SoundTraxx is now offering a third Blunami decoder, the BLU-PNP8, a slim profile version.
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Do note that the maximum current rating of this card is 2A. So it's not a good candidate for most O scale locos, with the possible exception of the smallest industrial switchers. It certainly is attractive for use in S gauge diesels with can motors.
I am an S gauge guy, Lionel has kind of left us behind. I have purchased a Blunami 2200 and installed in an American Models Trainmaster. It has been installed for several weeks and, I am using it with the App because I do not have a base for DCC.
I am impressed with it using it on my home layout, I have tried running on the club layout but up to this point without success. Our clubhouse is in the basement below an office building and there is a lot of WiFi and Bluetooth signals in the building and that seems to interfere with this Bluetooth signal. We have run the Bluetooth Flyonel Flyerchief with good success so I will not put this at fault with the decoder yet, Soundtraxx support has been attempting help me through these problems but it has been frustrating. I have been given another suggestion to try at our clubhouse and will try it this afternoon. I hope that this suggestion works, I really want to show this off and if this solves the problems at the club I will purchase several more of these. I've been using TMCC/Legacy for quite a while but the Blunami, when it's working, is head and shoulders above that system, the available engine, horn, or whistle sounds, the momentum and more is in the decoder and it is simple to access all of that. For me this first step into the DCC/Bluetooth arena seems to be confusing, I've had much communication with Soundtraxx support and they have been patient with me so I really hope this will work out. I will come back to report if the fix works or if is another frustrating day.
Ray
Well guys, I am back to report my findings. I made the changes in the programming of my Blunami. I ran it first on my home layout and it ran good with the power pack that I have been using at home. I did bring one of clubs packs home for some service, I thought why not try that one at home just to prove it was not the problem but, it was. I ran into the same problem that I had at our clubhouse, pówer up engage the throttle and the decoder disconnected. I went to the clubhouse and took along the power pack that I use at home. The Blunami decoder ran without a hitch. It turns out that the clubs packs are not putting out smooth DC power.
I thank support at Soundtrax for working through this with me, I am definitely in the market for more Blunami decoders.
I will in the near future post the video showing what I had run into.
Ray
Hi Guys,
I have had quite a bit of communication with the folks at Soundtraxx, they are some pretty patient and helpful people. I purchased one of their Blunami2200 decoders and installed it into an American Models Trainmaster. I operated this engine at home and it worked great, the ability to change engine sound, prime mover, horn or whistle and bell, along with lighting , momentum and a ton of other settings that are all in the decoder is unbelievably easy. Imagine DCC without a DCC base unit, it all happens from your cell phone and the app is now available for Android.
As mentioned I ran this on my home layout without a hitch but, when I took it to our layout at our clubhouse I could not get it to run more than a few feet and it would disconnect. I contacted support at Sountraxx and explained my problem, I thought it might be to much WiFi or other Bluetooth signals. Soundtraxx gave me a number of things to try to alleviate the problem without success, the fact that it ran so well at home and at the club not at all was frustrating for me but, Soundtraxx stuck with me through all this, they don't give up.
As I mentioned in my previous post it was not their decoder it was the power packs that we had at the club house, I am attaching a link showing the way it runs with the proper power supply and in the last 50 seconds of the video the way it will perform with the wrong source for power. I can't thank Soundtraxx enough for their help, I sent them the link to this video and this helped to diagnose the problem.
Ray
Just put some filters on the incoming DC and it should give you clean DC to run with.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Just put some filters on the incoming DC and it should give you clean DC to run with.
Could I add a 1000 uf 35v cap to the output of the power pack?
Ray
Well, if there's any chance that the polarity might get reversed on the tracks, I suggest a bridge rectifier in front of that filter. Without it, reverse polarity might be hazardous to the health of the Blunami board and certainly to the capacitor!
Thank you John, I appreciate your input. I will add the cap to the power pack at the output of the rectifier ahead of the direction switch.
Ray
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Well, if there's any chance that the polarity might get reversed on the tracks, I suggest a bridge rectifier in front of that filter. Without it, reverse polarity might be hazardous to the health of the Blunami board and certainly to the capacitor!
I installed the cap at the rectifier output, all is well. I will do the same on our second power pack.
Thank you once more.
Ray
