# USA SD70 sound and onboard reciever



## James Kuhns (Jan 12, 2008)

Has anyone ever used Aristocraft's on-board reciever with QSI sound in a USA diesel? My railroad is track powered and I would like to use the Aristocraft on-board reciever and need to know if it is possible and if so how is it done. I would like to use QSI sound also, if possible. This would be a first for me as I am into stean locomotives and always use Phoenix sound. 

James


----------



## Marauderer (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi James, I just acquired a USA SD 70 and am running DCC. I have started a thread over in The DCC forum about the QSI card that QSI is developing as a plug and play for the SD 70. the link is http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/34/postid/38746/view/topic/Default.aspx The time table to be out is about 6 months and it will be a DCC/sound card that should list at about $160 I hope. I am running their Aristo card in my RS3 and really like it so I am willing to wait to not have hard wire it in. If you don't want to wait I believe that QSI has an adaptor frame you can plug the Aristo card into and then hard wire the transition frame to your SD 70. The QSI card will work with DCC or DC and has other adapters to use a Train Engineer for the sound etc. Go to the QS sight to see what options are available.


----------



## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't see anything on the QSI site about a new decoder for USA Trains. I think what you guys are talking about is a secondary decoder that QSI is developing that plugs into the Quantum G scale decoder. The secondary decoder enables additional functions that the primary decoder doesn't support. For example in the Aristo Dash 9 I can't turn on and off the ditch lights or the smoke generator with the Quantum G decoder. With the secondary decoder installed I would be able to. As long as USA Trains refuses to include a decoder plug in it's locos we are still going to have to rewire their locos. James, which locos were you thinking on installing the decoders in?


----------



## Marauderer (Jan 5, 2008)

The USA decoder is coming. Sorry they do not have it listed on their site but, it is coming.


----------



## Guest (Jul 25, 2008)

Plug and play for USA very soon so Tony at Tonys toy excange says maybe as soon as 2 months or so depending on if Greg gets off his ass /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif and starts beta testing some boards!!!!!!!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif HE HE HE ... 
Nick...


----------



## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

I think this will be great and I am going to hold off converting any of my USA locos and see just what they come up with. I just wonder how it is going to be plug n play when USA locos don't have the plugs in them for plug n play. More like snip solder n play!


----------



## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

The power distribution boards in most USA Trains diesels are connected to the motor blocks, lights and smoke units with plugs. 










So it would not be a stretch to build a socket to hold the 75 MHz receiver with the plugs attached. It would be like my Super Socket, but with plugs instead of screw terminals. 










Just unplug the track power pickups, motor plugs, light plugs, smoke unit plugs, etc. and then plug them into the new QSI board.


----------



## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

Opps! More like the Quantum Magnum, but with plugs instead of screw terminals. 










I should have checked the QSI web site again before posting.


----------



## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

James in your first post you mentioned using Aristo-Craft's on-board receiver with QSI sound. Perhaps I am misreading what you posted, but it sounds like you are asking if you can use Aristo-Craft’s 75 MHz receiver with QSI’s Quantum Sound Decoder. 










The “Quantum” is both a sound board and a DCC decoder that fits in the Aristo-Craft Plug and Play socket. There would be no room for the Aristo-Craft receiver, nor would it be required if run with DCC or DC. 

With just DC (a power pack) however, not all the DCC features are available. To obtain them you would have to add the Quantum Engineer to you DC power pack. 










To obtain the DCC features with radio control, most people are using an AirWire transmitter, QSI G-Wire receiver and the Quantum Sound Decoder. 










Have a read through the  Products Section on the QSI web site for more complete information. 

BTW: Radio noise generated by the motors interferes with the 75 MHz receiver’s reception when it is mounted on-board a diesel. It took me years to obtain the promised 100 feet of range, and I had to install noise suppression components to obtain it. This included a capacitor across the motor terminals and large chokes in the motor leads.


----------



## James Kuhns (Jan 12, 2008)

For the time being I have backed off the idea of an "on board" reciever, and now that I have my USA Trains SD70 in UP/MP colors I now know what I am up againest. I see that the there only the power leads for a sound system in the fuel tank area. For a sound system it is between the QSI Magnum and the SoundTraxx units. Now for the questions. Using "Train Engineer" with track power which has the most useful features, is the easiest to work with, and what does one have over the other (besides price and avalible locomotive sound types)? Last but not least, what extra besides the basic system does it take to get full use of either system using remote control/track power?


