Can the SoundTraxx ECO-100 (P.N. 882001) Be used as a Sound decoder only (with out being hooked to a motor)? Like the TSU-1000 or the TSU-750 can?
Yes you can use a resistor. No BEMF though so will not always sound like a decoder with a real motor. I tried using a 750 but needed a 100 ohm, 1/2 watt resistor before my NCE Power Cab would recognize the decoder. Too my knowledge, a decoder needs a load for the system to see the decoder but have not tried this with different brands of sound decoders. Give it a try without a resistor and then a resistor. Rich
To be clear, a resistor is NOT needed for operation or programming, it is only needed for reading the decoder. With many command stations, you will get an error when programming because the command station will not see the acknowledgement from the decoder, but the CV's will program. Also, automatic extended( "4 digit") address programming may not work, because it requires writing three CV's and the command station may stop after not seeing the acknowledgment for the first write, but extended addresses can be programmed writing the three CV's manually. If you do use a resistor for programming, you need to either remove it for operation or make sure it's wattage rating is sufficient. For example, the 100 ohm, 1/2 watt resistor mentioned above could wind up having to dissipate well over 1 watt at full throttle (at 12 volts: 12v / 100 ohms x 12v = 1.44 watts), which could cause it to heat up enough to cause damage.
In a Google search I found of couple of people who clipped a 1k, 1/2 watt resistor to the track for programming. I used the 100 ohm resistor as suggested with the 750 decoder and adjusted the CV's. If you want the resistor to stay with the decoder, the below link shows you how to eliminate heating up the resistor. http://mrdccu.com/curriculum/soundtraxx/tsunami.html Rich
