Well, that's an interesting question. Many of the RS 2.5 boards did handle the chuff in the serial data, but some didn't and it was generated in the tender with a hall effect sensor and magnet on an axle.
The only way to know is send the serial data to the board and see if you get a chuff. 
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Well, that's an interesting question. Many of the RS 2.5 boards did handle the chuff in the serial data, but some didn't and it was generated in the tender with a hall effect sensor and magnet on an axle.
The only way to know is send the serial data to the board and see if you get a chuff.
Yea, thought I'd see what I was in store for..... this board came with power wires soldered on, if im correct, it should get power from the CC serial and power harness right?
It can get power from the track directly as long as it's ground and the CC ground is the same. Being of the somewhat lazy type, I like the one connector to the CC for the RailSounds that I can just unplug to remove the sound board.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:It can get power from the track directly as long as it's ground and the CC ground is the same. Being of the somewhat lazy type, I like the one connector to the CC for the RailSounds that I can just unplug to remove the sound board.
Yea thats what I'm going to do, I will unsolder the power wires off the board to clean up the install.
Don't want to hijack this thread, but I have a question regarding a similar headlight mod. I recently added Super Chuffer to a Lionmaster Challenger and was faced with converting the GOW headlight to LED. See picture below.
The housing is a bottom entry and too tight for a standard 3mm led with flange, so I ground off the flange to make it fit. I got it in there OK, but of course its at 90 degrees to the lens at the front of the housing. The headlight looks OK, but not very bright like others I have done where the bulb/Led enters directly through the back of the housing. What to do? I thought of maybe drilling a hole into the back of the housing, but that might make the wires a little hard to hide.
Any other ideas how this could be made better? Like I say, it's passable, but not great.
Thanks, Rod
@Rod Stewart posted:Any other ideas how this could be made better? Like I say, it's passable, but not great.
Yep, if it has illuminated numbers, gently pry one of those out, I use an X-acto knife. Then just push the other one out from the open side. Finally, push the headlight lens out from the back with a curved tool. If the numbers are not illuminated, you'll have to just work the headlight lens out with something like an X-acto knife point. As a last resort, I drill a tiny hole in the back and use a small rod to push the headlight lens out.
Next, I use a 3528 SMT LED and solder fine wires to it. I coat the back with a layer or two of Liquid Tape. I slide that assembly up into alignment with the headlight lens and glue it in place. My technique is to put a spot of CA adhesive on the back, slide it up into place, and then using a small piece of wood dowel, press on it and clamp it with a spring clamp to dry. Put all the lenses back in place and you have a working headlight.
Yes, it's a bit of a PITA, that's why I now charge a few bucks extra for pilot mounted headlights in my LED upgrades. 
Thanks John for that detailed description. I may give that a try. I wonder if I pry off one of the number boards, if there might be enough room to grab the led with tweezers and bend it to a horizontal position behind the lens? That might be worth a try I think. Is there enough room from your experience?
Rod
Don't do it. 
Once you get one number board off, the other one just pushes off. However, taking the lens out is mandatory if you use CA adhesive as the vapors will cloud the lens. Also, I actually tried once to put one in with just the number boards out, but it's VERY difficult to position. Since with the number boards removed, it's not a big deal to push the lens out, I just do the job right.
@Rod Stewart posted:Thanks John for that detailed description. I may give that a try. I wonder if I pry off one of the number boards, if there might be enough room to grab the led with tweezers and bend it to a horizontal position behind the lens? That might be worth a try I think. Is there enough room from your experience?
Rod
The SMD led upgrade is very nice. You can get 100 of them for like $7 on amazon. I will post pics soon.
So Gunner,
I installed the chuff generator and super chuffer. The CC is in the tender and I'm not done with the tender yet, so I put the engine only on the track. I noticed the smoke fan was on and the cab light. After about 10sec the fan turned off and the cab light sort of flickered then off.
I reset power and the cab light came back and flickerd off again, the smoke fan did not come back.
Is this expected with no outside inputs to the Super chuffer connected?
Thanks
What you normally see is the headlight will be off and the cab light on if the S-C isn't connected to a TMCC lighting output. The smoke fan should also be off if you don't have smoke power. The cab light should be on if there's no chuffs being input.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:What you normally see is the headlight will be off and the cab light on if the S-C isn't connected to a TMCC lighting output. The smoke fan should also be off if you don't have smoke power. The cab light should be on if there's no chuffs being input.
Hmm, the cab light has me worried...... its an led with a 470ohm resistor and diode......ahhh just saw my issue, I should have a lower value resistor since thats a 12vac output right?
