BLI Critter Sound Install using MRC 1717 Decoder
A bit of a detour here... I was asked by someone on my YouTube channel how I packed sound into a BLI Critter. I didn't take many pix, but enough that hopefully you'll see the basic idea. To start off with, I used an MRC 1717 decoder. Ya, I know. Not many folks care for the MRC decoders. But the 1717 is super tiny, and since this is a critter with some kind of small displacement engine, I figured it would work out ok (it did). The OEM decoder is only slightly smaller, which is nice for keeping the cab open looking. I liked that a lot, so one the biggest goals of the install was to retain that look and feel. So you'll have to take off the shell and remove the cab. Here is what it looks like with the MRC 1717 below: BLI decoder above, with the MRC 1717 decoder below. Because of the short wheelbase and the fact the loco will be doing switching, I wanted to add a "stay alive" capacitor to the DCC circuits on the decoder to let it run over dead spots.