# Suddenly no sound!



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

The Phoenix PB9 in my Bachmann 4-6-0 has suddenly stopped making sound. It was working fine, as usual, yesterday during the open house. I ran it from noon to after 4 pm. When I was done, I unplugged the loco's battery and put the loco away for the night. This afternoon I took it out, set it on the track and plugged the battery in. As soon as the power was connected, the sound board made a series of soft "tick tick tick" sounds instead of the usual "shoveling coal" sounds. After a few seconds it stopped and hasn't made any sound at all since.

Looking into the tender, I don't see anything noticeably wrong such as a loose or broken wire. 

Any idea what happened, and what I should do about it?


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Ray, are you still running this on track power, with the battery providing back-up power when the track voltage is low? If so, my first guess would be that the battery is not charged and/or not getting a charge. If you're on track power and it comes to life once you apply around 5 - 6 volts to the rails, then that's where I'd look first. 

Later, 

K


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Nope, I'm running battery power in this loco.


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## Dave Crocker (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, 
I had something similar when one of the speaker wires to the cone disconnected and vibration made static connections.
Dave


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Funny, sounds like what happens when the phoenix battery goes bad in a track power application. 

I'd double check the connections on the board.. you did not state, but I assume the battery is in good condition and the loco ran fine otherwise? 

Greg


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Yeah, the loco runs fine, there's just no sound. 

The sound board does still have its own battery on it, from when I was using track power. Should I disconnect that battery?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

YES! 

I believe you can simply disconnect it and do not have to rewire.... am at work, don't have all my Phoenix references handy. 

Greg


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray,

Don't know about the tick tick. I have created my own no sound Phoenix problems. How do you control the volume? Some of mine have a switch that you hold to increase or decrease the volume. I have one bad switch that will only decrease the volume so if I need to turn it up, I have to use the computer program. I also have a couple with F7 and F8 programmed for volume up and volume down. I've been known to inadvertently push the F8 button resulting in no sound.
If you have the phoenix computer interface programmer, you can plug it in and check the boards volume level.

Tommy








Rio Gracie


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Ray 
did you look at the phoenix site? 
http://www.phoenixsound.com/pdf/PB9_Handbook.pdf


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Ok, I tried unplugging the sound board's battery, and now the sound works again. So I guess the battery needs to be replaced. 

Of course I could run it without replacing the sound board's battery, but I don't like the way it suddenly cuts in and out when the loco starts or stops.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

I think that Phoenix has a capacitor kit that replaces the battery. My understanding is that they don't have to be replaced.


Chuck


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Ray you could call Phoenix and get the plug and do away with the battery. "THE PB9 WILL OPERATE WITHOUT A BATTERY CONNECTION. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU REQUEST THE BATTERY PLUG IN PLACE OF THE BATTERY."


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I think it's just a wiring issue now Ray, to supply power from the main battery where the backup went. 

Someone here will have the schematic, and of course it is on the phoenix site... another way is the supercap kit, but why spend the additional $$ if you don't have to. 

Greg


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Use the traction battery in place of the track power battery. Wiring diagram is in the manual. Max of 20V I think.


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