Could someone please "walk me through" the process for installing a Phoenix sound system in the tender of an Aristo-Craft Mikado? Nothing in the Phoenix booklet looks anything like the inside of the tender which already has the speaker installed and wired. I have some electronics knowledge but I'm drawing a complete blank on this one. Thanks! Ed
I do not suffer from insanity...I enjoy every minute of it!!! Over 60 and still playing with toys!
Does your board look like this?
Regards, Greg
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Is there a light on the tender? (backup light)
If not, then the 2 sets of wires are one from the pickups on the wheels, and the other is from the motor.
Which model of phoenix are you using, and are you using normal dc track power or some form of remote control?
Yes, the connector on the left is the one connected to the motor, the wires on the right are the track pickups. The larger connector is the speaker.
Those are the connections you need for the Phoenix.
I believe there are also wiring diagrams on the Phoenix site.
As with all Aristo locos, you should check the connections with a voltmeter.
Also, be aware that the track/battery switch typically disconnects the track pickup on one side only, but if you are using track power, just leave it in the track position.
Hope this helps,
Greg
This is Phoenix Sound's "knowledge base" http://kb.phoenixsound.com/
information similar to what you are asking is sometimes there.
The Phoenix knowledge base had one question about the Mikado but no information about installing the sound system.
I have a picture of the parts, but can't figure out how to insert it into this message. The Mikado tender already has the speaker wired in. It also has electrical pick-ups on the metal wheels for us to get power from the track. There is a plug to connect the tender to the locomotive so that the switch for the sound (located on the locomotive) will make connection with the speaker and sound board in the tender.
Since the speaker is already wired into the tender, I don't need the speaker so would that plug remain empty?????????????
As for the parts:
1) the small computer board
2) a brown section of double wire with a 2 pronged plug on one end and a 3 pronged plug on the other
3) a double plug with one gray and one red wire coming out of it (no plug on other end)
4) a battery pack with a double plug on the end of the wires
5) a toggle switch with a flat gray 3-wire ribbon attached
6) a female "stereo" plug with red/yellow/black wire and a 4 prong plug on the other end
7) 3 sound "triggers" to install next to the track to "trigger" the sound (we don't intend to use these...we want the sound to be active whenever the locomotive is running.)
I have looked on the Phoenix website but didn't find wiring diagrams for the Mikado. The booklet that came with the Mikado just says to hook up the sound unit "following the manufacturer's instructions" which aren't helpful.
Would it be possible for someone to tell me exactly which plug or wire goes where on this unit?
Thanks! Ed
Ed, I think if you check with an ohmmeter, you will find that the speaker is NOT connected to either of the 2 cables that go between the tender and loco... I am unaware of a sound switch ever being in a Mikado, they have either 2 or 3 switches, track/battery, motor, lights...
As I believe I mentioned before, and on my site, Mikados can be wired differently, and did come in 2 basic versions with either 2 or 3 switches, also, the tender can have a backup light or not.
You need to be able to verify what I am saying. If you cannot, I suggest that you do NOT try to install this yourself, with the variations in wiring, and the fact that you are still confused, there is a good chance you will fry something.
You need to verify the power connections in the tender, and then connect the power and motor leads to the phoenix as per their instructions. You only have 3 sets of wires you need to connect to, speaker, track and motor.
p.s. Please understand that the vagaries in Aristo wiring mean there is no other answer I can give you that guarantees no problems, you HAVE to figure it out and prove the connections.
I finally have the wiring figured out....the problem is that Phoenix sound system package doesn't include any kind of list or pictures of what the various parts are for. I ended up with 2 parts that I don't need (not counting the speaker.) I guess they figure everyone should know. NOT!!!
Anyway, the tender has power pickup through the metal wheels and there is a part in the Phoenix sound system package that has two wires (one red and one gray) with a 2 prong connector on the other end. The 2 prong connector plugs into the 2 prong recepticle on the pc board already wired in the tender. The bare wires go to the Phoenix sound board where the power is supposed to be connected in (there are openings that the wires go in and you have to tighten a screw on the top that closes the opening and secures the wires.)
There is a brown wired part with a 3 prong connector on one end and a 2 prong connector on the other. That goes between the Phoenix sound board speaker connection and the 3 prong sound connector on the pc board already in the tender. This part connects the speaker that is already in the tender with the Phoenix sound board.
There are 4 switches in my Mikado locomotive but none are for the sound. They are for track/battery power, smoke on/off, motor on/off and lights on/off. The sound works even if the tender isn't connected to the locomotive (when power is applied to the Phoenix board and the Phoenix board is connected to the speaker in the tender.)
Our tender has a back up light that runs independently of the sound.
There are wires running through the tender, but one set is for battery connection to cars ahead of, or behind, either the tender or the locomotive and the other is for the lights.
As I said, I've finally got the wiring figured out.