----------



## James Kuhns (Jan 12, 2008)

Now that I have my USA Trains SD70 in UP/MP colors I know what I am up agains to install sound. I see that there are only power leads for sound in the tank area. I am looking at QSI Magnum and SoundTraxx. Using Train Engineer R/C with track power. Which is the easest to use, has the most features, and what are the extras needed to get the most out of the system using radio control/track power (not counting price or locomotive sound types)?


----------



## James Kuhns (Jan 12, 2008)

Got a little confused and sent two letter about the same subject.


----------



## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

Would be nice if the new QSI USA trains sound decoder replaced the stock USA board. Just unplug everything, take out the board screws, screw in the new board, replug everything and away you go! Na!, won't be that simple.


----------



## Marauderer (Jan 5, 2008)

You may be pleasantly surprised.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

That's exactly how it works, I have 5 prototypes here and we are working on it. 

You unplug the leads from the USAT mother board, take out the screws, screw in the identically shaped QSI board complete with the slide switches that protrude underneath, and plug the wires back onto the new board. There is a small daughter board that has the "brains", like the Aristo one, but smaller and no output transistors, all the output and lighting power and switches are on the main board. 

The main board has settings to accomodate the different voltages for different lights that USAT has used over the years, plus little jumper cables to even handle other USAT wiring oddities. 

Working on it... 

Regards, Greg


----------



## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

I'll wait for your board to come available then Greg. One for the GP9 and one for the SW 
Rod


----------



## Marauderer (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 08/06/2008 10:54 PM
That's exactly how it works, I have 5 prototypes here and we are working on it. 
You unplug the leads from the USAT mother board, take out the screws, screw in the identically shaped QSI board complete with the slide switches that protrude underneath, and plug the wires back onto the new board. There is a small daughter board that has the "brains", like the Aristo one, but smaller and no output transistors, all the output and lighting power and switches are on the main board. 
The main board has settings to accomodate the different voltages for different lights that USAT has used over the years, plus little jumper cables to even handle other USAT wiring oddities. 
Working on it... 
Regards, Greg



Now you really have me slobbering I wish I had the sound last weekend at the Vines.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Just small clarification, it's QSI Industries's board made for QSI solutions. I'm just the goof that has the privilege of helping. 

Barry, aren't you coming to San Diego soon? You will have an opportunity to run them. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## Marauderer (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 08/08/2008 12:53 PM
Barry, aren't you coming to San Diego soon? You will have an opportunity to run them. Regards, Greg 



I will be leaving Atlanta on 9/8 and will take about six days to get out there. I would really like the opportunity to see your layout and see the USA trains run with the new board. I will be in CA until 11/1 probably but not set in stone.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

You are invited, I thought R.J. already relayed my message, but anyway, come on by! 

By the way, I ran 4 USAT locos at the same time, all with QSI decoders, 2 GP7's 1 old style GP-38 and one new style GP-38.... Get my cell phone # from R.J., he may be asking you to bring his S4 out! 

Regards, Greg


----------



## Sesh1975 (Aug 25, 2008)

Just curious if there is anything new on this? Im looking for an onboard reciever for my sd70 too!


----------



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Just an example of why I prefer the QSI approach 

I'm siting here looking a a USA Trains 44 tonner, disassembled. It has an aristo 75 mhz TE receiver install in it. There's a mass of wires already, because it has two motor trucks and two sets of wires bundled down to one. I have a Phoenix sound card with an appropriate sound on it. I'd like to install it so that the engine sound is triggered by voltage, and not by an axle sensor. I'd like to be able to blow the bell and whistle with remote control, using Aristo's TE transmitter. To do that I need to use Aristo's 75 mhz accessory switch, #5495, which plugs in to the 75 mhz. receiver. So I have three cards/circuit boards to install. 

