I purchased a Tsunami sound card last April. It was working great till I installed the shell on the loco. I think it shorted out against the frame or fly wheels. I have been contracting Tsunami customer service back and forth for the last 4 months now via email and all I get is the run around, asking me to try doing this or that. I heard they are suppose to honor the warranty even if it was something I did,( ie: short circuit). Has anyone else having this problem? Can anyone suggest another coarse of action other than this emailing back and forth. I hate to throw away $90.00 sound card.
Thanks
John
The only time I needed service from Soundtraxx was when the decoders were under warranty. There is a ninety day warranty that is free in terms of service and parts. All I paid for was postage to them. They sent them back free of charge.
Will
To my knoweledge, only TCS replaces decoders with no fault attributed.
I would expect that a repair for something I did that was improper would be a cost I should bear. If I drove a new car off the dealer's lot and pranged it against the lamp post next down the street, I wouldn't expect them to rush over to me and offer to fix it all for nothing. If the wheels fell off the car, that would be another matter.
Crandell
I think you're confusing TCS with SoundTraxx. As near as I know, only TCS has a "Goof Proof" warranty and will replace a decoder even if it was damaged through user abuse or miswiring. A sound decoder is a whole different ball game -- if you destroyed it, you pay for the repair. I've dealt with practically every sound decoder manufacturer, and none of them offer free repair service if the damage was caused through user error. And they can tell immediately by just looking at their decoders that the damage was caused through user error.
Instead of exchanging endless e-mails, your best course of action at this point would be to box the decoder up and mail it back to SoundTraxx with a credit card number or some other form of payment for the repair, and be more careful the next time you install it to insure there are no bare wires touching anything.
If you check the SoundTraxx web site, I'm sure thay have their warranty terms spelled out in detail, along with instructions on how to return a damaged product.
I found this information immediately on their web site: http://www.soundtraxx.com/support/
Fill out their "Service Request Form" and send the decoder back for repair.
I installed a Tsunami last year. I tested it every step, and when I had it all wired in, it would short out when it went into reverse. I don't think I did anything to damage it. I swapped a few emails with them, and described all the error codes and such. Finally, they said to send it back, and they replaced it for free.
Have you sent it back to them? At this point, I would just ask them for a Return Authorization number. Use that phrase.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I have had great experiences with Soundtraxx. I have returned two of the 25+ I've bought for repair(always my fault). BTW, one little thing that helped me was to tape the bottom of the cap to keep it from grounding( even the larger caps I add sometimes).
Anyway, I would suggest you call them and follow their directions. I send an enclosed typed letter along with a copy of the receipt. I don't think I've paid over $25+ plus postage.
They have always been very polite and responsive.
Richard
Go to the SoundTraxx web page. Look for support, click on that, then print out the service request form. Make a copy of your receipt and all of your e-mails. Send the decoder back with the paper work. I have NEVER had a problem with them- takes them about 2 weeks and I have my decoder back. Have you done a factory reset on the decoder you have? Which decoder do you have that is giving you problems ?
Go to the SoundTraxx web page. Look for support, click on that, then print out the service request form.
Make a copy of your receipt and all of your e-mails. Send the decoder back with the paper work.
I have NEVER had a problem with them- takes them about 2 weeks and I have my decoder back.
Have you done a factory reset on the decoder you have? Which decoder do you have that is giving you problems ?
selector To my knoweledge, only TCS replaces decoders with no fault attributed.
Digitrax also repairs/replaces with no fault attributed, not lifetime, but for the duration of their one-year warranty on all their products (not just decoders):
The Digitrax "No Worries" Warranty
I have sent a decoder back to SoundTraxx and they repaired it for free.
With something you probably did, they will probably charge you. If it shorted to something in the loco, then that is an improper installation.
I just sent another one to them, a light board decoder back but I did something wrong. I expect I will be charged. Not a problem.
This is not rocket science. I emailed them and they told me to send it in.
Don;t ever forget, there is Murphy and a lot of DCC is not plug and play even though some rivet counters wil tell you it is.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Thanks, Stevert, good to know. I'll file that away.
This from a happy SEB user, albeit into its sixth year.
