Quote from: rrbob on May 26, 2007, 11:20:38 PM
Bach-man:
I recently purchased an HO Spectrum Southern  2-8-0 that someone  had cut the plugs that are used to connect the engine to the tender. Is there a wireing diagram that shows which wires from the engine connect to which wires in the tender? Don't know why someone would do this. Thanks for your help!
Bob D.

I have a HO Spectrum 4-4-0 and maybe the wiring is the same. My engine has a connector with two pins and a connector with four pins. I think the two pin one is rail pickup and the four pin one is motor power and headlight. When I get home I will do a resistance check to verify.

rikc9

I just searched the 'Net and it looks like the 2-8-0 has one connector.

rikc9

Quote from: paftrain on May 26, 2007, 10:21:05 AM
Hi,
Just returned to England from a great holiday in Florida where I did some model railroad shopping! Bought the latest Bachmann HO GS4 Daylight - now DCC equipped. It runs fine, but I'd like to add sound. Has anyone tried this yet - first question is how do you splitode the tender body from its chassis? Then, is there a preferred decoder and speaker? Tsunami claim to cover this with their 'heavy steam' decoder, but Bachmann already have a sound equipped 'J' class so does anyone know which is better/cheaper? Any helpful advice on fitting instructions would also be appreciated. By the way, I'm fairly new to DCC so please don't get too technical!
Thanks in advance,
Paul, Chertsey, Surrey, UK

Hello Paul

I do not model that steam era but looking at Tony's Trains, Tony's offers the DCC like yours
in a Spectrum4-8-4 J Class N+W, DCC/sound with the LC decoder and Premium decoder which I suspect is a Soundraxx Tsunami. Not sure. No doubt the tender is set for sound with speaker hole.
http://www.tonystrains.com/locomotive/bachmann.htm
http://www.soundtraxx.com/
You can email Tony's and go to the Yahoo Soundtraxx DCC group and ask.
Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and search for DCC. You will see some DCC groups, including Soundtraxx. I would suspect that a Tsunami would be a good bet.

Cheers

rick9

This guy has a fix for tender wheels which I have started using and I think driver wheels. Check his site carefully.
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1905/
I have seen something on driver pickups but do not remember where.

rikc9

Quote from: sniper56 on May 08, 2007, 11:27:00 AM
I just purchased the 4-6-0. This will be my first attempt at installing a decoder of any kind. I always chickened out and bought engines already equipped! I want to add sound. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also any opinion about this particular engine would also be helpful.

I do not know exactly which engine you have, but I found this link.

http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/2003/032703.htm

Tony's sells the low boiler with LC decoder. They sell the high boiler with the LC decoder or tsunami decoder. This might give you some idea of what you can do. The low boiler has a smaller tender than the high boiler.

http://www.tonystrains.com/locomotive/bachmann.htm

They mention the SoundTraxx DSD-090LC decoder which has minimum sound capability. Also, I understand the decoder is being discontinued.
I removed the stock deocder and have put a SoundTraxx DSD-100LC (Lower cost) into a non sound Spectrum DCC 4-4-0. I had to grind away a pc board support post inside the tender.

rikc9

Quote from: GN.2-6-8-0 on May 03, 2007, 08:00:41 PM
Waz a wall wart

Search Google using wall wart and wall transformer. A picture is worth a thousand words.
Also go to the link I included.

rikc9

Quote from: NHGuy on May 03, 2007, 04:22:39 PM
What exactly is the difference in the Bachmann Tsunami decoder and the Soundtraxx full featured decoder?  What are the operating parameters and functions that you can use that the Soundtraxx Tsunami decoder has and the Bachmann decoder lack?  One is overall volume control.  I think you need to re- think this one.  There are already complains I have heard that it is too loud and no way to adjust it except through individual sound adjustment using CV's.