What I need help with now is how to mount the reed switches (there are 3 in the package) and what to do with the one magnet that was included. If I mount the magnet on the inside of a wheel, won't it trigger the bells and whistle every time it the wheel goes around?
Ed
Sorry, I remembered wrong, 1 or 2 switches on the backhead, 2 on the cab floor.
But the main point was, and you have now, that the speaker is not wired up to the loco.
The way this is designed, it looks as though they tried to make it right for DCC and other control systems where the motor leads are separate from the track pickup. Over the years, how this is wired has changed, but using the wires on the right side of the board to be all track pickups, and the other 2 wires that come to the 2 pin plug is how most installations are handled. There is a diode in the 2 pin plug wire that allows the backup light to function.
In your case, with track power you can connect to whichever you want, but be aware that sometimes the Aristo wiring does not connect the tender pickups to the loco pickups. I have extensive writeups on this on my site under the Aristo Motive Power sections.
Now, one "trigger" (reed switch) is normally used with the magnet on the back of the wheel for the "chuffing" effect. You can use this or tell the Phoenix to "autochuff" based on voltage.
Likewise, you can use a reed switch under the loco that will be triggered when it goes over a magnet lying on your track (not included), and the 2 reed switches can trigger the bell or the whistle.
Again, you can program the Phoenix to do the bell and whistle automatically or use the reed switches.
It's easiest to do this with the programmer (not included), but it can be done with a pushbuttons and jumpers.
You never mentioned the model of Phoenix, but since you mention battery, it's probably a PB9.
You need to read pages 9 & 10 of the manual (in fact you should read the entire manual).
You can either do one or the other but not both. I would use the default which is track power for now and for get about using the reed switch till you are more familiar with how to mount them. It's something that you have to decided how and where to mount. Later RJD
I have the sound board installed and connected to the speaker. I connected the 3 reed switches but just to test to see what the locomotive sounds like. I put the locomotive on the track connected up the wires between it and the tender and then turned on the power supply, but kept the speed dial at zero. The speaker worked and I heard the idling sounds and the coal being shoveled after just a few seconds. When I passed the magnet over each of the reed switches, they made their respective sounds. So I know I have the wiring right so far.
What I still want to do though is to not use any of the reed switches at all. I just want the sounds to work off the track power (voltage). Is this possible?
Is the system "messed up" now that I've already connected the reed switches once? If I disconnect them, will the sound system revert to having the sounds working from just the track voltage?
I believe you can leave the switches wired in, you just need to reprogram the Phoenix to do the sounds based on voltage.
Again, the manual tells you how to do this... maybe someone here can answer the specific question, but with no magnets on the rails, those 2 reed switches will remain open, like they were not there.
If worst comes to worst, you can remove the magnet from the tender wheel.
OK folks, here's the SIMPLE way to hook up the Phoenix Sound System in an Aristo-Craft Mikado tender....no magnets, no reed switches, just simply allowing the track power to operate the sounds.Since the Aristo-Craft Mikado comes with a speaker and computer board already installed this is much easier than the Phoenix instructions lead you to believe:1) Remove the front part of the tender (where the "coal" is piled) by gently pulling/prying the sides away from the car. Set aside.2) Open the Phoenix sound system package and locate the power cord. The power cord has a 2 prong connector on one end with one red and one gray wire coming out of it. Connect the wires of the power cord to ports #1 and #2 of the Phoenix sound board. It doesn't matter which port you put which wire on. Then connect the plug end to the proper place on the board already installed in the tender....it will only fit correctly on one of the two plugs. 3) Connect the battery pack found in the package to the proper plug on the Phoenix sound board (it will only go into one plug...look at the way the connector is shaped.)4) Take the "junction wire" from the package by the speaker...it has brown wires and a 2 prong connector on one end and a 3 prong connector on the other...plug one end of the wire into the plug on the board already installed in the tender (by Aristo-Craft) and plug the other end into the Phoenix sound board (again, it will only go into one place on each board.)4) Using the 2-sided foam tape included with the Phoenix sound unit, secure the Phoenix sound board to the inside of the tender....MAKE SURE IT IS NOT IN CONTACT WITH ANY METAL PARTS IN THE TENDER. I put a piece of foam inside the tender (on top of the board Aristo-Craft installed) and then put the Phoenix sound board on top of that. Secure the battery pack, with another piece of the 2-sided foam tape, inside the tender. (Do not put the battery on the inside front of the tender...that's where the top will fit when you reinstall that part of the tender.)5) Put the locomotive and tender on the track and connect them together with their own plugs.6) Turn on the power and go! The whistle, bells and other sounds should work randomly. 7) When you have heard the sounds, replace the front part of the tender.That's all there is to it! (Too bad the instruction booklet that comes with the sound board doesn't spell this out for us.)Have fun!
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