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DCC INSTALLATION SERVICES |
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A little info on our DCC installation, Sound installation, Coach lighting & related services We have gained an excellent reputation for the quality of our work, with products in all scales being shipped to us here in Perth, Australia by modellers from countries all over the world. We will tackle almost any request and each and every locomotive or other installation job we handle is done to absolute best practice, thoroughly tested, tuned, set-up & guaranteed to meet our exacting standards before it is returned to its owner. We are proud of our reputation for quality, and never compromise. ———————————————————————————————————————- Our services include the following: Decoder supply and installation: We are happy to both supply and install decoders into any locomotive in any scale. In general all ready to run locomotives without exception can be converted to DCC at reasonable cost. We have few restrictions in what we will do... however we do reserve the right to refuse installation work where we feel that the condition or quality of the locomotive concerned will not allow the quality of results we demand from all our work. We will in general be able to quote ahead of time for any costs which may be incurred in the installation process, however we will only provide estimates for kit-built locomotives, brass locomotives and rolling stock as it is impossible for us to be certain of exactly what may need to be done and we therefore cannot reasonably fix labour times that may be needed (for example, older Brass locomotives may need re-powering or drive-train and pickup modification to work at their best) Summary of standard charges for decoder installation (labour only):
Above prices do not include decoder cost, which will be between $A25 and $A 80 per decoder depending on brand and functions required. Decoder installation includes disassembly, installation of decoder, connection of any lights fitted by manufacturer and both tuning and setting up of decoder + any special lighting functions required. Additional pickups and general materials and any added work required will be charged according to the charts below. Additional lighting will be charged at a rate agreed prior to work commencing. For those who are wondering… N scale is more expensive as we always have a lot of work to do to ensure good running, ie: adding or adjusting pickups, correcting running qualities. Please note that the charges above apply only to “supply and fit” jobs. If we agree to proceed using your own decoder then the labour charge will incur a surcharge of $15 per installation. Decoder installation only: In general we will only provide installation services where we also select and supply the appropriate decoder. There are good reasons for this… we only install top quality decoders that we know are appropriate for the locomotive being installed and we are of course only able to warrant and guarantee the reliability of our work and the decoder itself if we also supply the decoder. However if you have a particular decoder related need with any locomotive, please discuss it with us… we are not unreasonable and may agree to an exception. But: Please note that we will not ever install used decoders, older non back EMF decoders, non silent drive decoders or ….at this point in time, Hornby digital products of any kind as we have no confidence in their ability or reliability. “Fit only” jobs will be charged at the above rates plus $A15 Lighting, from basic to fully prototypical With the worlds best range of LEDs for model railways available exclusively from DCCconcepts it is to be expected that we offer comprehensive services in this area. We install LED lighting with the correct appearance for each period/generation of the prototype and we do so in a way that is always superior to the original manufacturer supplied lighting. The examples below will give some idea of how far we regularly go for our clients. We never compromise accuracy or quality at any time! Diesel and Electric locomotive lighting: The original of the loco on the left is supplied RTR with one single headlight, whilst this DCCconcepts modified locomotive has full prototypically operating twin headlights with off, full & dim option, marker lights, ditch lights, rear red lights, rear centre marker light etc. (This loco is an Australian prototype CL-F Ho scale locomotive). We also installed high quality correct sound for the happy owner and we could have added exhaust smoke if the owner had wished it) Furthermore, whilst we’ve turned it all on for the photo, of course each light works prototypically, and offers the operator the option of automation in directional and moving vs stationary aspects or full manual control! Nothing is impossible.
On a much simpler level, the locomotive on the right has only had a simple change from its original rather weak ex factory lighting to a much more prototypical twin beam headlight that makes a significant difference to the look of the model.. We are able to offer a similar service for diesel and electric locomotives of every prototype , and can even provide a decoder controlled “Electric arc flash” effect for either pantograph or third rail electric locomotives! Steam Locomotive lighting: Of course we also offer a similar service for lighting in Steam locomotives, with the following able to be provided at very reasonable cost: For UK prototype: Working front buffer beam lamps, flickering firebox (synchronised with sound of coal shoveling if fitted), rear bunker or tender lamp etc. Please note that throughout the life of steam in the UK, most lamps were in fact oil powered and so very dim. We always set up our UK loco lamps to accurately portray the correct illumination level & look of this dim but very noticeable detail. For US prototype: Full prototypical lighting including marker lamps if wanted. We can vary the light tint colour and level to accurately portray the correct “look” during historical time period of your model. For EU prototype: Full prototypical lighting including marker lamps if wanted, We can vary the light tint colour and level to accurately portray the correct “look” during historical time period of your model. The following are some simple examples: This UK prototype pre-BR liveried Eastern Region 8F has working buffer beam lamps (UK lamps designate the train class being hauled—in this case, they are appropriate for this loco as they indicate that the locomotive is leading a fast freight train, carrying things such as fish, livestock, milk etc - it also indicated that at least four of the wagons will be braked and coupled next to the engine, and therefore able to travel at express speeds. Curiously the same lamp code also designates a short unfitted (wagons without automatic braking) express freight, small enough to be adequately controlled by the loco brakes. Actually, for NE 8F loco’s their use in express freights was limited, as those built by and run on the Eastern region during & immediately after WW2 did not have balanced drivers, so were restricted in line speed compared to LMS / BR LMR region locomotives of the same class. (to learn more about UK locomotive lamp codes, click here)
Whereas this BR Southern Region Q1 below has lamps indicating that the train behind will also be an express freight, however with this code it indicates that a minimum of 30% of all wagons will be fitted with automatic brakes and coupled directly to the locomotive / loco braking systems. For those not aware of UK prototypes, the Q1 was a stripped down “austerity” design created initially for WW2 use, however despite its small and simple look, it had exceptionally high traction power and a long useful service life both during and after the 2nd world war.
