TTS Decoder issue.

[JST]

Serves me right for doing it on the cheap I suppose but my Merchant Navy TSS decoder sourced from a well known auction site is playing up. I guess I will now order a Zimo sound chip (partly because I now need to change CVs 5&6) but I am interested to see if anyone else has had this problem and/or fixed it. The loco actually runs extremely well with the chip but after about five minutes of running, the sound stops but the loco continues to run. It is like it is heating the chip up to a point that something fails to connect. Leave it for a while with sound turned off and the loco stationary and it will then work again.

[long island jack]

Try turning the volume down, sounds like over driving the amp,2 pence worth

[JST]

The volume is turned right up so you may be right but it is not very loud - if that makes sense. Maybe the supplied speaker is the wrong impedance.

[Harlequin]

Sounds exactly like a problem I had with two Zimo sound decoders. The cause was overheating and the solution was to allow more ventilation around the decoder.

 

[JST]

I will have a look Phil, but it is a standard Hornby fitting in the tender so there ought to be enough ventilation. Maybe I can move it about a bit!

 

[Chrisr40]

4 hours ago, JST said:

I will have a look Phil, but it is a standard Hornby fitting in the tender so there ought to be enough ventilation. Maybe I can move it about a bit!

 

Is the chip insulated in tape ? Is it just single layer sellotape ? Anything else and it's likely to be overheating.

[JST]

18 hours ago, Richard Croft said:

Turn the volume down to less than 4, and make sure its wrapped in nothing more than sellotape, of it still happens after that then its faulty and should be covered under warranty

 

Richard

 

Will do Richard but I think the basic issue that caused me to turn the sound up is that the speaker is rubbish. Any idea where I could get a decent one? 

[WIMorrison]

If it is wrapped in sellotape then you have a problem as sellotape cannot handle the heat nor will it have a reasonable life.

[JST]

Had a look at it this afternoon. I clearly got over excited about the idea of the decoder shorting out when I fitted it as I had wrapped it in several layers of Kapton tape! I have reduced it to one layer and slightly re-positioned the speaker. The volume was already on 4 so we will see what happens now, although a Zimo decoder and a Megabass speaker are on the shopping list.

[Izzy]

The TTS I have installed have all had the sound level turned down to the minimum - 1 - because they have been far too loud for my home based layouts. Only one, the original TTS class 31 still uses the supplied speaker though, but it’s more about sound quality rather than sound level. So I do wonder if the decoder is faulty. I either sit mine on d/s tape and open to air circulation or loosely wrap them in a band of cheap masking tape with both ends open. 
 

Having said that the steam TTS I’ve encountered don’t seem to be on the same level all round as the diesels, the lack of wheel revolution sync being the killer for me, worse than no sound really, and I’m sure a Zimo sound install will be worth it in the long run.

[JST]

Yes Izzy, I have two other TTS decoders (a Castle Class and a Hall) and they are incredibly loud so I am not sure what is up with this one. However, the lack of "chuff" synchronisation and no CV 5 or 6 control is leading me to replace all TTS decoders.