Con-Cor decoder for Aerotrain - any experience?

[nickelplate759]

Con-Cor now lists a special decoder for their n-scale Aerotrain:   
https://www.con-cor.com/website/product/n-sound-decoder-for-aero-train/

It's apparently a Digitrax SDN136ps, described as follows:
"Pre-loaded** withthe correct sounds for the model selected."
"** All Sounds Pre-loaded by Con-Cor are copyright by Con-Cor Trains"

At $85, it's considerably more than a plain SDN136, or even an SDXN136.

Does anyone have any experience with this - would I be better off just buying a (cheaper) SDXN136 and selecting from the stock sounds?

[Wutter]

I don't have any experience with that Digitrax decoder so I don't know if there is anything special about it but I did put a Loksound Select Micro with a 8 pin plug in my Aerotrain that was chipped for a SW1200 which is the same sound.



You're essentially going to have to remove the seats and put it under the main lighting board. I decided to put a really big speaker in so I had to cut the floor, but a smaller speaker should fit inside without any cutting.

[peteski]

Digitrax sound decoders are very basic.  You can't even remap the function keys - they are hard-coded!  But I suppose that if all you want is sound then it will suffice. You are paying extra for the preloaded sound.  I wonder if that sound project is available from Digitrax website for free?

I also have Aerotrain and older ESU decoder I bought for it.  I got it several years ago (when the model first came out) and it is one of those projects I still have to get back to.     I don't recall which sound file I had uploaded to the decoder.  I would have to dig it up to check.

[nickelplate759]

Pete (ski) - when it first came out you did one of your write-ups on the Aerotrain, and posted it on the Atlas Forum. It's still there, but without the photos.  You pointed out that the coach wheels are narrow in gauge and this is hard to fix.  I have an idea on how to fix the gauge of the coach wheels. I'm going to try it on mine - basically, get some new metal wheelsets with the right axle length (I have to figure out what that is), and do one of two things:


1. get twice as many  one-side insulated wheelsets, but cut the axles and only use the non-insulated side along with the axle bushings already on the Aerotrain.
2.  same as 1, but use the insulated sides too - doesn't waste as many wheels, but only half the wheels will pick up electricity.


[ edit ]

CRUD - just measured the axle length - it's 0.525".  I don't think anyone makes that length as a stock item.
The wheel's are scale 33" at least (which is correct).

[ edit ]
Fox Valley lists a 36" wheelset with 0.526" axles, but no other diameter.

[ edit ]
I think I can use any old axle length, and just pull the wheel out along the axle a bit after I cut the axle in half. I just need to figure out a reliable way of getting the wheel position just right (some kind of jig I suppose).

[Lemosteam]

Pete (ski) - when it first came out you did one of your write-ups on the Aerotrain, and posted it on the Atlas Forum. It's still there, but without the photos.  You pointed out that the coach wheels are narrow in gauge and this is hard to fix.  I have an idea on how to fix the gauge of the coach wheels. I'm going to try it on mine - basically, get some new metal wheelsets with the right axle length (I have to figure out what that is), and do one of two things:


1. get twice as many  one-side insulated wheelsets, but cut the axles and only use the non-insulated side along with the axle bushings already on the Aerotrain.
2.  same as 1, but use the insulated sides too - doesn't waste as many wheels, but only half the wheels will pick up electricity.

I sell axle insulators at Keystone Details for exactly this purpose. In fact, I use them in my K4 kit tender trucks.

[peteski]

George, I'll re-post that info here (with photos).  I used the original wheels and made space washers out of styrene.

[nickelplate759]

George, I'll re-post that info here (with photos).  I used the original wheels and made space washers out of styrene.

So the now longer axles still fit and rolled OK?  How much wider did you increase the gauge?
Out of the box, the train won't run through Atlas or Micro-Engineering turnouts.

[Allthingsmustpass]

Wutter and all,

I am hoping to install a loksound 8-pin decoder into my n scale aero train. 

Opening the DCC Ready Car, there are 4 tiny wires wires soldered to the four outer corners of the circuit board.   Did you encounter these when taking apart the car to put in the speaker and the Loksound decoder?   They are not mentioned in the literature I have found from Con-Cor.

They seem to restrict access to to the underside of the circuit board where the 8-pim connector is.  It seems they what need to be de-soldered at the four points on the circuit baord to get access to the underside of the board and also to remove the seats since  they seem to run to the axel trucks.  DO you agree?

Never done this before, so please excuse my ignorance here!!!

[Allthingsmustpass]

Wutter,

Sorry, I have the answer to my post as the 4 tabs need to be bent back and the wires desoldered.

DO you have any pictures of the 58820 with 8-Pin installation into the Aerotrain?

[spookshow]

Those wires transfer current from the truck pickups to the motherboard. They aren't soldered, they are simply crimped to the board with the metal tabs (or at least that's the way it's been on the cars I've worked on). You'll want to temporarily disconnect them from the motherboard if you want to get in there and hook up a decoder.

-Mark