Model Railroading > Tsunami Decoder Question

I purchased a TSU-AT100 with the 567 sound for my Atlas GP7 a while back but am finally get around to the install. I have CVP Easy DCC (not installed yet).

How many lighting functions can I set up?

I ask this because I need 6:


1. Red Mars light 2. Std Mars light (clear), 3. Std front headlight 4. Number boards, and step lights, all one function, 5. Std. rear headlight 6. Class lights (just clear)


Also, with this decoder and my DDC control system, can I get a doppler horn effect?


If no to any of the above, what decoders offer what I need?

Thanks in advance.

One heads up, when I installed the same decoder on an Atlas GP7 the two capacitors fouled the frame. I mounted the decoder upside down and crossed the truck power wires to compensate for that though you could just change the CV to make it long hood forward. I wasn't sure how this would affect the F0F, F0R headlight logic so swapping the wires made my head hurt less.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

Thanks for the heads up.

I set up my number boards with micro LED's (with a 560 ohm resistor) directly to track power. That way they are on 100% of the time, I like the way it looks and have noted them on prototypically in my research.

Tsunami's have 4 discreet light 'channels' that can be controlled independently. Front, rear, and two on the side.

J

Joel Brazy
Coatesville, PA

Joel, they aren't on during the day for my prototype or at least they don't appear to be on.

Numberboards, truck lights, step lights are on all the time (assuming the loco is powered up) you just don't see them because of daylight.

Yup, so I don't want to turn them on my model unless I'm having a session in the dark or with black lights, that way, all are on different function.

ESPEE5318 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Numberboards, truck lights, step lights are on all
> the time (assuming the loco is powered up) you
> just don't see them because of daylight.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/14 18:58 by wabash2800.

I just looked at my GP7 GN1000 install. Those decoder capacitors foul the flywheel if the decoder is mounted right side up so that is why I went in upside down.

There are 4 light outputs on the decoder. F0F at the front end of the decoder in the center, F0R covers the rear headlight at the rear center. On the side use F5 for the white mars light then F6 for the red Mars light. The step lights and ground lights are always on so with a resistor these can be hot wired to the track power. That leaves you with number lights and class lights.

The number lights and class lights are generally only turned on for the controlling locomotive. These could be wired in parallel with the front headlight so they would stay on whenever the train is moving. They would go off with the unit mid consist or if the unit was parked in a siding with the headlight off. If this unit became the trailing unit in a consist and the headlight came on in a back up movement then the number and class lights would come on unprototypically.

I don't know of any sound decoders with more function outputs to control more lights. There are function decoders without motor control which can be piggybacked onto the sound decoder which would work but I have never investigated these.

I think I would hot wire the step lights and parallel the number and class lights to the headlight for now. That is straight forward and adds no new costs to the project. If the next generation of sound decoder gives you one or two more function outlets then I would upgrade the unit to a new decoder and move this decoder to a locomotive with less sophisticated lighting.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

The Loksound Select or V 4.0 both have 6 function outputs. Selects don't cost much more that a Tsunami (and some feel have better sound). Another option is the TCS FL4, a 4 output function only decoder. It is small and allows you to add 4 extra functions (which would give you 8 with a Tsunami) and can be programmed to the same address as the main decoder.

Barry Draper

Thanks Barry. That's the kind of info I'm looking for. Do you know anything about the Doppler horn effect?

Everybody forgets about the New QSI Titan which has 10 lighting functions (ports as they call them). Plus the stereo really is great if you have room for 2 speakers spaced apart. I am in O scale so that is not a problem.

I attached a copy of a page out of the manual that discusses the light functions. You can read the entire manual by going to this site: http://media.wix.com/ugd/0f7119_a38d120ba23640d5878a0849026aee26.pdf

And no, I do not work for QSI but and a happy customer.

Peter

---

I'm going to go with the Loksound decoder. If anyone would like to purchase my Tsunami TSU-AT-100 with the 567 prime mover sound at a discounted price, contact me off the list and make me offer with shipping. It was never installed.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/14 18:31 by wabash2800.