Inetersting

For $15 I think it's worth scratching that itch.  The knowledge you'll gain on this path will be worth while.  At $60 no, at $15 I say yes

ratled

Speakers, etc.

MRC says on its web site that it supports 8, 16 and 32 ohm speakers depending on the model (of the decoder, I assume), so as long as you match the ohms, a better speaker will render better sound.  Try Soundtraxx or RailMaster - I've had good luck with both, and the prices are similar.

I am not aware that MRC decoders are reprogrammable as to the sound files themselves.

okay,,,, how is the speaker attached to the circuit board?

Has anyone removed the speaker off of the decoder board? Certainly this unit will sound a whole lot better with a better speaker. Yeah, I know it is only $15, but I hate to mess it up....

Cut wire and add a micro connector!

Kirk, cut your speaker wire and add a small connector to it that matches up with other speaker setups.  Once you have got this going I would really like to HEAR it.  Want to get some but everybody is scaring me off MRC stuff. 

Wondering!

I'm waiting for an answer from TTX

Hi Nelson,

I look up YouTube videos for this specific decoder and some sound really good and others leave something to be desired...  The difference is confusing, but could have something to do with cameras used to film the video or editing software or something completely different and unrelated to the decoder. There is a video where someone put huge speakers in a boxcar behind the engine and the resulting ALCO gurgle seems to shake the room... So, perhaps trying to cram a tiny speaker in the package is the problem with the sound?

Right now, I have sent a message to Tony's Trains who as been able to answer all kinds of DCC related questions for years and years. I am hoping they will get back with me and answer the question about using a different speaker. I guess I have seen that too big of a speaker can ruin the decoder? My guess is that with any engineered item, it is designed to use the items included and nothing more...

Overall, with careful desoldering and resoldering, it should not be hard to solder new speaker wires on the decoder.

I too have been a little scared of the MRC horror stories... Like I said, I probably would not have bought it, but how could I have refused? If I were MRC sales/marketing, I would probably give out some free sound decoders, to people active on these boards, if I believed that people really needed to give them a second chance. Who knows what they are thinking? If it were my business, I would really hate to see so many horror stories and I would do whatever I could to fix my image.

I'll field test some if they want!

Kirk, you're right about the bad publicity they have been getting and I think as a PR move, send out some of the newest decoders that they have for some of us to test.  I think that they had some issues with a few decoders and did not make prompt corrections to them and that left a bad taste in peoples mouths.  Remember, people only complain about stuff that goes wrong and will go out of there way to tell everybody they can about the bad experience (which is normal) but when things are running smooth, there is no reason to "blow" one's horn so to speak,  I'm am very much on the fence about these decoders as  the $50.00 price point can't be beat compared to the others at let's say even $89.95 for a Tsunami + shipping + $8 to $12.00 for a speaker + shipping again, then your up there around let's say $130.00 +\-, so, for another 20 bucks, you can get 3 MRC decoders and pay shipping 1 time and they come with speakers.   That's my thought.  

Tony's says go for it...

Okay, so my answer from Tony's trains is that the speaker can be replaced with any 8 Ohm speaker. They sell something called TDS speakers which are supposed to be good. They recommended the mini oval for application in an Atlas RS-3

Supposedly, there is not a lot of room inside an Atlas RS3, so this should be interesting. I will post pictures and probably do a video of this install that compares the speaker that comes on the board to the TDS speaker, please stand-by....

Great! I can hear the rumble now!

Gonna be a tight fit but if you remove the front weight over the truck, you may have enough room there to mount a speaker.  Of course there is always the cab area but that could pose a problem as well.  Keep us posted.

Nelson

If you are paying for shipping for a speaker and then again for the decoder, you are wasting your money!  Assuming you live in the lower 48, Litchfield Station would ship both to you in the same package for $4.  I'm sure Tony's and many others would be the same.  I try my best to plan ahead and pool my orders so the shipping costs don't kill me, and in fact are very reasonable in most cases.

I believe this decoder has 4

I believe this decoder has 4 prime mover sounds installed in it. Read the paper work that came with it. If the paper work is missing, go to MRC's web site. Look under train control,DCC, decoders. Sound files are Alco 244--EMD SD60--SD70--567B. F12 changes the prime mover. I have 2 of these in an Athearn RS3. They are OK. Be aware that these decoders use 1.5 VOLT bulbs.  Joe

Your right Dave!

I  was merely trying to make a point about the need for a good fleet sound decoder without breaking the bank. 

