I'm about to attempt my first decoder install and I am a little confused. I want to install a TSU 1000 medium steam decoder into an athearn 2-8-2 Mike. The engine has a plug but the decododer does not. I found a file on the web that thoroughly documented installation of a decoder in this engine but it uses the older Soundtraxx decoder not the Tsunami.
I have run the engine on address 00 on my Digitrax equiped railroad.
- Should I cut off the plug on the Athearn engine and solder like colored wires together or is it not that simple?
- Can I trust the Mike to have been wired with the correct colors for the various functions?
I would appreciate any help or links you have on this install. Thanks
The Tsunami decoder should have a JST header on one end. No soldering is required except for the speaker connection. For your Athearn 2-8-2, remove the dummy connector at the end of the wiring harness that sticks into the tender.
Carefully cut away some of the shrink wrap from the end of the Tsunami and remove the wiring harness from the JST header. Plug the decoder directly into the Athearn harness, and then slip it into the tender.
You will probably have to open up the tender to properly baffle and install the speaker, but the decoder itself should slip through the slot in the front of the tender.
Thanks for the quick response. The instructions I had found showed how to install one of the older Soundtraxx decoders (yellow shrink wrap) and included removing 1/8" of the shrink wrap, pulling off the header and plugging in the wires from the engine.
The Tsunami (purple shrink wrap) doesn't appear to have this arrangement. I removed 1/8" of the shrink wrap and rocked and tugged on the connectors but they did not loosen. I was afraid of destroying the decoder and so did not continue. I downloaded the Tsunami manual from the Soundtraxx site and It doesn't include the instruction to remove shrink wrap, remove header etc. etc. It just says to connect the wires.
I have to be missing something.
Mike
If the TSU 1000 has a white (or green) JST 9-pin plug and socket on the end, then you should be able to work it loose. The one I installed fit extremely tight and had to be worked loose a little at a time from the two edges using a very small flat blade jeweler's screwdriver worked into the groove between the plug and socket and wiggling it until the plug worked out. This required a lot of switching back and forth from side to side.
Try removing just a little more of the shrink wrap. You should then be able to remove the JST connector as the others have described. I just did this last weekend for a friend.
What's the phrase? "...Upon further reiew..."
I had a friend come over last night who has installed numerous decoders and it was exactly as you guys have said. I was afraid of destroying the decoder but he had it apart in 2 seconds flat. We plugged it in and the sound baffle I had built from 40 thousands styrene was a press fit into the coal bunker.
The sound is awesome. I had it on the track next to an Athearn Challanger and a BLI N&W A. The sharp stacatto of the exhaust, the calrity of the bell and the deep sounds of the whistle put the others to shame. I can see right now I'm going to go on a Tsunami binge.