the MRH Forum

Need some TCS WOWsound decoder advice..... Track and electrical/DCC
Reply
Prolific poster 1,847 posts herronp Prolific poster 1,847 posts
herronp

Sometime ago I installed a TCS WOWsound in an O scale Toby 2-8-2T engine, replacing an older Tsunami. Aside from the odd (to me) programming method, it seemed to work quite well, excellent sound and good motor control.  My layout was at the laying track stage so it was used sparingly with a couple of cars.  Now my mainline is finished and I’ve been running all the locomotives I’ve got and came across some weird behavior of the TCS decoder.  I should point out the locomotive with the older Tsunami in it ran fine, never drawing more than .8 amps when stalled by pushing down to stop the wheels.  

While pulling a long and heavy 19 car log train, double headed with another 2-8-2T equipped with a QSI Titan decoder, it would stop and restart as the local district breaker tripped and reset.  I noticed that the RRampmeter jumped from around .9 to 1.7-2.0 when this happened. As I know the locomotive draws only .8 amps at stall from testing with the Tsunami I am stumped at this behavior. The locomotive runs fine with a light load.  All my other locomotives just spin their wheels if they can’t pull the log cars up my one steep grade.  Any TCS users have any thoughts before I put the old Tsunami back in?

Peter
Reply 0
jeffshultz MRH Staff 7,993 posts
jeffshultz

Have you tried to contact TCS directly?

From the https://tcsdcc.comwebsite:

Technical Support

Phone

(267) 733-3408

Hours

Mon-Fri 1 PM to 5 PM EST

Email

techsupport@tcsdcc.com

orange70.jpg
Jeff Shultz - MRH Technical Assistant
DCC Features Matrix/My blog index
Modeling a fictional GWI shortline combining three separate areas into one freelance-ish railroad.
Reply 0
herronp Prolific poster 1,847 posts
herronp

Not yet, thought I’d see if ........

......anyone here might have an answer first as I think a lot of people use them. 
 

Peter
Reply 0
Richard Johnston Regular poster 170 posts
Richard Johnston

Short?

Did the other 2-8-2T stop and start too? Are the couplers electrically connected to frames of opposite polarity? Can I assume that they both run fine when running alone? Try running the two without any cars but separated by a few inches. Do they have the same erratic behavior?

Dick
Reply 0
herronp Prolific poster 1,847 posts
herronp

@Richard

Yes, but that was because the district breaker opened at 1.7 amps. It would reset and go out again and continue till I shut it off.  

I always use plastic boxes on brass models.

They both run fine apart and together except when trying to go up the hill the TSC equipped trips the breaker while the other one spins its wheels if I try it alone.  

I'm just wondering if the TSC decoder has some weird behavior if pushed to hard.  Why do the amps go up high enough to trip the breaker when the exact same engine with the Tsunami spins its wheels at .8 amps..........?

Thanks for the reply.......

Peter
Reply 0
joef MRH Founder 17,527 posts
joef

Old vs new TCS WOW sound

In speaking with TCS about their WOW Sound decoders and current load, they told me older decoders had a current load problem but that's been corrected in later versions. If you send an older WOWSound decoder to them they will replace it with a new one for a very low fee.

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

[siskiyouBtn]

Read my blog
Reply 0
herronp Prolific poster 1,847 posts
herronp

Need to open locomotive up...........

...........and see what is going on.  Had it running by itself and found it would jump to nearly a 2 amp draw when I applied not too much down pressure!  I now need to rule out any mechanical issue before I can blame the decoder.

Later...............

Peter
Reply 0
Reply