Best brand decoders

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Apr 4, 2005
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Hainesport NJ
I am trying to pick out decoders, and while i have a pretty good idea as to what i want, i don't know which brand would be safest. WHich one has better quality? which has more bang for the buck?

I'm teetering between Digitrax decoders, and TCS decoders. i'm not quite sure what i want to go for

thanks for your advice

chris
 

Woodie

Active Member
Mar 23, 2001
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Northern Rivers NSW Australia
Chirs,

To me, decoders are much like the array of tin fruit you get on the supermarket shelf. It all comes in a tin, and has fruit inside. Some have fancy labels, some have syrup, some have two fruits, some are imported & others aren't. Some are on special one week and not the other. Some, althought having a different label, may even have fruit in them from the same orchard. Some supermarkets are easier to park at than others. Their checkout chicks are friendlier. However, it's all still basically fruit in a tin.

Basically, I'm quite happy to stay with the decoders made by my command station manufactuer, unless I have a good reason to choose another brand of tin fruit for some reason. :thumb:

You wouldn't make an upfront and agonising decision about which brand of tin fruit you'd buy then alway buy that brand and type, and that brand only. You'd try a few, from different supermarkets, then settle on what you prefer. Just don't get hooked on that new Mexican guava in de-cal coconut milk, with esscence of vanilla in a new fanlged shaped tin cause you saw it on TV and tasted it once, and bought a whole new can opener set just to open it. It may not be found anywhere else, nor ever again. :)

The vast majority of decoders are basically fruit in a tin, really, that can be opened by any old can opener. :)
 

Gary Pfeil

Active Member
May 7, 2001
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Boonton NJ
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I can't help you, I have mostly Digitrax decoders, have one TCS, have had no problems with either, both control the loco nicely. I don't think you can go wrong with either.
 

xtcrr

New Member
Feb 7, 2006
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all mine are Digitrax decoders, no problems at all, plan on doing some sound ones in the future..
 

xtcrr

New Member
Feb 7, 2006
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Tonys trains did some comparisons, I have digitrax in mine with out sound, Im now going to start putting sound in my new ones, the one thing i would like to mention is the quality of sound from the [SIZE=-1]Tusnami sound decoders WOW did i mention WOW, the sound is made in a studio and it sounds great... so much it's the next one im going to buy, just waiting on them to make a deisel..[/SIZE]
http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/tcs_accept.htm