Soundtraxx OEM Tsunami Question

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

I have a Bachmann On30 2-8-0 with the pre-installed Soundtraxx sound system, which is a sort of OEM Tsunami, and which worked fine until I started getting fancy.  I removed the stock speaker, and installed a 1.06" hi-bass speaker, and gradually the loco started acting like something was shorting out.  So I'm hoping someone will know something about these systems, enough to answer these questions:

- Did switching out the stock speaker to the hi-bass cause problems?

- The sound PCB was originally screwed to the 2 raised metal posts on the tender frame.  I had to detach it from the posts to fit the bigger speaker.  Did that mess something up?

I'm going to try reinstalling everything the way it originally was, or as close as I can get it, to see if that helps.  But any suggestions would be appreciated.

Manager

[the Bach-man]

Dear Manager,
I'd give Soundtraxx a call. The sound 2-8-0 is pre-Tsunami.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[LurchBird]

What am I missing here, there is an On30 2-8-0 with sound? I thought it was only available as plug-in ready for sound.

Thanks.
Mark

[James Thomas]

Hi Mark,

Before Bachmann offered On30 locos with sound, Soundtraxx offered the Shay, Climax, and 2-8-0 with sound installed in Bachmann locomotives.  I thought the decoders were full Tsunamis, but I might be wrong.  I bought a Shay and 2-8-0 at that time and they still run and sound great.

-JRT

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

Thanks guys, I think the process of installing the new speaker is the problem, and not the speaker itself.  Installing and reinstalling DCC seems to be an art, and not to be attempted by the uninformed.  But the sound was really good until I messed it up.

Manager

[JohnR]

You might want to open the tender and recheck things.  Make sure that nothing is shorting the speaker contacts and that nothing is shorting the sound board.  If you are getting flashing lights when a problem happens, this could be a diagnostic code.  Count the flashes.  As Bach-man suggested, contact SoundTraxx.  They are super helpful.

-John

[Jim Banner]

What impedance is your replacement speaker?  Four ohm, 8 ohm, 16 ohm or what?  The Tsunami and DSD are designed to work with an 8 ohm speaker.

Jim

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

Good suggestions, both.  I opened the tender, and checked the connections.  There was one lead that had broken off, so a little solder fixed that.  And I also checked the speaker.  It's a QSI hi-bass, at 8 ohms, so that's good.  But you know, I wonder, the PCB has a 2005 date on it, so this is pretty old stuff, and the stock speaker is pretty lightweight.  I might try it, in case this board pre-dates the use of 8 ohm speakers.

My suspect right now is DC power.  I'm still shopping for a DCC system that will allow me to program CVs, and I'm wondering if that won't solve this problem.  I'll take the loco down to the local HO club and see how their NCE system handles it.

Thanks guys!

Manager

[ebtbob]

JRT,

       The Tsunami sound that Bachmann offers with its engines is called Tsunami technolgy.   It is not a full blown Tsunami.   For one thing,  in the whistle/horn function,  not all the varieties offered in a full Tsunami exist in the Bachmann Tsunami technology.   There are also some CV issues that were discussed somewhere here on the Bman Forum.
        Even though the Tsunami technology is not what the full Tsunami is,  it is much better than the old plug and play sound that Soundtraxx used to offer.

[James Thomas]

Bob,

If you reread my post, you will see that I am referring to models that Soundtraxx offerred before Bachmann had On30 locos with sound.  Soundtraxx bought the locos from Bachmann and added actual Tsunami decoders to them.  The boxes actually had a Soundtraxx sleeve on them.

There was some overlap with Soundtraxx Bachmann "sound locos" and Bachmann "Tsunami-like sound" locos.  At some point Soundtraxx and Bachmann came to an agreement that only Bachmann would supply the On30 locos, and The Bachmann locos would have a "different" version of the Tsunami decoder.

Perhaps the Bach Man could confirm that the original "Soundtraxx-Bachmann" locos had "full-function" Tsunami decoders in them.

Not that it really matters.

-JRT

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

All I know is that this system in the 2-8-0 is not the purple-wrapped tsunami, but is a larger PCB like the one in the Forney, and the purple Soundtraxx cover that fit over the green Bachmann box reads "Tsunami Equipped."  That probably means, "Not a full Tsunami." 

The irony is that I transplanted a similar system from the back end of a Forney into an entirely new tender, without any problems.  Still working on the 2-8-0.  The day job is definitely impinging on my hobby time.

Manager

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

OK, I replaced the original speaker, and reattached the PCB card to the metal posts on the tender base.  That solved part of the problem, although there was still some resetting at low voltages on DC.  So I took the loco down to our local HO club, and it worked fine on DCC.  So I need to buy a DCC system, and the problem is solved.  Lessons learned:

- Don't mess too much with the pre-installed sound.

- Buy a good DCC system

Thanks guys...