The decoder measures approximately 1.7″ x 0.67″ x 0.28″, but you’ll need slightly more space than that because of the wires and the need for space for cooling. Also, a relatively large (.32″ x .50″) electrolytic capacitor is not mounted on the board. It comes attached via two wires that are approximately 2″ long, so you can place it where space exists.
You’ll need a few other parts to install a Tsunami. The decoder doesn’t include a speaker, but it can use any standard 8-ohm impedance speaker with a 1-watt or higher rating. Also, the Tsunami’s wiring harness doesn’t include plugs or other connectors.
Installation. I installed a no. 826102 steam Tsunami in a Broadway Limited NYC 4-8-4 without sound. The locomotive comes with an 8-pin medium socket, and at first I thought I was going to need to solder a medium plug onto the decoder’s harness. However, once I learned that if you remove the first 3/16″ or so of shrink wrap on the harness end (the end with 9 wires) of the decoder, you’ll find a 9-pin “JST” connector that makes the installation even simpler.
I used a small scissors to remove the minimum amount of wrap that exposed the connector and replaced the factory harness with a Lenz LY013 medium plug harness. (Note – SoundTraxx advises against removing any of the shrink wrap.) Then I soldered the female (socket) half of a Miniatronics 50-001-02 2-pin connector set on the (purple) speaker wires.
I used a SoundTraxx no. 810054 1″-diameter speaker, mounted in a SoundTraxx 810110 baffle kit without extension. Remember to thread the speaker wires through the housing’s back plate before soldering them to the speaker’s pads. I fastened the entire assembly under the tender’s coal load using 3M foam tape with the speaker facing down, and then I taped the decoder onto the tender chassis.
Instead of adding an exhaust cam, I simply set the chuff rate using CV 116 (auto-exhaust rate). I was able to get a rate very close to 4 chuffs per revolution without difficulty. If you would like to time the chuffs more precisely, you may either use the longer alternate CV procedure outlined in the instructions or install an EXH-220 cam kit, which includes foil disks you apply on the back side of a driver and a piece of spring wire that you mount so that it contacts the disk.
Performance. The sound quality of the 4-8-4 with Tsunami decoder was excellent and comparable to a factory installation. The only changes I made beyond setting the chuff were to add a bit of momentum, decrease the volume, increase the dynamic range, and eliminate rod clank (NYC 4-8-4s had roller- bearing rods).
The Tsunami’s features include advanced lighting effects, function mapping, advanced motor controls with user-programmable load controls, and a high-end sound effects package that includes eight different whistles and sounds that vary with the locomotive’s load.
While it doesn’t offer the user the ability to write sounds to the decoder, it is a very powerful device with a nearly infinite combination of settings. It has approximately 200 CVs and offers the user extraordinary control – it includes a seven-band equalizer and eight CVs just for the reverb settings.
A Tsunami-equipped locomotive will operate on DC, but then its features are limited to chuff and a few random sounds.
I’m impressed with the power and flexibility of the Tsunami decoder. Users who don’t mind spending a bit of time at the workbench will find their efforts rewarded with excellent sound and control. With the Tsunami, SoundTraxx has staked a powerful claim on the territory at the high end of the DCC decoder spectrum.
Price: $99.95 each
Manufacturer
SoundTraxx
210 Rock Point Drive
Durango, CO 81301
www.soundtraxx.com
Features:
Automatic exhaust sounds
Advanced motor control
Adjustable momentum
Compatible with National
Model Railroad Association
DCC standards and recommended practices
Dimensions: .28″ x .67″ x 1.7″
4 light function outputs
14 function keys with mapping
Load compensation
More than 22 steam sounds
7- and 14-bit addresses for use with simple systems, or up to 9,999 addresses for advanced systems
24 individual volume settings plus master volume control
Water-stop sound effects
