New atlas SD-9 Decoder

[peteski]

And the worst part is that an E24 connector is not part of the DCC standard, the Next18 is. For me a missed opportunity.

Marc

I believe ESU is trying to make E24 one of the standard DCC interface connectors.

Just installed a Nano into my SD7 and man is it ever loud. I honestly thought it would be a tad less so but I guess it is in a decent enclosure. I was expecting it to be about as bad as some of the less expensive sound decoders with the speakers on the board! Only thing I really see as a drawback is that the Nano motherboard isn't being used so there is no easy way to add a Power Keeper to it.

Loud is good!  That is what volume control is for.   I wonder if the speaker included in that model is a 4 ohm (not the typical 8 ohm) speaker, so you'll get the maximum available power from the decoder.

It is possible that Atlas/ESU made the GND and U+ (and maybe even the Power Control logic level AUX) pads accessible on that board.  But without having the model in-hand, I can't confirm or deny that.

[spookshow]

Does the DCC-Ready version come with a speaker? I can't tell from the OP's pictures.

Thanks,
-Mark

[Albert in N]

My Atlas silver (DCC ready) tracking shows to be delivered by USPS this afternoon.  I will check for a speaker and attach a photo when I can.  By the way, I appreciate the posts since I had given up on availability until I saw posts in The Railwire.  Nicely, I note on the Atlas site that they offer parts.  I am so ready to run it!

[ridinshotgun]

Does the DCC-Ready version come with a speaker? I can't tell from the OP's pictures.

Thanks,
-Mark

Yes the DCC ready version has a speaker that is already attached.  It is attached to the bottom of the board and is the silver oval on the right in the first picture.  The 4 black tabs are the housing.  Not sure it is soldered or just press fit.  Haven't want to go prying on it.  There is zero information on the mother board.  Not from atlas nor ESU.  The atlas parts diagram just shows the dummy board with an atlas part number annotated below it for the sound decoder.  Only way you would know what loksound they used is they only have one board, the 58925, with the E24 connection that would fit on the mother board.

[nstars]

I believe ESU is trying to make E24 one of the standard DCC interface connectors.

According to Railcommunity.org the RCD-124 for the E24 has been rejected.

Marc

[Jbub]

According to Railcommunity.org the RCD-124 for the E24 has been rejected.

Marc

That would explain this

I got a response back from ESU and basically they said that it is a future product with no date for production at this time.  IF and when they get an update they will provide more info.

[Albert in N]

   USPS delivered my new Atlas Silver SD-9 this afternoon.  This is the DCC ready Item#40 005 314.  It does not have a visible speaker.  Ridinshotgun may be right since I did not take it apart because I do not mess with electronic boards unless to switch them out due to burned out LEDs.  The lights work and it runs great so no need to disassemble and take a chance of breakage.  The plastic fuel tank bottom cover is solid and the parts diagram shows no speaker.  The parts diagram omits the drive train.  It runs great and looks good, so I am a happy camper! 

[wmcbride]

I have not used my new Atlas Chessie SD7 #1830 (Silver) but according to the Atlas web site for this recent SD7/9 release:

"Atlas Silver Sound Ready models are equipped with a speaker for easy conversion to sound with the addition of a decoder."

[peteski]

Actually I'm surprised that there is a printed parts diagram included with the model, but too bad that it doesn't include the mechanism diagram.  Maybe a complete diagram is available on the Atlas website?

According to Railcommunity.org the RCD-124 for the E24 has been rejected.

Marc

Oh well. So this will be ESU's proprietary connector.  It would have made sense if ESU wanted to make this a standard connector to apply for the standard before producing decoders with it.

Personally I don't really care much for it, but its big advantage is much lower profile than Next18, and that is very important in many tight N scale installs were the decoder sits on a main PC Board..

[ridinshotgun]

Actually I'm surprised that there is a printed parts diagram included with the model, but too bad that it doesn't include the mechanism diagram.  Maybe a complete diagram is available on the Atlas website?

The diagram breaking down the mechanism and the decoder is on the back of the sheet pictured above.  I don't have time to take a picture and upload it but it is on the back the sheet.

Now that I have my laptop back up here is the mechanism diagram:

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[peteski]

The diagram breaking down the mechanism and the decoder is on the back of the sheet pictured above.  I don't have time to take a picture and upload it but it is on the back the sheet.

That's more better! 

[nstars]

Personally I don't really care much for it, but its big advantage is much lower profile than Next18, and that is very important in many tight N scale installs were the decoder sits on a main PC Board..

It’s good to remember that the standard not only covers the connector, but also the space around the connector necessary for the decoder. So space should not be an issue, but there are of course exceptions. .

The big issue will be to install a DCC non sound decoder in it. I don’t think it exists.

Marc

[Albert in N]

   The speaker attached to the DCC friendly motherboard is interesting.  I originally thought that the speaker would be in the dummy fuel tank on the bottom with sound holes in the plastic fuel tank cover.  Has speaker technology changed in that the diaphragm and magnet is no longer needed?

[peteski]

  The speaker attached to the DCC friendly motherboard is interesting.  I originally thought that the speaker would be in the dummy fuel tank on the bottom with sound holes in the plastic fuel tank cover.  Has speaker technology changed in that the diaphragm and magnet is no longer needed?

Not that I know of, at least not embraced by model manufacturers.  Speakers used in N scale model trains still use magnets, have diaphragms, and need a good enclosure for best sound quality. The last item is often not well thought out by the manufacturers.

The recent IM F7 locos have a speaker sitting below the motor, and above the fuel tank, but the fuel tank does not have any "sound holes" in it which would be a visual indication that there is a speaker in there.

MRC sound decoders for narrow hood diesels have tiny round speaker simply glued onto the decoder's PC board. for a true plug-n-play install.  as you imagine, the sound is not the greatest .

It’s good to remember that the standard not only covers the connector, but also the space around. The connector necessary for the deco der. So space should not be an issue, but there are of course exceptions. .

The big issue will be to install a DCC non sound decoder in it. I don’t think it exists.

Marc

True, but it is (or was) planned bu ESU.  The 59925 LokPilot decoder mentioned here is supposed to fill that role, but the availability of it is not known.
It is listed at https://www.eurorailhobbies.com/ESU/ESU-59925 but the photo is of a LokSound nano.  I suppose that it might be made like some of the LokPilot V4 decoders for narrow hood diesels where ESU used the same board as for LokSound, but they simply left all the sound-related components off the PC Board.  It was a neutered LokSound. 

[nickelplate759]

  The speaker attached to the DCC friendly motherboard is interesting.  I originally thought that the speaker would be in the dummy fuel tank on the bottom with sound holes in the plastic fuel tank cover.  Has speaker technology changed in that the diaphragm and magnet is no longer needed?

Well, not in a speaker that's practical for this application, but you can make all kinds of interesting things vibrate by passing a varying electrical signal through them.  My favorite exotic speaker is the "plasma speaker" - the audio signal is passed through a small cloud of ionized gas, which then expands and contracts in response.    These were once sold commercially, and needed to be hooked up to a tank of helium for the plasma, since it tended to leak off into the surrounding environment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_speaker

How's that for thread drift?