Bill Shanaman
Sugar City, CO

I searched the SoundTraxx group and I thought you got your answer in the Yahoo SoundTraxx group. The stock Bachmann decoder is specific to Bachmann just as the Roundhouse decoder is specific to MRC.
Possibly Tony's Trains can help you. Call them.
I have SoundTraxx decoders and CVs are the normal way to control sound. Maybe you will have to insert a resistor in series with one speaker lead. If you are just ranting, well there is nothing I can do about that.

rikc9

I do not know where you are located but you can find used power packs fairly cheap at train shows and on eBay. Most have AC for accessories. You would have to shop around. My club went to DCC a few years ago and we use the old packs for accessories.
Also, All Electronics has a
15 VAC 2.4 AMP WALL TRANSFORMER
CAT# ACTX-15
for $4.25 plus shipping. Shipping is $7.00.
They have a wide variety of wall warts, AC or DC.
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?type=store&category=815&orderby=INVENTORY%2Estore%5Fquantity%2CORGANIZATION%2Ecategory%2CINVENTORY%2Ebrand%2CINVENTORY%2Emodel&start=16
That is still not a bad price and 2.4 amps with be plenty.
You will no doubt pay this price on eBay but not have 2.4amps of current.

rikc9

I have no solution but you might consider searching the Yahoo Digitrax group if you do not get an answer here.  This group has over 7000 members.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digitrax/
You have to join to ask a question. You can search the messages without joining.

rikc9

Here is some suggestions.
http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=80011
http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?p=345966#post345966
http://hometown.aol.com/wdenton101/Technique.htm#Turnout
http://pc.smellycat.com/eriepitt/photos2004.html
http://home.centurytel.net/pitch/home/link_page/howto.htm
http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/model-book/manual-throws/manual-throws.html
If you have a local hobby stroe that sells model airplane control parts, you should be able to find what you need.
If you use hard wire, get a Dremel with cutoff disc and goggles to protect your eyes.

A couple more.
http://www.humpyard.com/
http://www.2guyz.info/Content/pa=showpage/pid=13.html
http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1/681995/ShowPost.aspx#681995


rikc9

Quote from: lou63 on April 28, 2007, 11:41:03 AM
i would love to buy one of bachmann spectrum's 4-4-0's but would love to remove the DCC board so it could run with my other DC equipped steam and diesel locomotives. if i removed the DCC board would their 4-4-0 run just fine? if its possible to remove the board is it possible to remove it?

I have one and it can run on DC with no modification. Do a Goolge search for spectrum ho 4-4-0 dcc.
You can one for $140 to $150. Shop around.
If you want a engine with sound that will run on DC, get a HO Roundhouse/Model Die Casting 4-4-0. The engine comes with a remote so you can have sound on a DC only layout.
Those are around $160. I have one also.
I plan to buy a HO Roundhouse 2-6-0 that is being released this week. It too is able to run on a DC only layout with a remoter control for sound.
Cabbose Hobbies has it but under Model Die Casting, not Roundhouse. I think it is about $160.

rikc9

Quote from: Atlantic Central on April 22, 2007, 12:26:51 PM
Yes, it had been a little slow for about a week, all seems fine now. Additionally, the problem I mentioned in another thread about having problems when using my AOL browser are now gone. Must have been a Bachmann site problem after all.

Sheldon

Yeah, for a while they had no clue that they had no clue. We had to do a lot to clue them in.
Geeks.

rikc9

Back to normal. Nice.

rikc9

Still a little slow here. Charter cable connection.
Twenty five seconds from the time I clicked on the Bachmann forums page address..
Forty five seconds after I clicked the login button.
Everone else, fast.

rikc9

Wednesday evening 7:39pm est. Sure is slow now. I am on Charter cable.
When I logged in it took 35 seconds after I clicked OK to get to the messages.
My 48 year old stepson is a computer programmer and reminds me quite often that, "The Geeks Have Won. Deal with it".

rikc9

Quote from: Hoople on April 15, 2007, 11:32:16 AM

Quote from: SteamGene on April 15, 2007, 08:46:34 AM
"Out of stock" means "We don't have any and don't expect to get any more." 
"Back ordered" means "WE don't have any now, but more are expected soon."
So Lanny was telling you where you could now search for one.
Gene

Ah, I see your point. They said they were waiting for more from bachmann, so I was wondering if bachmann has any in stock so I can put some sort of estimate to when I'll get it, because I already ordered one VIA Micromark because they have a sale on.

OK, I thought you wanted it asap is why I suggested some other sites. You also asked if Bachmann might have any so I wrongly assumed you would buy one from Bachmann and cancel Micro Mark if necessary.

rikc9