Athearn Genesis SD80Mac Norfolk Southern Review Part 1

[@CW-qt1qv]

Thanks for sharing your journey on this newest offering... Sounds really disappointing... Looking forward to your update.

[@herbertw.jr.carrier6122]

Thanks for the review and if you're paying more than $200 for each locomotive, you shouldn't have to add ditch lights when the original ditch lights didn't work at all! It's very disappointing and makes me wonder about how the SD70ACU will turn out.

[@amtrak706]

Damn... this does not give me hope for the P42s. Or my SD80MAC that's in the mail. We need Matt Gentry back! Edit: update, my 7205 has the same issues as yours. Non existent lighting in the ditch lights, noisy in reverse, and weird fuzzy things clinging to the body shell that you have to wipe off. Fun. I also noticed that there are no lift rings, only nubs where they are supposed to be drilled out and installed.

[@scottwalters6031]

Sorry about your luck with these units. Received mine yesterday and overall am happy. My units ditch lights are like bulbs instead of LEDs, you know there on but not as bright as they should be. Looking forward to hearing the ESU sound file for the 20 cyd 710, the tsu sounds like any other 710 to me.

[@CentralJerseyRailfan]

the Tsunami2 sound file is a 16-710G3B that has been around since the original Tsunami. I wish Soundtraxx would get new recordings, they did so for the latest Genesis Big Boy

[@kylestevens6925]

Hmmm, $210+ for a model that you have to work on. Great looking model, maybe it me, but you expect to at least be able to just throw a decoder in it and go, yes I understand the few mishaps, but for the LEDs, you think they would have tried it, maybe they did you got some bad orders, but the odds of both models like this, kinda surprising, I got my first three Genesis models and the only thing I’ve had wrong was a few small details that came off, lucky they were in the box and could easily be glued back on. Maybe I’ll have to order more Genesis models and models trains in general to see if we I have a similar problem. That’s just my take. Great review as always. Hopefully you get the problems sorted out.

[@nw611J]

Hey Matt nice video I’m sorry you’ve been have problems with them. Do you think there will a part 2? Also I was between SoundTraxx and TCS who do you think has better sound for a N&W J class? I’m leaning towards TCS but was wondering what you thought. Thanks again for the and hope that you can get these things working right Jeff aka NW611J.

[@RodimusPrime]

I thought part was going to happen tonight. Ran into all sorts of additional problems now. Avoid these at all costs.

[@RodimusPrime]

Tcs over soundtraxx for a J

[@nw611J]

@@RodimusPrime ok sounds great thanks Matt. Oh one other thing how do you like the prototype throttle mode on TCSs decoders just wondering how you like it?

[@BrandonH88102]

I received mine last week. I got the sound equipped version. My ditch lights seem to be fine. I do have some squeaking but I believe that is just because of the electrical pickups like some of my other engines. I’m happily with mine, maybe I just got lucky though

[@PFR1]

It’s a shame you have so much work to perform on new equipment - locos and decoder. Especially after it seems Athearn nailed it with their SD60e. Love mine - ditch lights, truck lights, see-through steps and all. I do appreciate your patience and showing us your solutions. I look forward to hearing the 20 cylinder PM. Curious too if that’s on the T2 or not.

[@Trainmaster909]

It is. Can confirm.

[@gilbertporter4992]

Hey Matt of Performance Locomotive Inc, I have to ask, since Loksound is well renown for programming and sound quality, what do you think of Tsunami sound? I have a ScaleTrains locomotives with Loksound that like, but am not too well experienced with duding model train sounds. I do wish to buy a CP ES44AC with Tsunami Sound to compare, but what do you think? Would you say the Loksound programmer for $200 is worth it?

[@RodimusPrime]

The programmers can be had for much less. If you have lots of esu models they save so much time

[@gilbertporter4992]

@@RodimusPrime I see. being Canadian that's the price. I thought it was simple as the decode having a port you could connect to your computers USB port via cable and program. I do think any sound is fine, but perhaps I should try a Tsunami sound model just to test it, or just order DCC ready. I do have a Athearn SD70ACE that's DCC ready I can try installing ESU Loksound on. I actually thought Loksound was not owned by ESU.

[@RodimusPrime]

Loksound is the name of the decoders much the same way that Soundtraxx calls theirs Tsunami 2

[@veliborvrhovac9]

You could try and paint that plastic in front of led's that just migh save you time and trouble replacing led's other than that my Genesis ACe should be led lights atleast it is advertised on box but front and rear lights are boulbs only ditchlights are led's

[@randallellison6421]

Man, when it rains, it pours it seems like! Hate to hear your having so much trouble with those 80MACs! Thanks for showing that ESU speaker kit, I have an MTH Dash 9 that I would like to add sound to, so this video will be a handy tool to come back to when the time comes, take care!

[@michaelcudby787]

Those MTH Dash 9s are brilliant.Cant stand the PS3 sound tho. Couple years ago, I bought 2 DCC ready dash 9s, for $150 ea, & put loksound inem. Just beautiful.! A while later,bought 2 more with ps3 sound in them, for the same price, & OMG what a dissapointment. They are hard to get hold of now, on ebayCheers Michael

[@johnmiller9693]

What for longer coupler (brand and number) did you use on the rear of the locomotives?

[@RodimusPrime]

Kadee #146

[@johnmiller9693]

@@RodimusPrime,thanks. I'll have to do the same thing on mine as well.

[@marineraptor6696]

so that ESU speaker kit would fit where the athearn dual cube speaker would go. and you even used the screws it came with. well look like i found my speaker kit for sd60m that i'll be getting. i was looking at athearn dual cube speaker but seem it be in late march release unless they both in same shippment. also i have the sd90mac-h2 locomotive and added decoder and used athearn dual cube speaker and it works really well.

[@RodimusPrime]

This esu kit worked great, I just got the sound file loaded seconds ago it sounds realllly good

[@marineraptor6696]

@@RodimusPrime cool. ya for sd90mac-h2 the front and rear headlights use the fiber optic tubes and looks dim. and ditch lights have LED in them and there bright. the sound is awesome. over all awesome locomotive

[@marineraptor6696]

@@RodimusPrime for the speakers did you glue them in the baffle housing ?

[@nicksanto882]

The ah, er, well, ums can be fairly easily worked into the shape of a decent locomotive by gutting the Athearn electronics back to the basic wires and starting with a Decoder Buddy and a Scale Sound Systems speaker. The benefits are being able to completely separate the shell from the frame so that the extra piping that you add and maybe even re-add is more easily accessible and weathering and shell changes can be done with the frame on the other side of the room. The Scale Sound Systems speakers are made to fit this locomotive. Any other lights (up to 12 lighting functions) are accessible from the small connector board and the motherboard of the Decoder Buddy has two lighting outputs to stay on the frame. A stay alive or a Power Pack has easily identifiable pads to solder to along with the rest of the input and output wires. Take a look at this too, kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5XRhJWVmrh3gsk

[@spacecalander]

How did you get all functions to work with tsunami boaed, I changed to loksound board

[@RodimusPrime]

Aux 1 and 2 are ditch lights 3 and 4 are numberboards and ground lights

[@spacecalander]

@@RodimusPrime ok nice to know. so ditch lights came on with F6? or did you move the wires?

[@kyleftw1679]

Is a sugar cube better than a round speaker?

[@RodimusPrime]

Depends on the application

[@kyleftw1679]

@@RodimusPrime Thanks