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How to make speakers work with Econami 21p

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  • Member since
    June 2016
  • 39 posts
Posted by Afrosteam on Sunday, September 23, 2018 2:02 AM

I've looked at manual too, there's nothing helpful in it. I tried soldering the speaker wires to the decoder, nothing.

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, September 23, 2018 1:58 AM

Afrosteam
And I'm not Ed unless you weren't referring to me there. 

I'm another Ed (Gmpullman).

OK, I looked at the Soundtraxx 21 pin guide here: (page 19)

http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/Installation-Guide.pdf

Again, it was just a guess.

If you DO hear a click from the speaker I would believe there isn't a short. If either wire or PC trace were shorted you wouldn't even hear a click.

ESU makes a decoder tester. I have one and find it handy for situations like yours. 

http://www.esu.eu/en/products/decoder-tester/

They're about $50 and worth every penny, IMHO, unless you only have a handful of DCC locos. I use it pretty frequently.

I'm beginning to wonder if the output amp in the decoder isn't toasted?

I found this photo of what should be your board. You can clearly see the two traces coming from pins 9 and 10 leading to white wires. Of course, these should be your speaker connections.

Read through this thread and see if anything helps?

https://www.reddit.com/r/modeltrains/comments/9h1cc6/installing_sound_on_a_trix_db10/

 

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Regards, Ed

  • Member since
    June 2016
  • 39 posts
Posted by Afrosteam on Sunday, September 23, 2018 1:40 AM

gmpullman
Afrosteam
This is what Soundraxx said, and I don't understand it: Is the factory board following the NEM standard or the original NMRA P standard? The 21P decoders were discontinued when all of the manufacturers switched to the NEM standard. Pins 9 & 10 on this decoder would handle the audio output. You can tie your speaker wires in here.

 

Hi,

Both the NEM and the NMRA pin assignments are 9 and 10 for the sound output.

There were different pin assignments as the "standard" developed over the years. You can read about it here and try to make some sense of it.

http://www.sbs4dcc.com/tutorialstipstricks/21mtcconnector.html

The NEM standard was developed by Trix. It was even called the 21 pin MTC for Marklin Trix Connector.

Is it possible that you have the decoder plugged in upside down? I'm just grabbing at straws here. I have actually done that with some 21 pin WOWsound boards.

Took me a while to figure out that the pins went through the PC board and then into the plug. Even with pin #11 being blanked out I could still get it in upside down.

What locomotive tender is that? I'd like to look up the "Motherboard" where the actual speaker wires attach.

Hope that helps, Ed

 

The text in the link is half cut off, lol. So it's kinda unreadable. The tender loco is a Trix db10 and the tank engine is a Spanish 4-8-4t from Ibertren. Econami says the black part faces up, so that's how I've been installing it. Doesn't seem to fit right facing the other way.

 

And I'm not Ed unless you weren't referring to me there. 

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, September 23, 2018 1:35 AM

Afrosteam
This is what Soundraxx said, and I don't understand it: Is the factory board following the NEM standard or the original NMRA P standard? The 21P decoders were discontinued when all of the manufacturers switched to the NEM standard. Pins 9 & 10 on this decoder would handle the audio output. You can tie your speaker wires in here.

Hi,

Both the NEM and the NMRA pin assignments are 9 and 10 for the sound output.

There were different pin assignments as the "standard" developed over the years. You can read about it here and try to make some sense of it. Of course, the intention was to have a decoder with all the extra functions needed, to be able to plug in to the motherboard with... NO wires.

http://www.sbs4dcc.com/tutorialstipstricks/21mtcconnector.html

The NEM standard was developed by Trix. It was even called the 21 pin MTC for Marklin Trix Connector.

Is it possible that you have the decoder plugged in upside down? I'm just grabbing at straws here. I have actually done that with some 21 pin WOWsound boards.

Took me a while to figure out that the pins went through the PC board and then into the plug. Even with pin #11 being blanked out I could still get it in upside down. Embarrassed

What locomotive and tender is that? A Trix model, I assume. I'd like to look up the "Motherboard" where the actual speaker wires attach. WAS there a decoder previously installed that you are replacing? 

Hope that helps, Ed

  • Member since
    June 2016
  • 39 posts
Posted by Afrosteam on Sunday, September 23, 2018 12:25 AM

Again, there are no wires. You can see in the link that there aren't any wires. I've seen the manual multiple times, it provides no information. It says install it on the "factory installed board". That's what I've been doing and nothing happens. The locomotives move and such, but there's no sound.

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,877 posts
Posted by maxman on Sunday, September 23, 2018 12:23 AM

Did this particular decoder come with a bunch of wires attached, or is it a board to which you have to solder the wires?  There are a bunch of wiring diagrams in the Econami manual; http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/Installation-Guide.pdf

 

  • Member since
    June 2016
  • 39 posts
Posted by Afrosteam on Sunday, September 23, 2018 12:20 AM

http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/econami/eco21p.php

That's the decoder, I don't know where to connect the wires.

  • Member since
    June 2016
  • 39 posts
How to make speakers work with Econami 21p
Posted by Afrosteam on Saturday, September 22, 2018 11:35 PM

Does anyone know anything about installing sound on Trix or Ibertren models? I have a 21 pin Econami that's been through 3 speakers now and none have emitted sound. I don't know what's wrong. When i contacted Soundtraxx the guy spouted gibberish. At least I didn't get it. The last two speakers were ESU, this one is a TCS, the only sound I get from it is a small pop when power is applied.

This is what Soundraxx said, and I don't understand it: Is the factory board following the NEM standard or the original NMRA P standard? The 21P decoders were discontinued when all of the manufacturers switched to the NEM standard. Pins 9 & 10 on this decoder would handle the audio output. You can tie your speaker wires in here.

I've attached pics of the boards of both locos.

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