Large Scale Central

Dcc & battery in Shay

Electronics Power and Sound
#1

Started to install AIRWIRE & battery in my early 2 truck Shay. Having done conversions in many other engines silly me thought this would be just as easy. Boy was I wrong. Is there any documentation out there that would be of any help. I’m using a AIRWIRE G3 decoder with a 14.8 V 5200 mAh Li-Ion battery that will be in a trailing car. I have already installed new metal trucks. Thanks

#2

I have an early (non-DCC) 3 truck shay I installed Airwire and battery power in. The best thing I found was to completely remove the Bachmann board and just wire the loco to the Airwire decoder itself following the decoder’s instructions. What are you having trouble with?

Chris

#3

Thanks Chris. Is there a way to keep the ash pan and fire box lights the same [ flicker].

#4

Louis Sommers said:

Thanks Chris. Is there a way to keep the ash pan and fire box lights the same [ flicker].

I converted mine to straight battery R/C. I kept the firebox flicker board and wired it to the power switch. The R/C has nothing to do with it - always flickers. This is my wiring diagram. DCC should be similar.

#5

Interesting, I think the flicker board is normally supplied 9v DC…

http://www.trainweb.org/girr/tips/tips1/shay_tips.html

See the schematic down the page… given this is a 2 truck shay schematic, there exists the possibility that the 3 truck circuit is different (but I doubt it)

Greg

#6

I didn’t hook that stuff back up on my loco, figured they were more of a gimmick than anything. I really didn’t see myself putting my head in the cab to see the firebox flicker and if the ash pan doors are open to see that light then you are starting fires all up and down your line.

Not sure if your loco has it, but I did keep the stand in the fuel bunker the Bachmann board was mounted to and put my receiver on it, that left plenty of room for the wires underneath.

Chris

#7

Greg - look at that schematic a little closer. The board is fed directly from the track pickups (at least on the original 2 truck). I actually supply it with 14.8VDC and it has worked fine. I recall some kind of a mod to make it look better, but can’t find it at the moment.

#8

Thanks again for the help. I decided to do away with the flicker board along with the smoke unit which I remove on all my locos. I have been installing the Airwire decoder on the holder for the smoke unit and stick the antenna up the stack. Less interference from the battery and better range.

#9

Nope the schematic on George’s site shows the flicker circuit is fed from the output from the lm317 regulator… I could calculate the voltage based on the resistors, but I’d wager the 9 volts on the schematic and George’s words are correct.

I believe you that it works on higher voltages, there’s nothing prohibiting that that I see in the schematic.

#10

I know I’m late to this but the G3 has the ability to make the flicker effect.

#11

If you set 2 outputs to random flicker, do they flicker at the same time or different times?

Greg

#12

If they are set to come on with the same trigger than I believe they do.

#13

The Bachmann circuit has 2 different sets of lights flickering, I think even if you use 2 different outputs on the G3 that all the leds will be in synchronization, the more random effect of the bachmann board is a little better, so most people leave it.

Greg

#14

When I do a fire box, I use a self flashing led plus an output for another LED from my decoder. Gives great random flickering!!

For 3 leds, one is set to gyro and the other for ditch plus the self flashing led and I mix red and orange leds.

#15

I’ll bet that looks great Dan, nice idea!

Greg

#16

I put 2 2600MAH batteries in parallel in the 2 truck Shay. One battery in the firebox and one in the wwater tank. I am able to get the whole thing in the engine with no trailing car.