# TAS Smoke Unit Install with Battery Power + Airwire



## Richard Schmitt (Jan 2, 2008)

Has anyone installed a puff and chuff TAS smoke unit in a battery powered steam locomotive with Airwire R/C? If so, I need some help.
I've installed this smoke unit in a Accucraft K27. As you know the control button number 6 on the Airwire is a dedicated circuit to power the unit on and off. It does this when the control wires are connected for locomotive power, lights and sounds (excluding the chuff). When I connect the chuff pulse to the sound board the smoke unit comes on and will chuff and puff, but I have no control of on or off from the Airwire.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Richard


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Richard,
Are you saying the power is always on from the Airwire smoke output,terminals 3 & 7? Have you put a voltmeter across those terminals? I have used the smoke output for a on/off for other things,it does work. I will follow this post as this is the setup I want to use when the Aristo 2-8-0 is released. Keep us posted.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

I know someone that is working on such an install. I don't know if he wants me to publish his email so I'll send it to you via MLS.


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## Richard Schmitt (Jan 2, 2008)

Paul and Jim,
Let me first tell you that I had already installed batteries, sound system and smoke unit in this locomotive 4 years ago. I was just changing out the smoke unit to a TSA model that chuffs and puffs from the pulses from the sound system connection to the reedswitch. I have control to turn the unit on and off from the Airwire. However as soon as I connect the reedswitch connection to the sound board and the locomotive starts to move the chuff and puff works but I have no control to turn the smoke unit on or off from the the Airwire. It stays on untill I turn the power off.
Richard


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## Road Foreman (Jan 2, 2008)

Richard, 

This is a guess, but I think you have to isolate the input to the TAS smoke unit.. Hooking up the chuff-input to the sound board is acting as a turn-on for the TAS unit.. I would install a opto-isolator or a relay between the sound board & the TAS unit.. I think the opto-isolator would be a better choice.. You could use a reedswitch also.. 

BulletBob


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