Where to connect a Tsunami tan lead

[Chris350]

So I'm new here, having had one turbulant year with model railroading.  I'm currently working on installing a Tsunami in to a Hicken Tender (#89912), to be tethered to a 4-8-2 Heavy Mtn (#82501).  I have it to the point where I need to know where the tan lead for the chuff sensor gets attached to the electronics board.  Can someone point me to the location?  I diagram would be helpful if one exists.  Also how does one tell which purple lead for the speaker is 10 and which is 12?  That last may be better directed at the Soundtrax folks, but I'll start here.
Many thanks, Chris

[Yampa Bob]

Hi Chris
The wiring diagram is on page 7 of the following guide:
http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/quickstart.pdf

Regards

[Chris350]

Thanks, I have that one, it's in the decoder packaging.  I'm in need of one for the tender board that would show where a chuff sensor connection might exist. This would tell where the tan lead goes.  I am making the assumption that the loco has a sensor, which is why I supplied the part numbers for both engine and tender.  I'm still working around why they would make both the + and - of the speaker feeds the same color if polarity mattered.  Maybe it doesn't

[Rangerover]

The polarity of the speaker terminals is only important when using multiple
speakers. If you have installed multiple speakers, make sure they are phased
properly, i.e., positive lead to positive lead and minus lead to minus lead of
each speaker.

If you are using only one speaker, it doesn't matter which polarity goes where!

[richG]

There is no contact in the tender. The NMRA connector does not cover this option. You have to use ingenuity and figure it out yourself. SoundTraxx has a "cam" disk you install on a driver. It is not plug and play. It requires thought and planning.
Go into your profile and unlock your email address. I can email you a PDF document on this option that someone installed on a Spectrum 2-8-0.

Another option is to click on my user name and email me. I will respond with the document.
Yahoo email checks all my email for viruses.

http://www.dccwiki.com/Chuff_Cam

http://caseyjones1950.piczo.com/dccdecoderinstallations------?cr=1&linkvar=000044#

Rich

[Yampa Bob]

From the quick start guide:
"Tsunami is designed to operate with speakers having an impedance of 8 ohms or higher. Using a speaker impedance less than 8 ohms may result in erratic operation or even component failure"

If using two 8 ohm speakers, they must be connected in SERIES for a total impedance of 16 ohms.  Connecting them in parallel would result in a total impedance of only 4 ohms which will overload the amplifier.

For wiring diagrams:
http://www.colomar.com/Shavano/speaker.html

[Rangerover]

So I'm new here, having had one turbulant year with model railroading.  I'm currently working on installing a Tsunami in to a Hicken Tender (#89912), to be tethered to a 4-8-2 Heavy Mtn (#82501).  I have it to the point where I need to know where the tan lead for the chuff sensor gets attached to the electronics board.  Can someone point me to the location?  I diagram would be helpful if one exists.  Also how does one tell which purple lead for the speaker is 10 and which is 12?  That last may be better directed at the Soundtrax folks, but I'll start here.
Many thanks, Chris

Chris somewhere on your drive wheels on your loco, not the tender, there should be a wheel that has a notched sort of disc with a wiper wire in contact. The tan wire goes to that wiper. Here's a diagram from the tsunami decoder install site:

http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/tsuinstallation.pdf

Scroll down about 5/8 of the way until you reach "installing the cam". it's could be possible you don't have the cam on the wheel and the wiper. If not this shows how to install it.

Scroll down on the same site about 7/8 and you will find your speaker question on speakers, copied from the site:

Speaker Connections
Connect the decoder's PURPLE speaker (+) wire (pin 12) to one of the
speaker terminals. Connect the other PURPLE speaker (-) wire (pin 10) to
the other speaker terminal. Note: Tsunami does not need a capacitor to
be wired in series with the speaker as required by some other SoundTraxx
decoders.
Note: the polarity of the speaker
terminals is only important when
using multiple speakers (see
below). If you have installed
multiple speakers, make sure they
are phased properly, i.e., positive
lead to positive lead and minus lead
to minus lead of each speaker.On smaller speakers, solder the
wires to the outside edges of the
solder pads as shown in Figure 18.
Wiring Multiple Speakers
When wiring multiple speakers, it is very important to observe speaker polarity as
noted above. If a speaker is wired backwards with respect to another speaker,
each speaker will produce a sound wave that is 180 degree out of phase with
the other. The two sound waves will effectively cancel each other out resulting
in a diminished volume level! If the speaker does not have polarity markings
on their terminals, wire like terminals to like terminals (i.e., left terminal to left
terminal). If in doubt, try swapping the polarity of one speaker and see if the
sound improves or worsens.
Tsunami is designed to drive an 8 ohm load. You must properly wire multiple
speakers according to the directions that follow so as not to exceed this load.

[Rangerover]

Chris after doing more research, I need to find this out too, I need to install such a decoder myself, I found this. Apparently the tan wire does not have to be connected to get the chuff sounds, the chuff sound comes from  the decoder with the exhaust feature already built in the deocder, the tan wire is for the cam as a preference if you so desire!

I would try it and see if you got the chuff sounds without connecting the tan wire.

Use the Auto-Exhaust™ feature to adjust the exhaust cadence to correspond to a 2-cylinder, articulated or geared locomotive or use a cam if you prefer.

[OkieRick]

Chris350

The tan wire is for optional Cam use.  You will have "chuff" without being connected to a Cam - it is an included sound.

If you're Heck Fire bent on using a Cam instructions are given on Step 7 of the Tsunami installation pdf.  Soundtraxx has what you need and the part # is given.

Rick

[Jim Banner]

Using two 8 ohm speakers in series reduces the sound system output.  Connecting two 8 ohm speakers in parallel may eliminate sound system output permanently.  To have your cake and eat it too, either connect two 16 ohm speakers in parallel (+ to + and - to -) or connect two 4 ohm speakers in series (system + to first speaker +, first speaker - to second speaker +, and second speaker - to sound system -)

The exception to this rule is if you have the two speakers back-to-back in a quasi infinite baffle.  In this arrangement, one speaker drives a closed baffle so that the other speaker acts as if it were backing onto a true infinite baffle.  It does nice things for bass response but requires twice the drive power.  I don't know if anyone has tried this in an H0 diesel, but I tried it in a large scale diesel and it worked quite well, once I figured out you have to reverse the connections to the second speaker.

Jim

[Chris350]

The chuff sensor thing was confusing me, since I don't have one on any other steam locomotive I own.  Two of them have a reed switch to time chuffing. So, I wasn't sure whether or not one needed a physical device to trigger chuffing sounds.  Thanks there. 
As for speakers, there is no need for, nor is there room for two in the tender.  I feel that model loco sounds are too loud most of the time anyway.  The insert I have makes no mention of multiple speaker installation.  It merely states that each lead has a separate number.  It wasn't clear if this was important or not.  I have a good background in stage audio so series and parallel speaker wiring is second nature to me.
Anyway, thank you for your responses.