sorry, search function isnt working, so i thought i would throw it out there... anybody use a Kato ASB (analog sound box) thru the jumper connection on a digitrax zephyr> would the sound box work correctly? talk me down before i drop $400 LOL JBB
I'm going to ask you to say the name of the ANALOG Sound Box s l o w l y. The key word in there is of course 'Analog.' The sound box will not work on a DCC system. You may be able to make some kind of jumper to simply power the system just to use the sounds, but the back EMF feature should not be wired into the track circuit. If you are using DCC already, I would just get sound decoders for your models.
The purpose of a Digitrax Zephyr jump port is to read the output of an analog DC power pack to control the speed and direction of a DCC locomotive. It probably wouldn't work as expected because the jump ports are expecting a "smooth" dc signal and the Sound Box likely puts out a PWM signal since it mentions measuring bemf to adjust the sounds. There are a couple of possibilities to make it work, however. How good are you with electrical circuits? The first possibility would be to add a circuit between the Sound Box and Zephyr to smooth it's output. It would take a bipolar cap (can be two polarized caps wired ground to ground) and a resistor, but for values it would likely take some experimenting. Kato actually sales a filter for the Sound Box for use with locos that don't play well with PWM and it might do the trick. The other possibility is to feed the Zephyr with the output of the power pack that you are using for the input to the Sound Box (the signal would have to be split and sent to both). That would get the smooth input to the Zephyr, but don't know what the Sound Box would do if it's output is not connected, so you mat still need a similar circuit connected to the Sound Box's output to get it to work.
Robert, I purchased the filter per your suggestion. Any idea of where to buy a splitter for the power supply? It’s a single cord leading to a round metal plug. I’m assuming it’s a shielded cable preventing me from a simple snip snip wind em up and black tape em back….
There are two inputs to the Sound Box, a constant voltage power supply and the variable voltage that controls the train speed. It sounds like you're talking about splitting the power supply input; however, I was suggesting splitting the variable DC input to go to the Sound Box and the Zephyr jump port. Since you've got the filter now, I would probably just try connecting the sound box output through the filter and to the jump port and see how it does.
Ok first off… the jump port on the Zrphyr systems are an input, not an output. The soundbox is looking for a DC input. It can use PWM or straight DC and what comes out of a Zephyr is neither. The filter listed above will just prevent signals from the PWM throttles from interfering with non filtered electronics. The majority of devices sold here in the US are already filtered, as it is a FCC requirement for most devices. For those of us born in the 70’s or later will remember watching the TV go all fuzzy when mom would vacuum or if we were playing with our slot cars the TV got fuzzy for whoever was watching. These filters are not put in electronics found in other countries all the time, so a device like that becomes necessary. as for a solution to your issue of using the soundbox with the Zephyr would be to use a Kato analog throttle connected to the soundbox AND the jump port of the Zephyr at the same time. You will lose the back EMF feature of the soundbox as it will be lost through the Zephyr but the basic sounds should work. The other option since you are using DCC is to just use locomotives with sound installed. Also if you are looking for the ambient sounds that the soundbox can do, there are many options from Bluetooth speakers to Arduino projects that can trigger sounds as a sensor is tripped.
The Soundbox has an input and an output - the input from the DC throttle and the output to the track (it actually has two inputs because it also has a constant DC input for power). The filter I linked to above is designed to go on the output from the Soundbox - between the Soundbox and the track - for locos that should not be run with PWM, basically converting the PWM to a smooth, or almost smooth, DC, which is what the Zephyr is expecting: From the same web page:
May I ask how the zephyr should be wired to the sound box? Using the jump box outputs on the screw in terminal ? thanks ed
The “Jump box” terminals on a Zephyr are INPUTS not outputs. The sound box will not correctly connect to a Zephyr it is a device designed for DC operation.
I'm a little confused here, when you say "jump box outputs" did you mean to say sound box or are you talking about the jump ports, which are inputs? You should have four or five devices. The four devices are a DC power pack, Kato Sound Box, Digitrax Zephyr, and a Kato Electronic Frequency Filter. The possible fifth device is a DC power supply for the Kato Sound Box if you are not using a Kato DC power Pack. There are two ways to connect these to the Digitrax Zephyr Jump ports: 1. DC power pack output connected to the Sound Box input (green connector on the back of the Sound Box). Sound Box track output (white connector on the back) connected to the input of the filter (the filter has pig tales so it will just plug into the Sound Box, and only the input side will plug into it). Output from the filter to Jump port screw terminals on the back of the Zephyr. If you are not using a Kato DC power pack (which snaps to the side of the Sound Box), you will have to have a DC power supply plugged into the round connector on the back of the Sound Box. 2. For this method, you will have to splice into the DC power pack output because it has to go to two different locations - the Sound Box input and the Zephyr Jump Port input. Using this method you would not need the filter and the SoundBox output would not be connected to anything. You would still need the DC power supply if not using a Kato DC power pack. Method 1 is probably the easier way because there is no splicing. In fact, if you are using a Kato DC power pack, everything just plugs together except for the filter to Jump port connection, where you would have to strip the wires of the filter output to attach them to the screw terminals (if you don't want to modify the filter you could get a Kato DC extension cord and cut it instead. Method 2 is a little more trouble to wire since you have to split the DC power pack output, but it does not require the filter and is almost guaranteed to work since the jump port input is connected directly to the DC power pack and not the filtered Sound Box output.
