# MRC AD322 Decoders and MRC AD501 Boosters



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

After installing literally dozens of MRC AD322 decoders I finally got around to finding out just how well the combination of super low cost MRC AD322 decoders (formerly $11 and now $13) work with the super low cost MRC AD501 combination transformer and DCC booster.

I went to a friend's house yesterday to run trains with him. I had installed AD322's in several of his LGB diesels and I brought along an Aristo FA-1 that I had put a AD322 into.

He had reported both successes and a few problems with getting everything running right so we wanted to see what was going on.

Part of the "problem" was that he was mixing LGB serial and parallel remotes, transmitters and receivers along with parallel only AD322 decoders. The other part of the problem was that one LGB loco (an old F7A) needed more voltage than the AD501 puts out.

As it turned out everything was working as it was supposed to work (if not better).

He had intentionally started out with an original LGB Central Station 1 (serial only) along with LGB serial only Remote, Transmitter and Receiver. This was to save (quite a bit of) money. When the Central Station 1 was accidentally fried he replaced it with a Central Station 2 (parallel) and when I discovered the cheap AD322's I started installing them for him and then found some LGB parallel remotes, transmitter and receiver which he started using (along with his serial only LGB remote, transmitter and receiver). The confusing results were as expected. Actually some combinations worked in parallel when they should not and some only worked in serial just as they should have only worked in serial.

Add to this that the LGB F7A wanted more than 16 volts as it was designed to work with 24 volts but his other locos including a LGB Mikado and other LGB diesels worked fine with the AD501 as did my Aristo-Craft FA-1.

I also discovered that when running outside I liked the diesel sound of the MRC AD322 SOUND decoder much better than when I had run it indoors (close to me). I especially like the ability to remotely blow the horn (long or short) and ring the bell both of which are of noticeably better sound quality than the diesel but even the diesel was not that bad and it was nice to be able to turn it off or on remotely and there is a noticeable change from idling sounds to ramping up and running sounds. Even the coupler clank worked nicely - and all this from a $11 decoder!!!

Anyway, I worked out a solution for him that is going to work well. He has 3 mainlines and we will set up one mainline to be powered by his (parallel and serial) Central Station 2 which will put out up to 24 volts with up to 5 amps. We will then use the AD501 transformer/booster to pick up the MTS signal from the 1st track and power the 2nd track with only 16 volts but with 8 amps so he will have a total of 13 amps available on both mainlines and everything except his F7A can run on either mainline with the F7A (and anything else that may need more than 16 volts) running on the LGB MTS Central Station powered track.

As for the serial only LGB components, the transmitter and remote will be reserved for visitors who will have throttle and bell controls and the serial receiver will be put away for backup if needed.

The lessons learned are that surprisingly serial operations are better than expected even with parallel only components because while the serial remote may not control all sounds the track magnet activated sounds still work quite well.

Additionally the MRC AD501 booster does not put out enough voltage for some locos that need high track voltage (and may be insufficient for some DCC products that apparently call for 18 volts minimum). On the other hand it works quite well with most of the locos we ran with it and it can be a built in safety for group operations when you may have visitors that seem to want to run (your) trains at full throttle.

There is also the issue of motor noise from the AD322 decoders. In the quiet of my crawl space some locos do exhibit fairly loud noise from the motors - similar to what happens when a non-decoder is put on a MTS/DCC powered track. When the loco has a sound system or is run outside the motor noise is lost in the background. 

A different issue (which I am not qualified to discuss) is what effect there may or may not be with regard to any effect the noise might suggest to any compatibilities with the various motors used in our electric trains. I've read enough about just the potential effect of running non-decoder locos on any brand of DCC to realize that there seems to be no universal agreement about how all the various motors do or do not like DCC.

The only fact that I do know "for a fact" is that the MRC AD322's and MRC AD501's have - without the slightest exaggeration - saved me thousands of dollars. To be more specific, I would NEVER have installed anywhere near the number of decoders I have installed (including several other brands of decoders) or bought the number of LGB remotes, central stations, power supplies, transmitters, receivers etc. that I have because of the savings they have made possible.

I would not suggest that the MRC AD322's or AD501's are equal to other decoders and boosters (including current production MRC products) anymore than I would suggest that a 5 year old Bachmann 10 Wheeler is equal in every way to a LGB Mikado or a new Bachmann Annie. 

Once the limitations of the MRC AD322's and AD501's are understood, they may not be for everyone but they may be exactly what some people have been looking for. 

It would be very easy to come up with reasons why other more expensive brands of decoders and boosters are far better than AD322's and AD501's but sometimes the best is more than we can afford and more than we need. Sometimes the savings from buying some inexpensive items makes it possible to buy some more expensive items - rather than to buy nothing. 

My layouts will never be run 100% MTS/DCC but thanks to MRC and Digitrax prices and products they will probably now end up around 60% decoder equipped and LGB MTS capable rather than 25% decoder equipped. This also means that rather than 90%/10% analog vs MTS operations they will now probably be 40%/60% analog vs MTS operations. I've also bought a lot more LGB and Massoth MTS products than I would ever have bought without access to the cheap MRC and Digitrax decoders.

I am sure that there are similar stories to be told about some other DCC products by different manufacturers. I for one would like to hear them because while I may have a preference for LGB brand products there have been many times when I bought other brands of locos and rolling stock for my layout. For reasons unknown to me we seem a lot more willing to discuss differences between brands and models of locos and rolling stock than to discuss differences between brands and models of DCC products.

Regards,

Jerry


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Jerry, I have a number of these decoders in USA Trains diesels, which seem to be the "toughest" in terms of current draw from motors. They are working well. I have had a few of the decoders quit, but at $11 each, this is fine with me. If one quits, I just swap it out. 

Yes, I have saved over a grand in decoders so far too! 

Regards, Greg


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