Can TMCC Steamer w/railsounds be upgraded to higher versions of railsounds?

A Lionel RailSounds 5.0 audio board (but NOT a RS5.5 or 6.0 board) should be swap-able with the RS4 board that's in there now.

But if you're talking about the current RailSounds versions, or ones like used in Electric Railroad installations, then you'll basically need to gut and replace most everything in your tender. It's likely that you'll lose the wireless tether feature as well.

TRW

You can leave the AD20 and tap off the serial data from that board to run the ERR boards.  It's a bit of wiring, but it can be done to retain the wireless tether.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

You can leave the AD20 and tap off the serial data from that board to run the ERR boards.  It's a bit of wiring, but it can be done to retain the wireless tether.

John,

Any chance you can elaborate? I have an early TMCC UP Challenger that I would love to upgrade the sound on. It has a wireless tether.

In the tender I should have a board where the IR LED connects to and converts the signal to serial. I simply connect the RS Commander to power and the serial output to the RS input? Any advice finding the serial wire in question? Does this maintain the chuff generated by the chuff switch in the boiler?

I love the engine but hate the RS4 sound in my current setup. This may help me love this guy again! LOL

Thanks!

All you need for sound is the serial data and track power.  Connect a speaker and you're good to go.

The AD20 is receiving the signal and outputting a decoded signal on pin-24, see diagram below.  The AD20 also handles the coupler and rear light.  Just yank the two RS boards and skywire to the socket of the RS4 board for the serial data.

Dang, @ gunrunnerjohn

you amaze me W/ your knowledge ! And thanks for your service sir!😁🚂🚂

I know I'm reaching on this one but wondering how far down the hacking road people have experimented with. The serial data stream (I've never directly inspected or tried to decode it) assuming it's async and somewhat of a fixed baud rate, given mass produced RF modules, has someone made an RF wireless drawbar- true wireless?

I think the signal format again is TTL (5V), ASYNC, unknown Baud

Again, with all the common and cheap modules out there today in the 315, 433, 915MHz modules around, I would think at least one of the pairs is capable?

Edit- again, maybe a bridge too far and I already see the complication if you did more than one engine this way- you also need the modules to "pair" to each other. So maybe a bridge too far.

@Vernon Barry posted:

Edit- again, maybe a bridge too far and I already see the complication if you did more than one engine this way- you also need the modules to "pair" to each other. So maybe a bridge too far.

I think the reason that the IR is used is exactly that, the RF tends to go everywhere, kinda like passing gas in a space suit.

FWIW, I did develop a whole family of RF remote controls for model train applications.

The Universal Wireless Remote Control Topic

There never was enough interest to go into production on them, but I have sold them to a few people that have used them successfully, and I have used them in a bunch of my sound cars for remote control.

They all use the 1527 Learning Code transceivers, so they don't step on each other.  You can pair individual modules or trigger multiple modules at the same time, all by programming the receiver appropriately.