I like to recommend companies and vendors who do an outstanding job in this hobby that we pursue. So with that in mind, I want to discuss the excellent care given by Mike Rose Hobbies for DCC sound installation. I recently sold off some horsepower that I had not been using for years and had come to the conclusion that modifying these units was just not a project that had any priority. So why not sell off those old units, and take some of the funds to pay for some DCC sound installation in other units?
After some searching and review of vendors who provide this service, I opted to send the units to Mike Rose, as he offered what I considered a fair price and could complete the work in a reasonably short period of time. Now I need to go back and say that I had previously met Mike years ago at a SIG which was organized by modeler Jim Six and held in northeast Ohio, and knew he was a terrific modeler. I had corresponded with him at different times and his web site was very informative as to what would be done and the different potential costs. So I asked Mike for a quote to add sound to a Proto 2000 ONR unit which I knew would require some frame modifications and an older Atlas C-424.
Mike is very professional and walked me through the process for decoder selection as well as how the speakers would be mounted. After some back and forth discussions, which are really needed for both parties to understand exactly what is going to be done, I agreed on a price and shipped the units to his work shop.
During the install, Mike would send me a series of questions so that the installation would reflect how I wanted lights to be turned on and associated with the non-standard headlamps on the GP38-2. When I say non-standard, the Proto 2000 units are built to replicate American power, with twin lamps on the nose and no lamps above the windows. Unfortunately in my haste to get my engine converted and sent to Mike, I actually sent him the wrong unit, one that I had not removed the headlamps and replaced with a bell. Mike immediately caught the mistake and at some point I will add the bell in the correct position to this unit.
So if you need some DCC and custom sound work done, check out his web site and the work he has done for others.