The 470 is fine. If you just power up the Super-Chuffer with only power and the cab light connected, the cab light should light. If it doesn't, something is amiss.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:The 470 is fine. If you just power up the Super-Chuffer with only power and the cab light connected, the cab light should light. If it doesn't, something is amiss.
It does power on, then after 5sec it will flicker a bit then go off.
could there be a super chuffer issue?
@Coalguy posted:So Gunner,
I installed the chuff generator and super chuffer. The CC is in the tender and I'm not done with the tender yet, so I put the engine only on the track. I noticed the smoke fan was on and the cab light. After about 10sec the fan turned off and the cab light sort of flickered then off.
You put the CG in the tender? Ummmhh, as I understand it, the CG needs to read a tach strip on a motor flywheel to get and sync the chuff signal. How will this work? What did I miss?
Rod
Oh I see its a Cruise Commander in the tender; my mistake. All good.
Rod
@Coalguy posted:could there be a super chuffer issue?
Anything's possible, but it's pretty rare for those to do something odd like that. I personally test each one before it goes out. You can send it back to me and I'll check it out, obviously you'll have to take it out. I did have a couple of bad FETs in the motor drive and cab light circuit show up in this production run, so it's possible.
If you decide to send it back, don't try to desolder the wires, just cut them off at the board. I wouldn't want to risk soldering damage trying to desolder it, I have the tools to do it easily.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Anything's possible, but it's pretty rare for those to do something odd like that. I personally test each one before it goes out. You can send it back to me and I'll check it out, obviously you'll have to take it out. I did have a couple of bad FETs in the motor drive and cab light circuit show up in this production run, so it's possible.
If you decide to send it back, don't try to desolder the wires, just cut them off at the board. I wouldn't want to risk soldering damage trying to desolder it, I have the tools to do it easily.
I will let you know, but I want to get this guy running, maybe it will go away...... if it keeps doing it, I will send it back. I have a bulb de solder gun.
Remember, the most important part is not getting a PCB too hot or leaving the heat on too long. That will delaminate the traces, then you will need a new board.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Anything's possible, but it's pretty rare for those to do something odd like that. I personally test each one before it goes out. You can send it back to me and I'll check it out, obviously you'll have to take it out. I did have a couple of bad FETs in the motor drive and cab light circuit show up in this production run, so it's possible.
If you decide to send it back, don't try to desolder the wires, just cut them off at the board. I wouldn't want to risk soldering damage trying to desolder it, I have the tools to do it easily.
Does the flicker then off of the cab light fit with a bad fet?
@Coalguy posted:Does the flicker then off of the cab light fit with a bad fet?
Actually, it does, the cab LED is one that was failing, and it would come on dim for a short period of time, then go out. I actually changed my test-set to provide a larger load on that part to insure it was functioning properly, but I suspect maybe that's not a 100% reliable indicator.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Actually, it does, the cab LED is one that was failing, and it would come on dim for a short period of time, then go out. I actually changed my test-set to provide a larger load on that part to insure it was functioning properly, but I suspect maybe that's not a 100% reliable indicator.
So we are fairly certain that the chuffer is bad then? It was dim then off. So the fan will probably fail too Huh? Explains why it was running then just stopped. Im going to finish up the CC and sound in the tender to make sure it all works, then i will send back the chuffer. I will need your address too.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Actually, it does, the cab LED is one that was failing, and it would come on dim for a short period of time, then go out. I actually changed my test-set to provide a larger load on that part to insure it was functioning properly, but I suspect maybe that's not a 100% reliable indicator.
can i just change out the fets? Or too much of a pita?
@Coalguy posted:can i just change out the fets? Or too much of a pita?
Actually, while I can explain the cab light, and even maybe the fan, this was a very random failure, and I only had half a dozen in 200 boards, and never two on one board. Also, it doesn't explain the headlight flickering, that comes right from the uP, and the input that turns it on/off goes through an opto-isolator, so I still don't understand what is happening.
I'll send you my address and you can send it back and I'll track it down. Since you don't have a profile email address, look in my user profile and send me an email and I'll send you the details on shipping it back.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Actually, while I can explain the cab light, and even maybe the fan, this was a very random failure, and I only had half a dozen in 200 boards, and never two on one board. Also, it doesn't explain the headlight flickering, that comes right from the uP, and the input that turns it on/off goes through an opto-isolator, so I still don't understand what is happening.
I'll send you my address and you can send it back and I'll track it down. Since you don't have a profile email address, look in my user profile and send me an email and I'll send you the details on shipping it back.
The headlight was never an issue, sorry for the confusion, just cab light and fan.
Shoot me an email and I'll give you a mailing address.
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