When my old club was DC the former leader was so against DCC . He pushed his
PFM sound on everybody . He died of heart failure in 2006. the boys pulled
out the PFM sound as soon as they could . I started buying DCC equipped locos
even though we were still running on DC . It was decided to convert .It was a
4 month job the layout was 140 x 40 feet !! and a virtual spagetti bowl of
track . There was over 400 turn outs we never looked back .It was decided to
do NCE I had digicrap Zepher for my under the christmas tree layout and a
hand controller for running on a freemo group layout I sold the hand
controller to a friend when I left the freemo group. .. The Ac adapter craped
out I called Digicrap and was told they did not have any ac adapters left for
that model no offer of a partial credit so into the landfill with the digicrap
throttle . To me they really suck as a company. They don't like that send me a
new Zepher That works!!! Over 230 bucks in the green round file . Now how much
does a PFM system go for on e bay . now days . We did not even try to sell it
because we knew they did not work at that point . We would have given the
units to you for the cost of the shipping !! Now my present club models 2000
and newer we run 50 car freights with 3 locos all speed matched locos on the
point and the tail and they run beautifully . Try that with your PFM system
. Now I will let you in on something Our member KJ has developed a diesel
control stand throttle operating off A NCE procab It is a whole new world of
DCC. Its really cool to run with only thing there is 3 years of development and
thousands of hours work invested . Only a DCC gruru could build a throttle
like it. He used to build circuitry for cruise missles now his knowledge of
electronics unreal Now one word he uses QSI decoders or reprograms ESU
decoders so #7 is progressive braking . Try that with a PFM system . Now as
for dirty track KJ installs keep alive units in all his installation we have 13
scale miles of track so its a big job keeping track spotless A PFM system is ok
for a single loco STEAM on a loop of track as my friend KJ says stick a xmas
tree up on the layout and have fun. As I said its keeping 8 tracks and beta
units alive!!! The way I see it David E Hill E MAIL techill@xxxxxxxxxx
On Thursday, August 18, 2016 9:00 PM, "Randall Lee
banjopicker1949@xxxxxxxxx [cpsig]" <cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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David,I respect your opinion because everyone is entitled to one. Why you
would say it is a bitch to install PFM sound, I do not understand. It is the
easiest to do. Very few components and easy to hook up. The hardest part is
properly installing a speaker and a cam. If you are doing a proper
installation of DCC, you need both of them also. Yes, you are going to have
some steam escaping on a steam locomotive. If you were hearing too much from
your PFM or Fife unit, it had a problem and should have been serviced. If you
were getting too much "Racket" going down a straight track, you had some dirty
track and wheels. That was one of the nice things about a PFM sound equipped
loco, you could run it with the SOUND OFF and if you heard noise, you knew the
track was dirty.You obviously love your DCC and I am very happy for you. It is
ashamed you threw your PFM units away. There are a lot of people out there
that would love to have them.Randy Lee
On Thursday, August 18, 2016 11:10 AM, "David HILL techill@xxxxxxxxxx
[cpsig]" <cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I get a bit of a laugh out of this. The PFM system made static noise that
kinda represented steam . It not make the sound of diesels . And back in the
day of PFM there was Fife It offered superior sound . I did buy a fife
system . Now the dorks that think installing a PFM or fFife system quite
obviously have never done one . To put it mildly its a bitch of a job . And
get a PFM sound loco on straight DC the racket . The loco will end up on the
floor if it survives the PFM will be ripped out . There were 2 PFM systems
on the floor at my old club just gathering dust. We went DCC and those PFM
boxes went in the dumpster when the club closed Now DCC is not that difficult
to install or Buy a loco with the system done at the factory or get a pro to do
it . Now I myself have a pro do it . There is a learning curve to sound
engineering . Speaker enclosures and placement can make all the difference. At
our club we have the gruru of sound . KJ yes he is a living, breathing,
farting ,person. lol. His engines far out perform factory stuff (Rapido) for
sound . His knowledge of DCC is amazing . My way of looking at it is I would
rather have one consist of locos with convincing sound rather than a round
house full of loos with cheap decoders and poorly installed speaker systems .
Also I have had 2 DCC systems first Digicrap then NCE wonder which one I
prefer. So in conclusion I guess PFM sound is ok for those still listening to
their 8 track with k tel audio tapes and watching their favorite movie on beta
.The way I see it David E Hill E MAIL techill@xxxxxxxxxx
On Thursday, August 18, 2016 9:07 AM, "Dave Audley audleydave@xxxxxxxxx
[cpsig]" <cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
While DCC and it's attending sound is definitely here to stay, there are still
a lotof modellers who don't want the expense of adding DCC sound. That costs
typically$100.00 plus for the decoder and possibly an installation cost as
well.Then, there is some irritation with a number of engines running sound in
an idle enginefacility. Sort of like standing close to Alyth engine house -
about 5 miniuts and it istime to move on! I have visited 3 layout running the
old PFM system anf I think this is very worth whilefor those wanting some sound
without the complexity of DCC.As I have said before, DCC hasn't really matured.
When you can buy engines alreadywith the cab number address factory programmed
and can put that engine on the trackwith a DCC system that handshakes with the
engine, putting into an owners list thatautomatically sets all the CV's the
owner wants, then DCC will be mature. DCC shouldalso automattically add
additional handhelds, assigning cab numbers as units areadded to the system.I
know of a fairly large number of folks who have tried DCC and then walked away.
Ifyou don't have a buddy to help with DCC, it becomes too complex.There needs
to be another generation of DCC to make this happen.
Dave Audley
On Wednesday, August 17, 2016 6:33 PM, "richardmcquade@xxxxxxxxxx [cpsig]"
<cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Randy,
I am intrigued by the possibility of the updated PFM sound system. I only run
loco at a time and have not embraced DCC largely due to the infrastructure
costs and installation challenges with older engines. This could be the answer
to getting sound on my railroad.
Best of luck!
Richard
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