I have just updated an Athearn Challenger from its original MRC sound decoder to a SoundTraxx Tsunami.
I am have problems with the number boards. Has it came originaly the number boards would light anytime there was track voltage to the wheels. You had no control of the number boards. After I have installed the Tsunami I can not read back the values in any of the CV's because it reads back a value of 255. I have traced the problem back to the number boards. (I think) Anyone get inside one of these Challengers to fix the number boards. They are LED's not bulbs, and are way too bright when powered up on DCC track power and also look very yellow.
Looking for a way to fix the problem, but I think that I need to get inside the boiler to see just how the number boards are wired up.
Any help out there? Getting inside look to be a chore.
Thanks in advance.
Woodone,
this is Athearn Big Boy (with Tsunami factory installed) with boiler upper part removed, but I assume that Athearn Challenger is wired in similar way. I made this picture during my installation of full Tsunami decoder, because I wanted to have chuffs controlled by CAM. I installed new LED in front light (original is yellow), new LED's for number boards, cab light, firebox flicker etc.
Having in mind that I made this installation a few years ago, I can not tell more than is visible on this picture: numberboards are connected directly to track power on original PCB. I removed it completely and hardwired the loco, and installed big new speaker (32 mm) in tender.
I could not find Challenger manual, but here you can find Big Boy manual, it may help to understand how to open a locomotive: https://www.google.hr/#q=athearn+big+boy+exploded+view
To open a boiler is not big issue, but to get to front light...it is very complicated. If you are satisfied with front light, it is better not to try to open it.
Hope I helped a little.
Hrvoje
Thanks Hrvoje,
Looks like I need to remove the boiler shell to fix this.
Did you power your number boards off a seperate control function or just use the headlight wire to turn them on-off with the headlight? If ou used a seperate control how did you handle the xtra wires?
I connected numberboards together with cab light on one of function wires of Tsunami - which is not the best solution, because these lights should be controlled separately.
Now, if I would want to use Tsunami again (just 4 functin wires) I would do it the other way: both lights (head and rear) on one wire, e.g. for headlight (so they light simoultaneously irrelevant of driving direction), cab light on the wire for rear light, firebox flicker on e.g. FX5 and numberboards on e.g. FX 6. This includes function mapping and rewiring. I have put completely new wires between locomotive and tender, and they can not be separated. I made new box for Big Boy, to be able to carry it around.
Or, better (and easier) solution: to install small function decoder in locomotive just for numberboards, fireboxflicker (and maybe smoke generators if you want to have them). There is enough space behind locomotive boiler backplate to install small decoder.
More important than numberboards is to install new speaker(s) in tender. In my Big Boy at least, Athearn used two small speakers that were almost completely closed within tender, so sound could not get out. I installed big, quality speaker firing up (thru coal load - I used mesh wire and real coal). I closed tender bottom with styrene plate, so speaker was completely sealed on the bottom, to get airtight chamber. Then you can use equalizer function which Tsunami offers, which is great feature.
I used this speaker because of very good frequency response: http://www.visaton.com/en/industrie/breitband/bf32_8.html. Litchfieldstation and other stores offer similar very good high - bass speakers.