# Which decoder for a USA trains sd70?



## pohlmeyr (Nov 16, 2008)

I run a Massoth system and am looking for a decoder and sound for the USA Trains SD70. any ideas on which one i should go with. I like the NCE d808 for power, but what about sound?

Thanks in advance!

-keith


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

Phoenix P-5.


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## Guest (Nov 16, 2008)

QSI has been used to drive USAT locos. I'd be a little cautious, but it's rated at 3 amp average and that's about what a loaded USAT loco draws. Stall current doesn't seem to be much of an issue with the "silent running" decoders.

A D808 will surely do it and a P5 has good sound, but taken together, they run about twice the cost of a QSI.


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Keith, have you considered one of the new high power handling Massoth XXL decoders? It might be worth a call to Klaus to see if there will soon be a sound version of that decoder. Then you would have the best of both worlds. 
Keith


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## pohlmeyr (Nov 16, 2008)

I will call klaus. I was thinking maybe there was some other decoder out there that could do the same thing. I know the Massoth decoder have been built-proof for me but they are quite expensive. 

Thanks 
-keith


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## pohlmeyr (Nov 16, 2008)

One more question. Has anybody ever put a decoder in the SD70?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have not, but have in several other USAT locos (I model an earlier era). Just get some JST connectors from All Electronics to hook up to the track and motor connectors and you can leave the stock board. To do the lights, you can hook up the 2 or 3 pin connectors. I would abandon the USAT board completely. 

Regards, Greg


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## Mark Thomas (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg,
I installing a DG583S in a couple of USA Trains GP7/9 loco's......I'm running back through the USA trains circuit board but the only thing I can't get to work is the directional lighting....any thoughts?
-Mark


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, most USAT lighting is directional because it is looking for DC and the change in polarity controls whether the headlights are on or not. 

I need more info, what does "running back through the circuit board" mean? if you are powering the entire circuit board, then you would have to feed it with DC that changed polarity as you changed direction. 

DCC decoders do not do this, they output separately for front and rear lights. 

If you really wanted to keep the circuit board in play, you would need to reverse the input DC voltage to the board with a relay and then have the relay run from the front or rear light output. This would be a kulge and also might not work well if you were in "neutral" with neither light on. 

I'm wondering if you are thinking about the classification lights? Some were red/green according to direction, some were white only in the direction of travel. 

More info and we can make some headway. 

Regards, Greg


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

What is going on with the QSI decoder that they are building to go in USA loco's.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Still waiting on them, hope for early next year, the economy still sucks. Very few companies are investing in new products until January. 

Regards, Greg


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## pohlmeyr (Nov 16, 2008)

I talked to Klaus at Massoth and he told me that the new eMotion XXL will not have sound in the new future and that i should contact Al Messinger. Not sure who that is, Does anybody on here know? 
Before i start buying parts and tearing into this thing, I have one question. How would i wire up a decoder so that the ditch lights would alternate being on? Also, would it be a good idea to just wire the number plate lights and the headlight together? I wouldn't say i was new to this, but am not an expert either. I have about 7 LGB engines running on DCC Massoth decoders all that installed, but they are simple installations. Like headlight, backlight, smoke, and sound. It seems as this SD70 has a few other functions i need to wire in but am not sure how yet. 

Thanks for your help! 

-keith


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

I have done several USA engines but not the SD-70. The biggest problem I have run across is the load on some of the large incandescent lamps. The best is to change to LED's and a resistor. However the SD already has mostly LED lighting. The NCE decoders have all of the lighting effects built into them. Then add the Phoenix P5 and you will have a first class install.


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By pohlmeyr on 11/23/2008 5:56 AM
I talked to Klaus at Massoth and he told me that the new eMotion XXL will not have sound in the new future and that i should contact Al Messinger. Not sure who that is, Does anybody on here know? 
Before i start buying parts and tearing into this thing, I have one question. How would i wire up a decoder so that the ditch lights would alternate being on? Also, would it be a good idea to just wire the number plate lights and the headlight together? I wouldn't say i was new to this, but am not an expert either. I have about 7 LGB engines running on DCC Massoth decoders all that installed, but they are simple installations. Like headlight, backlight, smoke, and sound. It seems as this SD70 has a few other functions i need to wire in but am not sure how yet. 

Thanks for your help! 

-keith

Keith, I connected the Ditch Lights to the #5 (yellow) wire and the #6 (brown) wire and common to the blue wire, which are controlled by functions 3 & 4 and on the D808SR. I then set the appropriate cv's so the lights would flash when I activated F2.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

While I think the emotion decoders are of good construction, I just helped a friend with one and the manuals are not great. I use them when I need a simple interface to LGB locos, but it turns out that it does not SOLVE the parallel to serial problem, it just allows the serial commands to pass through. 

I feel that the manuals are poor, possibly because of the translation from German. Many items are not explained. As an experienced user I can make due, but my friend had to use the manual from another decoder to understand some of the programming. 

There is no reason in your case that you HAVE to purchase a decoder from Massoth. The Massoth system works with everything. 

Regards, Greg


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## pohlmeyr (Nov 16, 2008)

fully understood and am open to all suggestion. At the end of the day i want an SD70 that runs on my DCC track and sounds very prototypical. If it is not Massoth then so be it. I just an want it to run and sound good. 

Thanks to everybody who has helped. 
-keith


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