Below is an example of the subtle life & realism added by flickering firebox lights…. and a modern fireless steam loco with a full complement of front/rear lights added (all within the existing moulded housings using our 0.8mm Micro-LEDs!
With US and EU prototype, lighting is often already fitted, but just as often, it can be improved quite significantly with a little effort. We do two things here quite frequently - re-map the decoder functions and wire lights so they operate more prototypically, and improve original lighting by using specially produced LEDs with a more accurate shape and colour. Here are a couple of US examples: In the case of the steam locomotive, the original wrongly coloured LEDs were replaced with far more accurate DCCconcepts “Prototype white” LED, accurately reproducing both the light level and intensity of the prototype.
There are two different diesels shown here: The first was properly researched and then fitted with the front lighting, then working ditch lights and sound were also added, with ditch lights reacting correctly and flashing for a period after the use of the horn (ie when approaching grade crossings and similar). Sound also added.
The Second loco was also researched in depth before fitting of a working rooftop beacon & correctly tinted twin headlights (sound was also added to this loco). Passenger rolling stock and caboose/guards van lighting: DCCconcepts installation quality shines especially brightly in the area of passenger and rolling stock lighting and its installation. This is because with the addition of our “flickerfree” device, it is possible for the first time to have constant flicker free lights no matter how your layout is powered… by AC, DC or DCC! We will always by preference make any coach lighting appropriate for the period being modelled - for example, for a turn of the 20th century coach we will use a dim, yellowish light, for coaches pre WW2, its likely to be a soft and subtle glow which is placed compartment by compartment... while for modern stock, pure white and much brighter LEDs will be used to reproduce the very much brighter look of fluorescent lights and bright, open coach interiors. We are also able to offer very specialised “super-detail” coach lighting: For example, Table lamps in restaurant cars, individually switched compartment lights for sleeping cars, red tail lights on train end coaches etc… There is nothing we cannot do, including the glow of a lit cigarette or a lamp held in the guards hand in scales as small as HO, so if you’d like something different….just ask! Here is a simple example: Hornby had already made the table lamps work, but we added a lovely soft warm overall interior light to the coach to reflect the luxury of Pullman travel…..
And here’s that lamp in the guards hand (plus a working lamp on the Guards van!)
The following chart is a summary of charges for special additional lighting. We have stated all as “average costs”, as it is possible that we can do it for less… however in general the indicated charges are for HO or OO scale and in other scales different charges will usually apply. For example, In most cases, lighting for G, gauge 1, O scale and N scale will be higher than shown below. All lighting INCLUDES the addition of pickups where they are needed to improve the performance of our installation. In all cases, we will discuss first how you would like your lights set up, ie for simple automatic use or via individual and separate function control.
