# Decoder Choices to add DCC w/Sound to Aristo PCC



## jhking52 (May 6, 2011)

1. What are the decoder choices available to me if I want to add DCC/Sound to my Aristo PCC? I've found only QSI and ESU so far with a "PCC" sound in their library. If I understood what I read at GIRR the Digitrax decoder installed in the PCC was only a mobility one.


2. Must I use only a decoder intended for "large scale" or can other decoders be considered?


Thanks for helping this novice better understand.

John in Maryland


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Digitrax makes a decoder, the DH465, which works well in large scale, and you can plug one of their SFX004 "soundbugs" into it. 

There an excellent PCC sound on the digitrax website--at least, I thought it sounded excellent.

you can preview it here:

http://fnbcreations.net/projects.htm 

I posted a review of the DH465/SXF004 combination, not in a PCC car, but you'll get the idea. The biggest problem is relatively low volume. I found the volume to be just adequate. On the plus side, the digitrax decoder is much smaller than either the QSI or the ESU.

Review 

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aff/17/aft/118244/afv/topic/Default.aspx


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Also see Greg Elmassian's page on the PCC car. The kind of decoder you can put in it depends on the amperage it draws. I'm not sure what tose things draw, but if it's less than 1.5 amps you could getaway with some HO Scale decoders


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The only thing that you can shoehorn in, and with some modification, is the QSI, you CAN make it fit into the socket AND get the cover on. 

You need to move the cap, and cut the pins down on the QSI, but that's what I would go with:

*http://www.elmassian.com/trains/mot...er/pcc-car*










Once you fix the wheels, and modify to fit the QSI, and tone down the white lights, it's a pretty nice car:




(by the way: BLEAH! to you Aristo for trying to stop people from using things other than the Revolution and violating your own standard for space above and below the socket) 

(Several high level Aristo people have openly admitted they did this... with last names you would recognize) 

Greg


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

If I had a PCC car--and I might get one--I'd pull the whole aristo socket out and just wire the decoder myself. The socket causes more trouble than it's worth, in my opinion, because it's never implemented right. I've had all sort sof wiring bugs in the aristo locos I own and have with one exception taken the sockets out altogether. But when it works it is easy to just drop the decoder in. They made it hard with the PCC car, as Greg points out.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Mike, trust me, you would not want to pull that socket out of that car... the wiring is a nightmare! The socket works perfectly once you move that one cap, and cut the pins down on the QSI... now that it has been figured out, it's a 15 minute job start to finish. Take a look at my page.... the worse thing is the wheels being way out of gage. 

After it's fixed, it's a great little model. 

Greg


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