Model Railroader managing editor David Popp used an Aztec Manufacturing Co. milled frame and a Digitrax SDN144K0A Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder to add sound to a Kato USA N scale E8 diesel lcocomotive. Watch the DCC-sound equipped model run on David’s N scale Naugatuck Valley model train layout.
Video: Digitrax DCC sound equipped Kato N scale E8
By Angela Cotey | October 5, 2011
| Last updated on November 3, 2020
Managing editor David Popp added an Aztec milled frame and Kato Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder to this Kato N scale E8 diesel
Hi I have a Kato emd F3A which I had the dealer install DCC and sound. It has great sound horn and bell.
It is the only N scale locomotive I have with sound.
can anyone help me to source N Loco's Steam and Deisel
with DCC and sound ??
Thanks Dennis
Love these types of reviews. You can't "hear" the real sound in a magazine. I really liked the comments from David and others on this site. Really adds to the magazine!
Very honest review, thank you David ! Until a new technology surfaces, I've rather using under the benchwork sounds in N scale.
I will agree with others, that the sound is tinny and the sound of the Kato is louder than the sound bug. The Engine is quite nice, but the start-up seemed to be a jump. The need for bigger speakers or better sounds produced from the speakers you have: needs to be the 1st priority.
The sound adds to the enjoyment of the models. Iwould like to know the maker of the locomotives in the background when the video finished Thanks Jack
What about moving the sound to a box car or other designated pair to gain the necessary room for a good speaker enclosure? Also, what about using a dummy B unit to house the sound? Is the separation noticable?
Thanks for this honest review , I have a few E8/9 with regular Digitrax decoders and they are a lot more smoother than what is shown here , maybe you could adjust the starting voltage or also maybe on this decoder it's not possible . Also the sound of my Kato locos is a lot less than what we hear on your video , maybe you crank up the volume of your recording gear to hear better the Digitrax sound and at the same time the sound of the Kato motor .
Thanks for the review .
not something I would want.
The sound there is pretty much spot on for what I've been able to do with those decoders in an E unit. What people don't realize, until now, seeing and hearing one perform, is that to get greater volume, you need larger and high quality speakers. The stock speaker that comes with that decoder is 13mm or 1/2 inch in diameter, which is about as big as you can fit in that locomotive. Sometimes, you can get away with getting more sound out of two small speakers (if you don't have room for one larger one), and it is possible to another speaker (perhaps a 3/8 inch speaker in the front, below the cab) with the capacitor installed below the rear speaker in the back (it's deep enough to mill out room for the speaker and capacitor back there).
Even then, to get the low bass rumble of a diesel, even in HO and O on-board sound will have its limits as well.
Another thing people have touched on here is that the quality of the recording (especially the bell) is not what people want. Remember that Digitrax uses 8-bit sound, while the other brand compared (which has yet to do any non-OEM N scale decoders) uses 16-bit sound. An even comparison just isn't fair.
Right now, in my opinion, on-board N scale sound is difficult to get the results people expect, and the technology may be the main limiting factor. As David said he has a decoder below his yard for his switcher, and that is a great solution. Systems like the Soundtraxx Surroundtraxx coming out may finally give the N scale crowd who does want sound an easier way of adding sound at the volumes and clarity that people want.
The problem is Aztec runs the speaker hole all the way thru the chassis, you need a sealed speaker enclosure get good sound.
If you cut a "plug" for the bottom of the hole from sheet styrene, and glue/seal it in with tacky glue, the improvement in sound/volume is like day and night.
Thanks for your HONEST review….
The bell sound is extremely tinny, diesel engine sound is almost non existent at start up and not much better further in, the lack of a baffled speaker is most of the problem, you simply cannot fit a decent size speaker into the loco frame this small. I have been waiting for N scale sound to come of age, I think it still has a way to go. I have one of these done with an MRC decoder and an E6 body from Life Like fitted to it, it was such a sucess I won't bother again. It seems neither company can get sound right in N scale.
IT IS JUST PLAIN NOT GOOD
Sound is too tinny. Doesn't sound that real.
I had high hopes for Digitrax N sound decoders but they turned out to be a real let down.
Thanks for an honest review!!! The locomotive acted a bit jerky too, didn't it?
The horn blasting with the power interuption is the deal killer for me, that's just obnoxious, kind of a shame that Digitrax let that problem through. The click with the horn blasting isn't helping.
BLI's E-units have stronger engine sound than that. I've had good luck with Kato's mechanisms, but without the sound, I'll take a pass on this configuration.
I have never really been satisfied n Scale sound, but I am still hoping!!!
Off topic, but I really like the low relief mountains in the background (where the electrical cutoff feature was noted). Any tips on how the mountains were made? Could be a good modeling tip in Cody's Office with guest modeler, the man behind the canera, David Popp. Just a thought.
5 on video presentation and information, 2.5 on the decoder.
Great!!
If that's all you get ,why bother? Back to the drawing board.
I suspect some of the great modelers out there will get it right in time. Good call David!
$69.95rrp +$20 for milling and it sounds and operates like this ? No way !!!
As for a noisy mechanism, I agree with John Spezia , I think maybe you got a lemon .
sounds tinny.
Sorry for N scale dreams. That level of engine noise doesn't even come close to the sound of the E series locomotives I've experienced. But as previously stated you can get much out of something that could almost as easily fit in your ear (relatively speaking). The electronic and electrical engineering boys should turn their attention back to scale lower speed operations. Jack Rabbit starts aren't too smooth to see.
It's odd that the motor in that locomotive makes so much noise. I have an A-B set of Kato E8s that I run on straight DC, and they run silky smooth with almost no motor noise. Maybe you got a lemon.