[Doug]

Bachmann Europe PLC has recently released two Class 66 OO scale locomotives which are fitted with the latest European 21 pin decoder sockets. One of these Class 66 locomotives was the first British outline ready to run locomotive with factory fitted sound (32-725DS) which is fitted with a 21 pin sound decoder, whilst the other non-sound locomotive (32-731) has a 21 pin decoder socket. To achieve top quality sound it has been necessary to fit the 21 pin decoders to these locomotives and to modify the chassis of the Class 66 locomotives to accommodate them because the locomotives with sound require more connections than the 8 pin sockets allowed. The new 21 pin sockets fit directly to the locomotive's printed circuit board which has reduced the volume of wiring harness fitted. 21 pin decoders will become standard in future all Bachmann Branchline locomotives with factory fitted sound and the non sound variants of the same locomotives.

Some of the major European manufacturers are now adopting 21 pin sockets as standard and our sister company Liliput, introduced them earlier this year.

For purchasers of the non sound Class 66 locomotive (and the future Bachmann locomotives that use the 21 pin sockets) who wish to use 8 pin decoders it will be necessary to purchase an adapter (36-559 or L38004) to fit the 21 pin socket. This retails at £3.40 and can be obtained from your Bachmann dealer.

 

[Peter_Harvey]

Doug
Do you know or could you find out if these DCC chips should get very hot during operation as I have a DCC sound class 66 and It gets quite hot, hot enough to feel it through the body anyway?

Pete

 

[Doug]

A normal DCC decoder does get hot. That is why it is never a great idea to completely cover it. I'll get back to you on this particular decoder.

Picture of the adaptor added to first post.

 

[Brian]

That's typical!

DCC is expensive already without manufactures adding another £3.40 for special adapters!

Why cant they add both sockets onto the loco's PC board and have done with it

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Brian @ 14 Dec 2006, 17:39) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>That's typical!

DCC is expensive already without manufactures adding another £3.40 for special adapters!

Why cant they add both sockets onto the loco's PC board and have done with it

It's probably down to space saving - if you look at the size of the 21-pin socket it is much smaller than the space that would be taken up by 2 x 8-pin (& the chance they may get mixed up) sockets & they will only give you 16 pins !

Just think of the amount of in/ouputs we may be looking for in later decoders for say an EMU ;
Power from track
Power to motor
Output to speaker
Common to chassis for accessories
#1 end white/red/daytime/dest board
#2 end ditto
Interior lights
"Doors open" indicators (both sides)
Panto(s) up/down (or smoke for DMU's)
Remote couplings for working in multiple
That's at least 20 of the 21-pins used already !
Of course our American cousins have ditch lights, mars lights & so on.

How long before the 21 pin socket is old hat ? - not too long I suspect.

You could of course "hard wire" your standard decoder.

 

[folkestonekeith]

Pete,

My Cl.66 with sound also gets quite hot. I referred this to Bachmann and they replied as follows:

...the sound decoder has an audio amplifier that does run warm, that's what you're feeling through the body.

My feeling was that my Cl.66 felt "hot" rather than "warm" but, in view of the above, all seems ok........

Keith

 

[neil_s_wood]

Trix and Brawa have had 21 pin decoders for over a year now in their locos. My concern was that they were a bit more expensive. Bachmann have taken the initiative again and have been first to introduce a new feature to the UK market. Trouble is with DCC in it's infancy here (the UK), too much complication for the DCC novice may well be off putting. They may have been premature with this but I suppose the decision was made on the basis of their American and German outfits and what is happening in those markets.

I have actually decided not to buy a couple of locos because they required these 21 pin decoders. At about 30 euros they are 5 euros more than Lenz Gold. I dread to think what they would charge in the UK for them.

I have quite a few sound locos and none of them get hot, slightly warm maybe but not hot.

 

[Gary]

In terms of sound it has to be said that Bachmann have produced a loco that has good sound amplification. Examples of sound that I have heard to date from other manufacturers and sources seem muffled by comparison. The demo at the Warley Show was very impressive as the sound could clearly be heard above the background noise and visitors actually complained that it was too loud!

Bachmann did turn the volume down when such comments came in as this volume level is controllable. It was impressive that even when the volume was turned right up there was no distortion.

Amplifiers do generate heat much as transformers do. I now wonder if Bachmann are unique in amplifying the sound as they do?

I am thinking of British and European models here as I have no recent memories of sound generated by USA models.

Bachmann are very definitely the Motorhead of the model railway world!

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE Amplifiers do generate heat much as transformers do. I now wonder if Bachmann are unique in amplifying the sound as they do?

I am thinking of British and European models here as I have no recent memories of sound generated by USA models.

Bachmann are very definitely the Motorhead of the model railway world!

Having quite a few US and Continental sound locos my view is that US locos are far louder than the Continental. My BLI N & W J class is deafening, whereas some of my continental locos are considerably quieter. It may be due to the US locos being larger and having more space for bigger speakers or it may be the US bigger is better syndrome.

 

[Peter_Harvey]

The difference between warm and hot:
A possible example.

You could put your finger in your tea to stir it after you have added the milk because its warm,
You would not put your finger in your tea with out the milk in it as its "HOT",

and its the same with this decoder it seams they aren't getting warm there getting "HOT".

Pete

 

[Gary]

That does seem hot. It may be worthwhile speaking with your local stockist from whom you purchased the loco to seek further guidence on this. I cannot say that there was any noticable heat being generated from the Class 66 being operated at the Warley Show but then I did not pick it up, the loco was not running constantly, and when it was running there was little by way of load apart from a radio microphone on a well wagon.

Is there any more feedback on how hot soundchip decoders get?

I am looking forward to picking up one or two sound locos in the future myself and so for the moment have little personal experience of this.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[dwb]

>the Motorhead of the model railway world!
I wonder who will do the Spinal Tap edition?

David

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE Is there any more feedback on how hot soundchip decoders get?

They can get warm but not hot as defined by Peter_Harvey.

If they are that hot there is a problem. None of my sound decoders ever gets "hot"

QUOTE I wonder who will do the Spinal Tap edition?
The same guys that did a spinal tap version of DCC.

Only joking