It's going on eBay

Well, gang...

I guess we can probably close out this discussion... The decoder is going on eBay... Why? It is just not that good and really not worth messing with....

Gang, I pride myself in finding super deals at trainshows and turning them into something... This decoder is simply not worth my time as evidenced by the following:

Running on a friends layout earlier, the decoder and Atlas chassis simply did not like the tinyist dirty spot, while my friends budget Tsunamis in Bachmanns ran through the same spots like it was no big deal. Supposedly, the size of the capacitor has something to do with this... The cap on a regular Tsunami is about 3 - 4 x bigger than the one on this board and it shows....

While it sounded something like an ALCO, the sound was a little fuzzy and just could not compare to the sounds coming from the Bachmanns....  I want to hear an ALCO, not something that sounds similar to an ALCO.... The horn and bell was pretty nice, but just could not overpower the weak primer mover.

This decoder is only a two function decoder... While that is okay if you do not have rotary beacons, MARS, alternating ditch lights or any other special effect, it limits the possibilities...

So, although I think a better speaker could make all the difference, the decision comes down to this.... Why mess around with something I am likely to still get my money back on without modification? Thanks, I'll stick to Tsunami and let someone else play around with mediocre performance and sound.

Other possibilites for inexpensive sound decoders

Dear Duck, My left-brain

Good news, bad news.

Old decoders

Can't you use the old MRC for something other than a loco? In a caboose to control the lights? Or a passenger car to control the lights? Just a suggestion.

Can't you use the old MRC for

That is a really good idea... The only problem is that it is only a two function decoder and I am not sure if it has special lighting effects. My guess is that it does not. So, it would be a waste to use a "sound" decoder in something to just control two basic on/off functions...

I said it was going on eBay, but I thought a lot about it and figured that it might sell for more if it was in a RTR unit. Since this thing WILL NOT fit into an Atlas RS3 without heavy modification, I waited until I found an Athearn RS3 at a trainshow. Good news !!! I found one in "like new" condition for $45. The bonus is that it already had a Digitrax decoder in it. So, for my initial investment of $15 add to that about $30 for a loco, I have something that should at least get my money back... AND, I have to say I had a little fun just putting it all together. Well, not really... see below....

Now, here is an interesting finding.... please pay attention

The MRC decoder picks up power from the frame through the mounting screw... THANKFULLY, I "did not let the smoke out of it" and figured out quickly that the stupid thing was shorted by the mounting screw. Let's see, no motherboard manufacturer will short out their board with the mounting studs, but MRC figured it was a good idea... I dunno.... 

Second, I hear A LOT of complaints about running quality of the Athearn RTR... Funny, they just can not get away from their roots over at Horizon.  They solder the bottom motor contact, but the top one relies on a loose press fit contact. Same thing with all of the decoder board. All contacts are loose and rely on intermittent contact which explains the poor performance, I guess.

Third, since soldering to the motor, isolating it, etc. required disassembly, I learned that there are plastic parts such as the fuel tank which appear to be glued onto the frame. Thanks, Horizon. I guess nobody is ever supposed to get to the screws which hold the motor in, huh? In addition, I found that axle gears were loose and did not fit the metal portion of the axle. Why?  Thankfully old salvaged parts still fit, but it too A LOT of tinkering to get it running again and it was getting a little frustrating.

Now that I have the sound decoder in and it runs, I have to say it will still probably go on eBay, but it is a hard decision because the RS3 shell is really nice.... I just think that ultimately, that nice shell is just lipstick on a pig motor and a pig decoder, but to each his/her own....

MRC 0001663 in Atlas S4 compared with Bachmann S4

I fitted the 1663 decoder in my Atlas S4 it was the only drop in decoder with sound I could easily find in the UK Initially it did "not work" and I had followed the instructions very carefully but when I gently flexed the board it sprung into life! I thought at first it was something to do with the screws that attach the board to the chassis but soon ruled that out so I tried gently and carefully touching each of the components with the tip of a screwdriver and I found that a resistor marked 270 had a dry joint so carefully flooding a little solder onto the resistor made it good

I have compared the sounds produced with my factory fitted sound Bachmann S4 and to my mid 50's ears I prefer the MRC Horn but the Bachmann Bell is better I have listened to S4's on YouTube and cannot make my mind up on the prime movers which I like best

I have noted MRC have produced a newer decoder for the Atlas S4 using 16 bit technology and I wonder what the difference in sound quality is compared to the one I fitted

Photo of YW 1172 & UP 1171