking only in N) you get either a "DCC ready aka. plug and play" or "Non DCC". No speaker mounting lugs, holes or pre-milled space (if you are referring to the fuel tank area) are provided. Most of em you have to be into bashing to get the speaker to fit. Brian
