Doehler & Haass sound decoder: N Scale brass Shay

[u18b]

I'm thinking of adding a sound decoder to an N scale brass Overland Western Maryland Shay.



Space is a bit tight.  There is room in the tender for the decoder (once the weight is removed), but I'd have 8 wires running from tender to boiler.  I fear that would restrict the movement of the tender quite a bit.  I'd also have to mount two micro plugs since I need the tender to not be hardwired for maintenance/service.  Putting the decoder in the boiler solves a whole lot of issues and the electronics would all be housed in the boiler.

So the boiler is the better possibility in my thinking.  It is empty since this loco is drive shaft driven. 

Peteski suggested the following decoder because of size:
Doehler & Haass SD05A-0

https://doehler-haass.de/cms/pages/produkte/soundsystem/sd05a.php

At 7.6 mm wide, it should just barely fit in the boiler depending on any shrinkwrap that may or may not be present.   (The ESU Micro v5 is 10 mm wide.)

Here are some questions (this brand decoder hardly comes up at all on this forum.  I searched.):

1.  Anyone have experience with this sound decoder?

2.  If I'm reading correctly, the decoder does diesel or steam sound.   Do I have to program a sound into it?  And how would I do that?
(I use a Linux computer running Mint 19 and have nothing but an MRC Prodigy DCC system.  I don't have JMRI and I don't have any kind of computer interface presently).   

Or are both sounds native.   How do I make it play steam?  Change a CV?

I read the English translation manual PDF and I could not figure it out.

The only thing I could see is this from page 13:
Loading of the sound projects   by programmer over SUSI interface (about 6 minutes). For this the locomotive has to be opened and the sound decoder has to be connected via SUSI interface with the programmer. For that appropriate connecting adapters may be necessary. The sound projects can be downloaded from the D&H homepage for free.

But the rest of the stuff related is in German.

If I have to also buy the programming stuff (  https://doehler-haass.de/cms/pages/produkte/digitalsystem/programmer.php  ) then my total cost would be around $300 and it would not be worth it.

3.  Where would I buy this decoder?    It does not appear on ebay, and I don't generally buy stuff from europe (but am open to it).

[peteski]

2.  If I'm reading correctly, the decoder does diesel or steam sound.   Do I have to program a sound into it?  And how would I do that?
(I use a Linux computer running Mint 19 and have nothing but an MRC Prodigy DCC system.  I don't have JMRI and I don't have any kind of computer interface presently).   

Or are both sounds native.   How do I make it play steam?  Change a CV?

I read the English translation manual PDF and I could not figure it out.

The only thing I could see is this from page 13:
Loading of the sound projects   by programmer over SUSI interface (about 6 minutes). For this the locomotive has to be opened and the sound decoder has to be connected via SUSI interface with the programmer. For that appropriate connecting adapters may be necessary. The sound projects can be downloaded from the D&H homepage for free.

But the rest of the stuff related is in German.

If I have to also buy the programming stuff (  https://doehler-haass.de/cms/pages/produkte/digitalsystem/programmer.php  ) then my total cost would be around $300 and it would not be worth it.

3.  Where would I buy this decoder?    It does not appear on ebay, and I don't generally buy stuff from europe (but am open to it).

Ron,
I have no direct experience with this decoder, but from what you describe above, it appears the various sound projects get loaded into it (just like it is done on ZIMO or ESU decoders).  That is why they tell you to buy the programming hardware. It is possible that a decoder comes with some default sound file installed (probably not what you want).

D&H decoders are sold by DM-Toys. https://www.dm-toys.de/en/list/manufacturer/DH.html
I have bought many N scale items from DM-Toys, and I can wholeheartedly recommend their services (they speak English, and take PayPal or bank transfers for payment).  I suspect that they can also load the appropriate sound file onto your decoder before they send it to you (so you don't have to buy the programmer).  But if you ever need to reinstall if for some reason I suspect that not any modelers in USA deal with D&H brand decoders.

[woodone]

WOW, you are in for some real tight working room.
Why 8 wires?. If the decoder & speaker are installed into the rear tender you will only need 5 max and might get by using only 4 wires.
2 for the motor-1 for the headlight control and 2 for rail pick up.  ?? Speaker going into the cab? Well you will need two more.
If you were to use ESU #36 wire, it is very small and has good flexibility.
Be interesting seeing you project come together!
Good luck.

[peteski]

WOW, you are in for some real tight working room.
Why 8 wires?. If the decoder & speaker are installed into the rear tender you will only need 5 max and might get by using only 4 wires.

That's exactly what I told Ron in a PM last week.  Only need 5 wires (and many steam locos have at least that many in factory-installed setup).

[nstars]

1.  Anyone have experience with this sound decoder?

2.  If I'm reading correctly, the decoder does diesel or steam sound.   Do I have to program a sound into it?  And how would I do that?
(I use a Linux computer running Mint 19 and have nothing but an MRC Prodigy DCC system.  I don't have JMRI and I don't have any kind of computer interface presently).   

Or are both sounds native.   How do I make it play steam?  Change a CV?

I read the English translation manual PDF and I could not figure it out.

The only thing I could see is this from page 13:
Loading of the sound projects   by programmer over SUSI interface (about 6 minutes). For this the locomotive has to be opened and the sound decoder has to be connected via SUSI interface with the programmer. For that appropriate connecting adapters may be necessary. The sound projects can be downloaded from the D&H homepage for free.

But the rest of the stuff related is in German.

If I have to also buy the programming stuff (  https://doehler-haass.de/cms/pages/produkte/digitalsystem/programmer.php  ) then my total cost would be around $300 and it would not be worth it.

3.  Where would I buy this decoder?    It does not appear on ebay, and I don't generally buy stuff from europe (but am open to it).

I have no experience with the sound decoders from D&H, but I do have experience with the regular decoders from D&H. The quality is very good, motor control is up to Zimo quality. The sound decoders can do steam and diesel and if you want to have an idea what’s possible, than I would recommend to check out the site from Locoman (locomansound.com), that site has some videos of some English projects.

Programming requires a separate programmer, which you have to buy separately. You can find more info (including English manual) on this page https://doehler-haass.de/cms/pages/produkte/digitalsystem/programmer.php. I have read enough about this programmer that it’s not as simple as the ESU or Zimo programmers. That fact that you have to do the programming using the SUSI connection already demonstrates this.

I have dealt with Fischer Modell and they are good. They do have D&H (https://www.fischer-modell.de/

Marc

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Anyone have a link to their sound archive?

[nstars]

Anyone have a link to their sound archive?

https://doehler-haass.de/cms/pages/produkte/soundsystem/soundprojekte.php.

Marc