ESU Direct Select Micro Drop In Decoders shipping end of October

[mu26aeh]

ESU just posted this evening that 2 different drop in DCC/Sound decoders are going to be shipping to dealers end of October.  Taken from their Facebook page:

Finally, an easy solution for adding sound to your favorite N Scale locomotives!

ESU LLC is working with numerous OEM customers to help pioneer Full DCC and Sound in Narrow Bodied Diesels in N Scale! Due to this challenging work, we have developed not just 1 but 2 Brand New DCC and Sound decoders for our Select Product line. Due to overwhelming demand, we’ve decided to make these decoders available to the retail market for aftermarket installation!

BIG OPTIONS - little decoders
Both of these awesome new decoders come with 6(!) lighting outputs to give you many options even in such a tiny locomotive. As they are both LokSound Select decoders they also come with all the abilities of normal Select Micros. While one decoder is made for retrofitting sound and DCC in earlier N Scale locos, the other is meant to add sound to a DC (non-sound) version of ESU factory installed locos. Like all Selects, any Select sound file may be added to either version by using the LokProgrammer.

*NEW* 73100 LokSound Select Direct Micro
Retail Version for Locos produced before 2016
MSRP $109.99

*NEW* 73199 LokSound Select Micro Direct "OEM"
For upgrading DC versions of Locos offering Factory ESU Sound
MSRP $109.99

Shipping to Dealers Next week!

[tehachapifan]

Looking forward to giving these a try!

[jdcolombo]

So I hate to rain on everyone's parade, but you need to understand that these decoders (which were announced about 18 months ago) are not complete solutions for a sound system - they do not include a speaker, for example.   In essence, these boards are basically the same (or a variation) of the board used by Intermountain in the SD40-2.  That means it runs the length of the chassis, limiting speaker installation options to (probably) the fuel tank area, which you will have to mill out yourself and find a suitable speaker to mount there (in a sealed enclosure for best sound).   There is also no easy way to add additional keep-alive to these boards, which may or may not be an issue depending on how good the electrical contact is on a particular diesel. 

While I was initially very excited about these boards, the limitations they pose with respect to speaker mounting and external keep alive are not insignificant, and as a result I've continued to use the regular LokSound Micro - which is a lot more work to mount and wire, for sure.  But the "regular" micro gives me far more flexibility in mounting a suitable speaker in a sealed enclosure and also has very easy connections for external keep alive.

Maybe no one doing aftermarket installs will care about any of this, and certainly if the frame is already milled for a fuel-tank speaker (and the speaker itself is available), the board will make the sound conversion process much easier.  But if someone thinks they can buy one of these things and pop it into a five-year old Atlas, Kato, FVM, or Intermountain diesel and have instant sound, that person is going to be very sorely disappointed.

John C

[peteski]

Maybe no one doing aftermarket installs will care about any of this, and certainly if the frame is already milled for a fuel-tank speaker (and the speaker itself is available), the board will make the sound conversion process much easier.  But if someone thinks they can buy one of these things and pop it into a five-year old Atlas, Kato, FVM, or Intermountain diesel and have instant sound, that person is going to be very sorely disappointed.

John C

Still, it is good to have a slim-width decoder available for certain types of installs.  Yes, milling for the speaker in the fuel tank is a necessary evil, but that also gives you the largest area for speaker and enclosure.  Of course that also reduces the model's weight.  But to me, more choices is better than fewer.

[tehachapifan]

I'm hoping that, with at least some installs, the boards are still short enough to be able to fit a speaker behind or in front of the board. I was able to do this with a recent Digitrax sound install in a Kato SD70M with no problem at all. Yes, a new LED will need to be routed around the speaker but that's certainly doable.

[RBrodzinsky]

Does anybody know if the Aux outputs already have resistors for LEDs?  I've modified IM boards by removing the SMD LEDs and attaching wires to those pads (for alternating ditch lights), but don't know if the large Aux3/4 pads are protected as well.

[peteski]

Does anybody know if the Aux outputs already have resistors for LEDs?  I've modified IM boards by removing the SMD LEDs and attaching wires to those pads (for alternating ditch lights), but don't know if the large Aux3/4 pads are protected as well.

If they are the same ones as the one I evaluated then no.  The on-board LEDs all have resistors (as expected) But the AUX pads are connected directly to the function-output transistor (no resistors in that circuit). For more details see https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=40941.msg516714#msg516714

[RBrodzinsky]

Thanks, I thought you had covered it, but couldn't find the answer (just missed / didn't read the bottom of that message).

[sp org div]

Sigh...
Ive been holding out too long for these boards in anticipation, just to find they missed the mark?
Like Russ mentioned, I was hoping to be able to fit a speaker at one end or the other... including my GP's.
Thats a let down if they are too long for geeps with adjacent speaker... or worse SD's.
I was expecting something like the S2 board (thought that was a pretty compact config).
Anyone got specs / dimensions on the latest board, Atlas S2 board, and the IM SD40-2 board for comparison?
Jeff

[mu26aeh]

Here is the picture from ESU Facebook page, it shows a decoder installed in the GP series frame

[tehachapifan]

Definitely a snug fit if trying to install a speaker IFO or behind the board in the above photo...especially if the loco is a low-nose. Maybe a speaker (with a custom enclosure) could be slid under the board in the rear, protecting against shorts of course, with the bulk of the enclosure being behind the board?

[peteski]

Sigh...
Ive been holding out too long for these boards in anticipation, just to find they missed the mark?
Like Russ mentioned, I was hoping to be able to fit a speaker at one end or the other... including my GP's.
Thats a let down if they are too long for geeps with adjacent speaker... or worse SD's.
I was expecting something like the S2 board (thought that was a pretty compact config).
Anyone got specs / dimensions on the latest board, Atlas S2 board, and the IM SD40-2 board for comparison?
Jeff

I really don't think that having some specific speaker (with enclosure) to be a viable option for a decoder manufacturer. There are too many variations in the self-installs of sound decoders. I don't think that a single universal solution would be optimal.  Even the Digitrax sound decoders have a (crappy little speaker with no enclosure) dangling by a pair of wires (left for the installer to decide what do do with it).  And no matter how you install it, without an airtight enclosure any speaker will sound crappy.

I actually think that it is good that ESU does not include a "token speaker" with the decoder. That way the installer can choose the best speaker/enclosure combo for their specific install (without having to pay extra for a "token speaker" included with the decoder, just to toss the speaker away).

The ESU decoder in S2 also does not have n integrated speaker - it is a separate unit with an enclosure sitting in the cab.

[sp org div]

That board is not what I expected. I figured we were still going to have to mill the frame to make it fit Atlas style frames. I am optamistic again now after seeing the pic. Thanks for posting that mu26aeh!
Russ, looks like we can reverse the board and have more room in the rear for a speaker (encloser) there on B units(?).
SD's look quite workable.
Jeff

Edit- It actually looks like if you wanted to utilize the factory power pickups, you would have four variables for board placement, but probably better to supplement hardwire anyhow.

[sp org div]

Peteski
This board appears to be a bit different in some component placements over the 40-2 that you disected... looking forward to your future review on an additional keep alive retrofit.
Jeff

[tehachapifan]

Just ordered the pre-2016 board to put into an IM SD45T-2, which probably has the best chance for a speaker to fit up top somewhere due to that loco's length. We'll see!