ESU Announces V5 73199 Kato "K1" style, and new Nano Sound Decoders

[jdcolombo]

3.2mm? Is that with or without the wire adapter dongle? 

Good question.  The photo in the brochure just shows one side of the decoder and there is nothing on that side (let's call it the "top" for now) that would provide a connection for a wired adapter.   The thickest components on that top side appear to be some rectangular chip caps.   On the LS 5 DCC micro, those chip caps plus the thickness of the board come to about 2mm.

I'm not sure I see anything in that photo that would be a micro-controller chip.  That could be mounted on the "bottom" side of the decoder.  If so, that's probably the additional 1.2mm.  The question then is what kind of connector there is for the decoder to plug into a wired adapter (or a motherboard, per the original photo posted).  It could be just a line of holes that connect to various board traces.  If so, then you'd have a wire connector with pins that go into the holes, and that might not be any thicker than 1mm, which would not increase the overall thickness if there's already a 1.2mm-thick component on that side of the board.

But this is all speculation - apparently the wired adapter thingy is still on the drawing board, so we'll just have to wait and see.  It would be really great if the board were like the Select Micro, where one end has nothing but very thin components and the other end is where all the "thick" stuff is.  But that doesn't appear to be the case, since both ends in the brochure photo have some thicker components (what looks like a tantalum chip cap on one end, and another cap at a 90-degree angle on the other end).

John C.

[peteski]

Instead of using some non-standard connector on the new nano, I wish they woudl go back to solder pads and wires soldered directly to the board.  They messed us (custome installers) once already (with the Next18 kludge), why do the same thing again, using different connector?  Yeah I know - to easily install it on the H0 adapter board. But they could have just used the decoder with a Next18 connector on the H0 adapter board, and gave us a true wired-in nano V5.

[reinhardtjh]

If you go look at the posted 2021 pricelist ( http://www.esu.eu/fileadmin/download/brochures/2021/51915.21_ESUKG_UVP-Preisliste_DE_1-2021.pdf ) it has the arrival dates for the 58721 Micro DCC Direct (73199 replacement), 58741 Micro DCC Direct Kato and 58923 Nano DCC as being "Q2/21" so sometime in the second quarter which, I assume, is April - June 2021.

Also the MSRP for these is 109.99€ which is the same as the old decoders so it should translate into the same price in $ when discounted.

[RBrodzinsky]

What I find really interesting is the Micro DCC Kato (page 9) (vs the Micro DCC Kato USA).   Looks like a LS 5 squeezed onto a Kato EM13!

[RBrodzinsky]

It does say " DCC decoder with open cable ends for free Wiring"

[peteski]

It does say " DCC decoder with open cable ends for free Wiring"

Well, so was the one with the thick Next18 wire adapter dongle.  I guess we'll have to wait until the actual product show up.

[reinhardtjh]

LokSound LLC USA site now has product information about the new decoders.

LokSound 5 Nano DCC: http://www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-5-nano-dcc/
    Size: 19.6 mm x 8.5 mm x 3.2 mm
    Delivery: Q2/21
    Still no information on that connector that has to be on the underside.

LokSound 5 Micro DCC Direct - 73199 replacement  http://www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-5-micro-dcc-direct/
   Delivery: Q2/21

LokSound 5 Micro DCC Kato - this is a new one not talked about. Intended for Kato's Japanese locos http://www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-5-micro-dcc-kato/
  Size: 27.6mm x 14.1mm x 3mm
  Delivery: Q2/21

LokSound 5 Micro DCC Kato USA - The new design for Kato and some other diesel hood units  http://www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-5-micro-dcc-kato-usa/
  Size: 60.0mm x 10.1mm x ??? Thickness not specified.
  Delivery: Q2/21

LokSound 5 FX - Sound only decoder http://www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-5-fx/
  Size: 21.5mm x 15.5mm x ??? Thickness not specified
  8-pin NEM652 or 21MTC connector
  No motor control but simulates a motor to synchronize with other LokSound and LokPilot decoders.
  Delivery: Q2/21


All are "standard" LokSound 5 sound decoders with the following characteristics:

32 functions
12 simultaneous channels of sound
Sound is 16-bit/31250kHz sampling
128Mbit (16MByte) sound memory
3W Class D amplifier
4-32 Ohm Speaker impedance

[nightmare0331]

LokSound 5 Micro DCC Kato - this is a new one not talked about. Intended for Kato's Japanese locos http://www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-5-micro-dcc-kato/
  Size: 27.6mm x 14.1mm x 3mm
  Delivery: Q2/21

This one should also work in the North American GS4.

Once I have a sample, I'll confirm that.

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

[garethashenden]

This one should also work in the North American GS4.

Once I have a sample, I'll confirm that.

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

And the RDC? It looks similar.

[nightmare0331]

And the RDC? It looks similar.

No.

The only North American model that takes an EM13 formfactor style decoder is the GS4.

The RDC board is it's own special design that I don't think has been repeated anywhere else (maybe some late 1990's/early Japanese commuter cars that shared the same Kato design philosophy at the time possibly?)

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

[RBrodzinsky]

LokSound 5 Micro DCC Kato - this is a new one not talked about. Intended for Kato's Japanese locos

Look 3 posts above!   

I'm excited about it, as I've been installing decoders into a number of Japanese models for a couple of folks.

[reinhardtjh]

Look 3 posts above!   

I'm excited about it, as I've been installing decoders into a number of Japanese models for a couple of folks.

True. I didn't word it well. I meant that Matt didn't talk about it on the VIrtual Train show segment he presented.

[EL3632]

Look 3 posts above!   

I'm excited about it, as I've been installing decoders into a number of Japanese models for a couple of folks.

I am excited about this one as well, I was originally not going to put sound in my JNR stuff, but this decoder is forcing my hand.
I am curious how the speaker setup will work on the EM13 replacement. Will it require drilling as shown in your installations @RBrodzinsky? Either way I am excited. I wonder how the decoder will sound in a KiHa 183 or another multi-car DMU. I guess it would probably be just fine, perhaps a function only decoder could be made to work if the sound is too far apart from the power car to other power cars.
I am eagerly anticipating the day all of these decoders arrive at Yankee Dabbler, my LHS, and I will pick up one of each to try them out. For now, more F units and RDC 58823 installs.

[RBrodzinsky]

@EL3632 , I am assuming one will still need to drill through the floor to put the speaker into a car’s interior for Japanese trains. There just isn’t any room underneath to mount any decent speaker/enclosure assembly. The GS4 should be easy, with plenty of room in the tender for a speaker (and even a Power Pack — I crammed that all in, with a Select Micro).

What I am really surprised at is there isn’t a LokPilot version in the EM13 form factor. That, IMHO, would be a big seller to folks who buy the Kato Japanese trains.

[peteski]

What I am really surprised at is there isn’t a LokPilot version in the EM13 form factor. That, IMHO, would be a big seller to folks who buy the Kato Japanese trains.

While it is not ESU, Zimo makes all 3 Kato form-factor decoders (including sound). ZIMO decoders are similar in quality to ESU.  Seems like Kato and ZIMO have some sort of joint venture, since those decoders are sold under Kato's name (just like Kato sells the Digitrax-made decoders in their form-factor).  I hoe that the fans of Kato Japanese prototype are buying more ZIMO than  Digitrax version.

More info at: https://www.dm-toys.de/en/list/manufacturer/Kato/category/control_decoder.html