I have a question related to this topic, so I'll ask it now. I have heard of these so called silent running decoders and that they eliminate noises that humans can hear BUT dogs can and that the noise might disturb our dog. Any truth to this?
There may be some truth to it BUT the as the frequency goes up, the motor is less able to vibrate in time with the pulses. So if your dog can hear it at all, it will not be very loud. When we have an operating session on my layout, we may a dozen or more locomotives all running at once. My two dogs ignore them completely. They are more interested in the cookies or cake we usually have at these things. My smaller dog has large, Corgi type ears and can hear a slice of cheese being folded at 20 paces. But there has never been any kind of indication that he hears the decoder noise, let alone that he is bother by it.
Jim
... will this vibrating hurt the motor ?
grz
No. The motor vibrates but not enough to shake anything apart.
Sorry to hear about the sad state of hobby supplies in your area. But in compensation, you live in one of the most beautiful areas of North America. I spent a week at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover a few years ago. Actually, many years ago. I drove down from Montreal and still vividly remember the trip.
Jim
Author
