Match up or Mash up video 2: F59PHis of Amtrak California & Cascades, ESU Loksound V3 x Soundtraxx Tsunami custom installs. This video give an idea of not only each decoder sounds with EMD 710 12cyl turbo, they sound functions, logic functions and drive control. Plus, how I was able to maximize sound potential using 2 very different speaker installs.
Is this a "Match up" or "Mash up" review. My conclusion is on the bottom of this description.
Both installs were done on F59PHi made by Overland and they were released between 1998 and 2001. Both locomotives have the same drive system. I believe that Overland released these models in different 3 paint schemes. The standard silver/blue "Amtrak West", the "Amtrak California" and "Amtrak Northwest/ Cascades". Each paint scheme had runs of 150 units.
F59PHi #2009 "California" sound install: I came across the Amtrak California nr 2009 F59PHi and some bilevel cars around 2003 when the price of these models were well bellow of they were released and much, much cheaper than today.
I looked for DCC sound decoders and at that time the choice was very narrow. I think Soundtraxx was already in business, but they didn't had yet the Tsunami line. I believe MRC already had some sound decoders. While was easy to find sound decoders with EMD 567 and 645 primes. The 710 were sort of rare. These prime movers were coming out in prototypes just few years before. Thankfully, ESU had already a sound file for EMD 710 12 cylinder turbo that was download in a Loksound version 3. Note that the main chip in this decoder of 11 years ago runs on 8( or 4) bit sound files and the memory space for recorded sound is perhaps 4 times smaller than the Tsunami. A peculiar thing about Loksounds V 2 to 3.5: They require 100 Ohm speakers. They also have a nominal sound power output of only. 0.6 watts. In my opinion these was a major drawback. After installing the decoder I was disappointed of how puny sound I was getting from this model. I installed a 20mm x 40mm oval speaker with baffle. This speaker is mounted facing up and behind the first 2 radiator grill. There are some advantages in making the speaker project its sound direct outside the model: I consider have crisper sound and better fidelity sound reproduction to the original recording. However, by mounting the speaker flush mounted with roof surfaces, the sound dissipates very quickly. So the sound max volume is low. That was very clear specially when I was running this locomotive in a large layout room with locomotives equipped MRC and Tsunami, BLI and MTH decoders.
It took a while but I found a solution for low sound volume. Although, ESU recommends that the sum of speaker resistance be around 100 Ohms, I noticed that Marklin sometimes was using 2 speakers of 100 Ohms wired in parallel. This set up results in 50 Ohms resistance. What does it mean? You gain efficiency/volume, but you may as well get some sound distortion and make the decoder run hotter. These are actually none of effects that I found. So, I installed a second large speaker 28mm with baffle bellow the last radiator fan, but this time pointing down and using the locomotive body as reverb chamber. If you mount the speakers with this set up, you will need to make sure that they work in phase. What does it mean? Because their cones point in opposite direction you have to make sure that the coils that move the cones are traveling in the same direction otherwise they will start to cancel the sound of each other. Installing the second speaker projecting the sound inside the body made the trick. It made this Loksound V3 as loud the Tsunami install in the Cascades locomotive.
F59PHi #470 "Cascades" sound install: This locomotive has a simpler decoder/ speaker installation. It was done around 2010 with AT1000 Tsunami decoder board ( for Atlas). It fit with minor adjustments and I can connect all 1.5 v bulbs without need of drop resistors. The speaker chosen was a Zimo 58mm x 18mm "bass reflex" speaker. This speaker was mounted pointed down using the locomotive body as reverb chamber. There is no second speaker and I would recommend installing it because if you would wire in parallel, that set up would have a nominal resistance of 2 Ohms and certainly you would fry the Tsunami decoder. We all know that they already work hot and when they do it for too long they will shut down. Because only one speaker is possible, the sound volume is good, but it is a little "drowny" and not as crisp as the Loksound set up.
Now comparing the 2 decoder performances:
Drive part of decoders: It is one of high points of all ESU decoders. They just work fine out of the box, not needing much adjustments. The motor parameters almost never need to be adjusted The BEMF works great! Little to no buzz sound comes from the motor. The Tsunami has a poor drive quality. You need to adjust motor and BEMF parameters and even then you can make run smooth from stop to step 1 speed as seen in this video...

свернуть