Please note: Prices above are a very realistic guide, however for super special jobs including multiple switched interior of sleeping car, double deck passenger stock and full restaurant car lighting including table lamps… OR any interior which needs selective on/off of various parts via a function decoder, then we will need to quote specifically. NO price above includes a function decoder: These will normally be charged at an additional $A25 per 4function decoder. Sound Installation and Services We are able to install realistic and extremely high quality DCC-sound in all Gauge 1, G Scale, O scale, HO, OO and many N scale locomotives: In ALL scales, we will only use decoders able to accurately represent the prototype correctly, and will create original sound files from live loco recordings if no accurate sound is already available. We are happy to create original sound sets for those who have special locomotives. Our sound creation is often regarded as the best available. We also work with our clients to add extra value to their sound loco’s—for example we can add custom made sounds such as station announcements, guards whistles and even, for the post 9/11 layout, station security announcements about unattended baggage! There are few practical limits to what we can do for you, however quality work in sound & sound installation takes time, so patience may be needed! Large Scale: We prefer to use LokSound XL decoders for this task as they now include a “stay alive” ability which makes smooth running much better, especially through dead frog turnouts and on outdoor railways. We will always use several speakers in every large scale locomotive in order to ensure sound is not localized to one part of the locomotive. Where loco’s are twin motor, we may choose to use two separate decoders, tuning them for best performance together under all circumstances. O Scale: Depending on prototype and the brand or motor source, current draw in O scale varies wildly so current draw is individually tested on all loco’s prior to deciding on the decoder to be used, ensuring that we only use decoders appropriate for the locomotive concerned. With O scale, the loco size is often sufficient for multiple speaker installation and this is important to ensure that the sound comes from the correct part of the loco! HO/OO scale, all prototypes: We excel in sound installation in these mid sized scales, where the difference between a simple installation by the owner and a high quality professional installation can be huge in overall sound quality. We will only use three brands for HO and OO scales: They are ESU LokSound, Soundtraxx Tsunami and more recently, QSI. (For EU, AU and UK prototypes, LokSound will always be the best choice) We always choose brand according to loco type and sound required, and while we will accept requests, if we consider a customers chosen brand inappropriate for a particular installation, we will say so, as we prefer to install the one we know will give the best and most prototypical result. We will always use multiple speakers where possible to ensure the most realistic results. We rarely use OEM wiring when installing sound, preferring to re-wire where possible to ensure best result. Similarly, we prefer to choose our own speaker positions, and unless the Mfr chosen spot is indeed best, we will often reposition speakers differently. We will NOT generally use Mfr supplied speakers, as these are often poor quality or very inefficient. N Scale: We do many N scale sound installations however as the construction style and size of N scale is not very ‘sound friendly”, these can be both difficult and complex, requiring milling machine work and lots of time. Whilst the job is always possible, the removal of chassis weight may result in reduction of pickup efficiency, so we restrict this to the absolute minimum and will NOT install a sound decoder if we think the compromise will be too great. As we do not like to compromise quality, we are very careful to accept ONLY those N scale models that run exceptionally well for sound installation, and reserve the right to refuse to add sound to any we feel will not reward their owner with excellent quality results once returned to them. Finally in sound installation: BRASS & Kit-built loco’s As we are also builders of locomotives in Brass and Nickel silver, and understand about special locomotives, we are one of the few who will willingly tackle brass or kit-built loco’s, however we will do so only after talking to you about the job, as we find that particularly with older brass, there is sometimes considerable mechanical work to be done (ie improving drive and replacing split gears) and just as often, re-motoring can be needed to give the high quality performance you will want! Here is a recent example of our work on a very nice O scale kit-built loco. This is a hand-made GWR 64XX tank loco - Even though the loco was of fully soldered-together construction and was 100% finished when we received it so we had no chance to preinstall anything… We managed get it done with excellent results. We installed sound (excellent quality with two speakers in the tanks) and we also carefully drilled out the stack for smoke… also creating a correct sound file for the loco and tuning the sound to give the correct timing for “chuffs” etc. Finally, after a nerve wracking time finding where to gain access to drill and to run wires without damaging the loco’s lovely paintwork, We added front and rear lamps. We also scratch-built and supplied the accurate 7mm scale (UK O scale) loco lamps! (Yes, we know the roof is off the cab - its made that way for access to the superb back-head detail)
Brass or modified & kit-built install work is always accepted after discussions with the client and is always based on an estimated price, with final charges strictly calculated on what we actually have to do…. ie: the actual time and materials we have used. Summary of standard charges for Sound installation (labour only):
What we will NOT do… ever! Install anything in a loco that will not work well, or cannot be made to run well due to basic quality, wear or damage: We will not install an expensive decoder or sound decoder in a locomotive that will not give excellent on-track performance after DCC conversion—we respect your hobby budget too much for that to happen. Therefore, we DO reserve the right to say “no” to a particular loco every now and again if we feel you may be wasting your money! Install product we feel will not give value commensurate with your costs! We will not install or service any brand that gives unreliable or unpredictable results and we will not ever install sound decoders which require separate motor drive decoders. We have made these decisions to benefit our clients after careful investigation of the many problems they create, and therefore, based on our experience, we cannot recommend nor will we install them. Brands we won’t install therefore include MRC and Digitrax sound decoders, sorry. However… Some very nice models unfortunately use these brands as low cost options for adding sound at factory level and many of our clients inadvertently buy them and almost always have problems (Athearn is a common culprit here)…. So, despite our refusal to install them, for the sake of our clients we DO take the time to learn about them and can usually tame them to behave reasonably... and we WILL however always do our best to help owners who have problems with them.
We always guarantee our work and will never return any loco in a condition that is not at the very least a little better than when it left, even if it means we need to clean it for you!
Do you still have questions? No problem – just click here to email us and ask, we’ll be happy to help!
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No-Nonsense advice and the best in tools and equipment from modelling experts |
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Showrooms & Office: 3/13 Lionel St. Naval Base WA 6165 AUSTRALIA Phone +61 8 9437 2470 Fax +61 8 9437 2471 sales@DCCconcepts.com Time Zone GMT + 8hrs |
