Quote from: Birdog on January 23, 2009, 05:00:25 PM
Hi All,
Here's what I want to do:
Program Micro-Tsunami's and QSI's with a Zephyr and Decoder Pro.
Which interface do you recommend? I was looking at the Digitrax PR3.
If I purchase that do I need a booster as well (PTB-100 or Powerpax)?
Thanks for the help
Birdog
I'm going to start some controversy concerning some sound decoders and boosters.
I've been using my Bachmann EZ Command for over 4 years. I also added the Bachmann 5 amp booster, glad I did. Cost is more than some, but in my opinion Bachmann is high end in their booster, meaning, the circuit breaker and the cooling fan.
But proper buss and feeder wiring is utmost important when using boosters with DCC.
I have a friend on one of the other forums who also uses Bachmann EZ Command. Instead of purchasing the Bachmann booster he saved some money and bought one for like $69.00, not sure of the manufacturer, but if I find out, I'll post it. Worked good for a year or 2. But something happened along the way. On derailments, he was frying decoders, expensive ones I might add. It seems he ignored the quarter test, until he finally decided it might be the booster, like other posters were telling him, after all how could it be that, it's fairly new, he thought. Well it failed the quarter test in that the booster would not break the current during shorts. He needlessly spent a lot of money on decoders, burning them up. All he had to do was turn on the booster, put a quarter across the track and see what happens, the booster should have kicked off until the short was corrected. You get what you pay for...Thank you Bachmann for a great product in your booster.
Another guy had problems with his booster failing the quarter test also. He apparently used too light of buss wire and drop feeders, something like #18 buss with #24 drop feeders. The booster failed because in simple terms, the correct current wasn't being delivered to the rails due to the wire size. I would imagine a 4X8 layout would have no effect but if your running 300 ft of wire, different story.
My experience with the Digitrax PR3 programmer. You still need a power supply with it, it tells you that even in the advertisements. I purchased the Digitrax PS14 Power Supply when I bought it. Now all worked well until I installed a Tsunami sound decoder, just not enough power from the PS 14. I had a spare power pack from an extra EZ Command and plugged it in the PR 3 and I was then able to program the Tsunami. I did the same for the BLI Blueline Loco's. There is a problem trying to program those, being you have to program 2 decoders in one loco. I found that by using the EZ Command power pack it worked fine. Now that may be too that the first BLI I did, I used a Digitrax motor decoder DZ143PS and had problems programming. Had to turn the motor decoder off and program the sound. Turn the sound off an then program the motor. However on my second attempt I purchased a TCS motor decoder for another BLI Blueline and low and behold, I could program both the same time, I didn't have to turn nothing off. I don't know why that could be but it worked.
Now The Quantum Revolution sound decoders (QSI) I'm sure you have to purchase their programmer, correct me if I'm wrong, unless they are already loaded in the loco you purchase such as BLI, Atlas. I know that I am very happy with my PR3 and the JMRI program. You don't have to know all the CV's, some are very important and it's a learning curve .Just slide the bars for the sound or move the speed steps on the table in the program, try it on the layout, if you're not satisfied just keep tweaking until you are satisfied. Just a nice simple way to program, and I highly recommend it.
It's also great for those consists you would like to build, but those loco's that run way too fast or too slow, are now under my control and I can build any consist I choose to, simple and easy!
Hey if you mess up, simple, you won't and can't hurt anything, just reset the decoder back to factory reset and start over, it's all in the learning.