Thanks for all the input and help. I called them on Friday (2-18) and the lady at customer service was very nice and helpful she said just to box it up and sent it back. I did send the decoder back. The issue I have is that in all the emails that where sent back and forth between me and the customer support person, he never once said, "ok, send it back." He always wanted me to try reprogramimg it, then telling me to put my Zypher system in blaster mode and try to reprogram it. I am waiting to see how much the repairs are going to be. :o(
I also sent a sound board back due to it keeps shutting down and just a lot of static through the speakers.I hooked it up to my ESU51900 before installing it in the engine.Got it back yesterday after 3 weeks and still does the same thing.So sent it back again with a note please replace cause its still not fixed.
Have a 90 day warranty to get them fixed.
Unless I am mistaken you are testing a Tsunami decoder on a ESU (LocSound) decoder tester. This tester has a 100 OHM speaker, I believe. The Tsunami's require a 8 OHM speaker load. The Tsunami will more than likely NOT work very well driving a 100 OHM speaker. Causing it to heat up and go into a thermo shut down, plus the static you hear from the speaker. I would check the speaker on the tester to see just what the speaker is rated for, I will guess that is a 100 OHM speaker. Your Tsunami is more than likely OK
Unless I am mistaken you are testing a Tsunami decoder on a ESU (LocSound) decoder tester.
This tester has a 100 OHM speaker, I believe. The Tsunami's require a 8 OHM speaker load.
The Tsunami will more than likely NOT work very well driving a 100 OHM speaker. Causing it to heat up and go into a thermo shut down, plus the static you hear from the speaker.
I would check the speaker on the tester to see just what the speaker is rated for, I will guess that is a 100 OHM speaker.
Your Tsunami is more than likely OK
Using the 100 ohm speaker will cause the volume to be extremely low or maybe not get any sound, but it won;t overheat the amplifier. Using a 4 ohm speaker where an 8 ohm is specified, however..
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Randy ,
Could you expand you explanation a bit more. As in a 4 ohm , will cause overheating ? And how the 100 OHM will cause low volume? Thanks
Could you expand you explanation a bit more.
As in a 4 ohm , will cause overheating ? And how the 100 OHM will cause low volume?
woodone Randy , Could you expand you explanation a bit more. As in a 4 ohm , will cause overheating ? And how the 100 OHM will cause low volume? Thanks
If I may.
The higher Ohm you have on a speaker, the more power (or amplifying) the speaker needs to get the membrane moving (making "sound").
The reason some Mfg´s are using 100 Ohm speakers is that even though they need more amplifying, they can produce better sounds (less static).
If you install a 4 Ohm speaker in a 100 Ohm system, you get power rushes, wich can destroy both the speaker AND amplifier.
If you install a 100 Ohm speaker in a Tsunami, wich will need an 8 Ohm speaker, it will not make the membrane move much due to the higher resistance =lower sounds.
Hope I got it right......
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
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john2wilmThanks for all the input and help. I called them on Friday (2-18) and the lady at customer service was very nice and helpful she said just to box it up and sent it back. I did send the decoder back. The issue I have is that in all the emails that where sent back and forth between me and the customer support person, he never once said, "ok, send it back." He always wanted me to try reprogramimg it, then telling me to put my Zypher system in blaster mode and try to reprogram it. I am waiting to see how much the repairs are going to be. :o(
Yup, that's right Graffen.
You can look at it two ways, one, a lower ohm rating is closer to a chort circuit, which means more current flows.
Or along the same lines, for a given voltage, the lower the resistance, the higher the current, following from Ohm's Law. With amplifiers and speakers it's actually reactance since it's an AC wave form but the idea is the same. The lower the speaker rating, the more current flows through the amplifier (also generalizing - there are many types of amplifier circuits and they don't all behave the same way). Up to a point this might actually be helpful - more speaker movement for the same voltage - volume. But lower than what the amp was designed for results in too much current flowing which results in overheating or failure.
selector If the wheels fell off the car, that would be another matter. Crandell
If the wheels fell off the car, that would be another matter.
You bought a Yugo?!?!??!
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
No I had changed it to a little bigger 8 omh speaker and there is something wrong with the board.
its like when a transistor heats up and expands it shuts down and when it cools it back up working till it gets hot again.This is the only way to decribe it.