Installing a Tsunami in an Atlas Engine
#1
Hi guys, quick question that hopefully somebody can shed some light on for me.

Now, let me say first that I am asking a question that I have ABSOULETLY no knowledge of, and the person I have installing my decoder is stumped too. Thus, I can't answer any questions immediately, until they are put towards me, and then I can ask my "installer guy" for confirmation of said question. Confused yet? Good, I am too!

Bottom line is that I have a brand new, top of the line Soundtraxx Tsunami decoder for my F-M Atlas (HO) H-15-44, and what the problem is, is not the install itself, but if there is a way to install the decoder, and still get the class lights to work after installing the decoder.
If you aren't familiar with the loco, it comes as a dual mode engine from Atlas, and as you go in reverse or forward, the class light LEDs change from red to green, depending.
My installer's problem/question is, he has but to wires left on the decoder, and has no idea that once he installs the Tsunami, will this feature still work? He said the LEDs have three wires coming off them (red/green/nutral).

I'd like to have this cool feature work, but I'd really like to have it SOUND cool, too.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

RAH
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#2
I would suggest two letters, one to Soundtrax (sp?), and one to Atlas.
My knowledge of LED's is weak, I never had much to do with them. The color change is probably a "polarity caused" effect, I'm not sure why "red and green", I could understand red and white.
The folks at Atlas could help with their onboard circuits, and DCC, and Soundtrax might have an answer to how to hook things up, so all the original functions work.
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#3
I'm not familiar with the loco or the decoder... does the loco/decoder have forward-reverse headlights? If so, the class lights can be connected in with those. What I am saying is, if the headlights act as reverse/forward, and the class lights operate as reverse-forward, then they can both work off the decoder output to the headlights.

But, don't forget the the LEDs may need resistors. What kind of headlights are in the loco? LEDs or something else?

Just as an example, the wire to the front headlight will connect to the rear classification red, and to the front classification green. The rear headlight wire will connect to the rear classification green and to the front classification red.

Again, resistors may be needed. And, I am just guessing on all this, not having seen any of it.
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#4
This guy:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/2006/091806b.htm">http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/2006/091806b.htm</a><!-- m -->

installed a sound-only decoder in order to avoid "giv[ing] up this beautiful green and red light glowing on the sides of the loco". I don't know if that's a clue that sound+power/control decoders will not support the class lights?

By "top of the line" I assume you mean that you chose the TSU-AT1000 Fairbanks-Morse decoder (part #828047)? The specs/promo sheet (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/TSU_AT1000%20sell%20sheet.pdf">http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/T ... 0sheet.pdf</a><!-- m -->) indicate that it supports all kinds of lighting effects, but not specifically class lights.

The installation guide (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/tsuinstallation.pdf">http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/tsuinstallation.pdf</a><!-- m -->) specifies that up to four lighting functions are supported "for headlight, back-up light or other effects", so it seems there is room for a class light function.

Page 22 shows overall configuration with the standard blue/white to the headlight, blue/yellow to the back-up, and blue/brown and blue/green reserved for other lighting functions.

If green and brown are what you have left, then I'd say you're doing fine so far.

However, since the functionality of the red/green LEDs might be built into the Atlas circuit board that you are replacing, I would have to agree with Pete and say a few emails are in order. Your alternative is to return the decoder, and get a "sound only" one to supplement the built-in "dual-mode" decoder, as per the first link in my post.

Hope that helps.

Andrew
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#5
How many wires are going to the red-green LED? Or leads on the board that go to this LED?
More than likely this is a bi colored LED- Polarity change makes the LED light up either red or green depending on the polarity that it sees.
You might have to use a different LED to make this work. And you will have to wire up the function leads from the Tsunami (Green and Brown) [I am not sure about the color of wires] for function 5 and 6. Then you will have to remap the functions so the functions 5 and 6, come on when you have the locomotive moving in a direction forward or reverse that will light up the green or red LED.
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#6
Guys -

Thanks for all the thoughts/feedback....I am going to take this to my installer and see if it helps him get closer to figuring things out.

RAH
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#7
Hi guys!

Woodone, I think it was your comment that when I took it to my installer last night, he said "Duh! Of course that'll work, but I didn't think of trying it!".

Anyways, he said his only concern was that by doing that, he'd be hooking up 3 LEDs to one output, and fear that may be too much for it to handle.....And he said yes, he knows they need resistors.

Any thoughts on that?

RAH
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#8
I do not understand the three LED's on one output.
If you need a red and green LED you need to use a 3 -LEAD COMMON ANODE LED. (RED-GREEN) Then you supply the LED with voltage from the blue wire (with a resistor) and hook up the other leads to a function wire. The green and brown, for functions 5 and 6. Then you remap the functions to come on when you operate the loco in the forward or reverse direction. That was you will have only one LED in the opening. It will show red or green depending on the direction of travel of the locomotive. If you have two openings,( one on each side) then you use two of these LEDs and wire them in series.
Hope this helps. If you need a 3 -LEAD COMMON ANODE LED . (RED-GREEN) I can give you a link to a place that has them in stock.
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#9
I'm certainly no decoder installation expert, but I still don't see why this wouldn't work. If there is any reason why it wouldn't work, someone please fill me in.

The OP says that the loco already has three-lead green/red leds. Certainly we need to make sure that the headlight and 4 LEDs don't overload the decoder output (I'm thinking the LEDs would add very little current to the decoder). It looks like alot of wiring, but really not much more than using the other function wires. The blue common has to go to all the LEDs, the LEDs have to tie together, and the wires from the decoder have to go to them too.

[Image: image.php?album_id=124&image_id=2225]
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#10
On the other hand, if we use the extra functions, then the wiring would look like this. Again, if I am missing something, someone please tell me so I can use this as an educational experience.

[Image: image.php?album_id=124&image_id=2226]
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#11
Your locomotive has four lights? Two on the front and two more at the rear. MARKER LIGHTS
The last drawing that you show will let you control the marker lights. If that is what you want to do.
Most decoders will support 100 milliamps per function. With two LED's you are way under that. LED's draw about 20 milliamps per LED.
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#12
woodone Wrote:Your locomotive has four lights?

Not my loco.... I'm just guessing from the OPs description. If it only has two marker lights, then just omit them in the drawing.

I still don't see why the first diagram wouldn't work.
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