Experiences of Dietz sound modules vs. Massoth S....?

[Zerogee]

Thanks for the great write-up, Cliff!

Jon.

 

[steinz]

Thanks for the great write-up, Cliff!

Jon.

Absolutely agree with you Jon ...
... thanks Cliff for a crackin' post !!

 

[Zerogee]

I've just been in email contact with Joachim at Dietz, about a totally different question, and in the course of the correspondence have found one little thing that may add to the Dietz X3 vs. Massoth S debate (leaving aside for the moment the fact that you can't get S modules anywhere right now.... ) - a sound unit connected via the SUSI bus will apparently NOT work at all under analogue (DC) power - it will only function on DCC control. Just something to bear in mind if you often take locos to open days on friends' layouts, if you go somewhere with DC only then a loco with a Massoth S will still produce sound while running (assuming the S is wired "conventionally", and not to the SUSI plug), but one with an X3 will be silent (loco will run, but no sound).
Having said that, any loco with a power buffer like a Powercap Micro fitted won't run at all on analogue either, but it's just another thing to take into consideration when making a decision which route to go down.

Jon.

 

[bunnyrabbit03]

I have actually used a Dietz micro xs sound module via SUSI in combination with a Zimo decoder on analogue for test purposes. It works, you just have to 'tell' the decoder what functions to activate in analogue, e.g. steam sound. As far as I know, you can also use a Zimo decoder with a power buffer connected on analogue; maybe Cliff knows if this also works with the Lenz Power 3 modules?

 

[Zerogee]

I have actually used a Dietz micro xs sound module via SUSI in combination with a Zimo decoder on analogue for test purposes. It works, you just have to 'tell' the decoder what functions to activate in analogue, e.g. steam sound. As far as I know, you can also use a Zimo decoder with a power buffer connected on analogue; maybe Cliff knows if this also works with the Lenz Power 3 modules?

Interesting.... I actually have a Dietz model, with factory-installed decoder and sound unit, which is what I was talking to Joachim about - the sound works beautifully on DCC, but not at all on DC, and he assured me that was correct and the way it's supposed to be. Maybe that's just the way they set them up when they build them?

Jon.

 

[Cliff George]

..... maybe Cliff knows if this also works with the Lenz Power 3 modules?

Well I almost never run on analogue so I did some experiments. A loco with a Gold Maxi and Power 3 buffer does work on analogue. That was a surprise to me, I must have read too many Massoth manuals!

As Jon said the SUSI connected sound unit did not make any sounds. I would have thought that it was a function of the decoder, not the SUSI sound unit if it works or not in analogue. Send it the correct things and it will work.

 

[bunnyrabbit03]

..... maybe Cliff knows if this also works with the Lenz Power 3 modules?

Well I almost never run on analogue so I did some experiments. A loco with a Gold Maxi and Power 3 buffer does work on analogue. That was a surprise to me, I must have read too many Massoth manuals!

As Jon said the SUSI connected sound unit did not make any sounds. I would have thought that it was a function of the decoder, not the SUSI sound unit if it works or not in analogue. Send it the correct things and it will work.

Hi Cliff,

Yes, it is a function of the Zimo decoder rather than the SUSI sound module.