Proto-Sound 3 Powerports?

Do you run conventional or command?

Unless you want to attempt to control the markers, I just use track voltage.

For the flickering firebox, I buy the LED tea candles from a Dollar Store and remove the flickering LED, cheapest source I've found.  They work great for the firebox, gives you the flickering effect for no effort, just a diode, capacitor, and a resistor from track power.  You can power the classification LED's the same way.

A 1N4003 diode, a 220uf 35V capacitor, and a 1K resistor will power the flickering firebox LED.  Use a second 1K resistor from the same diode/capacitor filter for the classification lights, wire them in series.

I run command control.  

How would I wire to remotely control the marker lights and flickering firebox?

Well, the short answer is, it's difficult and maybe impossible, depending on the actual installation.  That's why I asked.  I'm not familiar with the wiring on the PS/3 stuff, but for PS/2, the sound files control the functionality of the various functions, and if they're not in the product, you usually don't have that control.

The simple way is to just run them from track power.  It may be possible to trigger them from the headlight, but I'm guessing you'd need some electronics as I don't know what kind of power you can draw.  You could probably run the firebox from the smoke unit power, that way the firebox would only flicker when you had smoke working.

gunrunnerjohn,

I will likely use track power to run the lights.  

Firebox could go either way, track power or smoke unit power.  I need to test the smoke unit power output prior to making a decision.

I appreciate your insight.

I'm sure the 10ma or so of power for the flickering light wouldn't be an issue for the smoke unit power supply.  They do change the power to the smoke unit based on the smoke output setting, I think that's a PWM signal, but I've never measured it.

Here you go.

gunrunnerjohn,

I really appreciate your knowledge on the matter.  I plan to purchase the components you suggested this evening and begin construction.

Thank you again for all of your help!

No problem, we look forward to the video.

John, What about the inductor, or have you done this with no degradation to the dcs signal? G

Crap, I totally forgot about the 33uh choke!   Put that in front of the diode in the hot side rail!