Climax Large G smoke unit under DCC to control ? How to switch on/off by "F"-key

[Schweinebacke]

I am lost with the smoke unit. Driving the Climax under DCC, the sound is excellent, but HOW to switch on the smoke unit ?
I am looking for a F (function)- key to switch on/off.
In the description; technical reference as well in the Steam Sound user's guide i don't find any advice.
Maybe i have overwritten, sorry for this, but I need an advice.
Looking forward
Juergen

[Kevin Strong]

To the best of my knowledge, there is no way to turn the smoke unit on and off via the function keys. (I'm presuming you're running the stock Soundtraxx Tsunami board.) There's a switch in the smokebox of the loco to control the smoke unit; I think that's about as much control as you're going to get.

It's possible that because the Tsunami board is custom-built for the Climax--thus physically different than the production Tsunami boards for HO and N scales, it could use either F5 or F6 (lighting outputs on the production Tsunamis), but I can't find any reference in the Climax CVs for controlling a smoke unit or setting that up.

Later,

K

[Schweinebacke]

Kevin, thanks for your reply.
Now, a more specific description of the situation i am facing.
- behind the smoke box is only on switch, DCC-OFF-DC
- at the rear side are 4 switches (Which are in position to run under DCC), but nothing concerning the smoke unit operation.
- a Sondtraxx decoder is installed TSU CMXG (Rev. A)
- from the mainboard (underneath of the Soundtraxx) 24 colored cables are moving into the machine.
- the sound chip has the label Bachmann AE32023

I looked in the technical reference and user guide, there is nothing (i could find) to program the smoke unit as function of a designed F-key, and this makes it so complicated, their is no advice at which PIN (at the DCC controller) the smoke unit is connected.

Looking forward for any further reply to the community.
Sincerely
Juergen

[StanAmes]

It has been a very long time since I played with the CVs on the Climax so I am going from memory.

At the time the Climax was developed I beliieve it was the desire that all functions could be controlled by the EZ Command which means that all functions had to fit into F0-F8. 

All the locomotive functions were therefore put into F0 and the sound in the other functions.

The decoder actually supports many more functions both sound and lighting.

If you look at the detail Soundtraxx manual you can use the higher end functions and reassign the functions to whatever function Key is desired.

The decoder also supports 4 physical punctions (Lighting and smoke) but I believe these are all assigned at the factory to be F0.

Looking at the manual the physical switch behind the smokebox controls the smoke

Always on (on)
Always off (off)
Controlled by the device in the socket (DCC)

First turn the smole to on to be sure that the smoke unit is actually working.

Then turn it to DCC.  I bet it will turn on and off using F0.

I so suspect that you can reassign the physical functions so that the smoke and lightng are seperate.  However the firebox lighting and the smoke may be on the same physical output in the decoder even though they are on two seperate pins on the socket.

Hope that helps

Stan

[Kevin Strong]

Stan, is there a supplemental instruction sheet that came with the DCC-equipped Climax locos? Mine is the non-DCC-equipped version, and the documentation that came with it is devoid of any mention of a factory-equipped DCC board, let alone which functions would do what. The "F0" combination you mention makes sense; I just haven't seen anything on the Bachmann or Soundtraxx sites which would spell this out.

Later,

K

[Schweinebacke]

Kevin, yes their is an introduction sheet, coming with the device BUT is ends with F8 and NO advice HOW to expand and or to control with an extra F-key the smoke unit function.

[Kevin Strong]

What does it list for each of the functions 0 - 8?

Later,

K

[Schweinebacke]

Kevin, Looks like you wantend to add. more in your reply ?
F0 = all function light light, flicker etc. on
F1 - F8:  sound activities
Details are documented under soundtraxx
Sincerely
Juergen

[StanAmes]

Kevin, Looks like you wantend to add. more in your reply ?
F0 = all function light light, flicker etc. on
F1 - F8:  sound activities
Details are documented under soundtraxx
Sincerely
Juergen

Juergen

Please try the suggestion I provided above.  You should be able to control the smoke via F0.

Once confirmed that it works that way you can go to the CVs and remap which function does what.

But first you need to confirm it works.

Thanks

Stan

[Kevin Strong]

Stan, I'm curious how you would break each element of F0 out separately? From what I'm reading of your post and the documentation, F0 controls the smoke, firebox, cab, and headlight together. What I'm not seeing in the Tsunami literature is a specific CV for each of those four elements that you can use to re-map each one to a separate function button. Thoughts?

Later,

K

[Schweinebacke]

Thanks for your remarks Stan & Kevin !

Digging deeper in the Tsunami documentation (Spectrum Technical reference) i found out (of course as much as I understood, it is my interpretation):
-        F0 (f) or (r) are just for HL and BL on/off
-        The smoke unit is electrically steered by the small switch behind the steam box. (Kevin, you are right). There is no  other DCC output assigned to, therefore also no chance to control via my DCC (Roco Z21, by the way, using my iPad and iPhone)
-        F 1 – F8 have clear defined sounds, under F9 –F12 other sounds are available, either separate or in combination with F1-8. (See function output map). Having this information's available, the sound can be individual composite. (Stan your advice)
-        Once reading all the details, I also found the CV description, how to program a time from braking (from speed to zero) and accelerating in a much more realistic way. (My Climax switched the direction without any delay, like a formula-1 racing car.)

Back to my original question, how to control the smoke unit by using a "F" function ?
I have now solved in a complete different way (and it works !)
I bought a small "functional decoder" (e.g. from tams elektronik FD-R Basic 2 for 15$, I do not have visibility what is available in your market in Americas). The CV1 has the same address as the "build in" Tsunami decoder and I have the freedom to switch on/off by e.g. F13 (my choice).
Mechanical wise I opened the Fire-box at the bottom, there is the Fire Box PCB - connector 3. By keeping the switch at the steam box at DCC it is easy to ident the 2 wires for the smoke unit. The rest is simple, the functional decoder needs to be connected with red/black from connector 1 (or connector 9 at the PCB01, wherever you want to place the small decoder). And then the 2 wires of the smoke unit to be soldered (careful) at AUX 1 and GND.
Done and working.

Enjoy your day  

Sincerely
Juergen (from Germany)

PS: Please accept my apologies for my bad English, grammar and vocabulary are not my core competences.