It's unbelievable how much wiring you have to add to do this. You need the TE receiver, then the TE accessory switch, then the sound card. You need to run jumpers from the the motor and power leads to the Phoenix battery and power leads. And then wires from the accessory switch the the Phoenix card. Then you have to reset the phoenix card. You need the "code reset" switch" for the aristo receiver, the volume controls switch for the Phoenix, and the computer interface jack. That's just part of it. 


Its do-able, and I'll manage to get it done, but what a pain! With the QSI system, you just wire one card up and go


----------



## Sesh1975 (Aug 25, 2008)

I am leaning more and more towards the QSI setup. Hoping the author of this thread will give an update soon.....


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

James was asking the questions... 

James, I got the firmware updates for the USAT locos, so we can play with them if you come over the weekend after this one... got 4 of them going, if we were really ambitious, we could pull one out and stick it in your SD70, right now 2 gp7's and 2 gp38's. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

What's the status of the new QSI USA Trains board. The last posting in this thread was 6 months ago.


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Status is in limbo like everybody else. Later RJD


----------



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I just asked Tony at QSI about the USAT board and the upgrade sound files. He repied:

"Upgrade Sounds and USA Trains ,3 Months" 




I have to add that when I asked this question back in December, his reply was "in a few months."


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, called Tony yesterday also. 

The progress forwards has been hampered by the release of their Revolution HO decoders. 

We need the QSI G scale firmware to be upgraded to be the same version as the HO stuff, then we can use all the HO files... 

I put my 2 cents worth in for the USAT decoders, we need them bad, and this is apparently the year of electronics, it sure is not the year for new locos. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

Greg, how are they handling the issues with the 4 switch vs 5 switch USAT switch boards?


----------



## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez at least you two guy's got a response from Mr. Tony, I'm still waiting on a response to a return call he told me to make to him almost two yrs. ago. Hah !! The Regal


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

George, the system will be redesigned, and there will be a "two board" solution, but the division of "labor" will be different. There will be the "brains" with all the ram, processor, drivers, and then there will be the board that physically "plugs" into the loco, which, because it will have no active components, will be very inexpensive. 

Thus, Tony can make a 4 switch and a 5 switch, and an Aristo version all inexpensively, and the main "brains" will remain unchanged. 

As a byproduct, I believe we will have more lighting outputs available for the Aristo version, even though the Aristo socket does not have any pins that control cab/marker/ditch lights. 

This change and the work to handle the BEMF algorithm confusion on multiple motors (the jerkyness) has been the holdup, since it's more engineering than was originally anticipated. 

I think this new design decision is a winner though, and would allow a much quicker time to market for new locos, or locos where the "socket" might have different wiring from "standard" (whatever that is!). 

Regards, Greg


----------



## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

That will be handy. 

They way I interpret that, it will mean it should take not only the QSI system but any ESC that is plug compatible with the AC and Bachmann sockets. 

Am I correct?


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I guess I did not explain it clearly. 

Let me start at the top down... 

There is a board that has all the smarts on it.... it has the memory, processor, lamp drivers, audio amp, etc. 

This board will plug into a number of "interface boards" This interface will be proprietary for the use by the QSI "brain" 

The "interface boards" will facilitate easy connection to your loco. 

So the Aristo "interface board" will plug into the Aristo socket. 

The USAT "interface board" will screw down in place of the stock board and will have the 4 or 5 slide switches and the connectors for the motors, lamps, smoke. 

There will be NO active components (this is the goal) on the "interface board".... thus very inexpensive and quick to manufacture, thus the ability to make them for every loco type possible. 

Of course the first 2 will be for the Aristo socket, and for the USAT locos. The layout will be very similar to the pictures I have show for the USAT prototypes, BUT there won't be all the components on the "interface board" as in the pictures I have shown. 

(the reality is that the "interface board" will provide access in a single place for connections to motor, lights, etc, and an enterprising individual might make hardware to fit this connector). 

Regards, Greg


----------



## russfox (Apr 11, 2008)

This sounds like a great solution. 
I can't wait.

Greg... keep us posted of the progress!
Thanks,
Russ


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I will, I need a lot of them, and I have volunteered to do beta testing for them so will keep MLS in the loop. 

In these tough times, it is hard to produce new things, so everything is delayed, unfortunately. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry Greg. 
I am not getting it. 

Are you saying there will be interface boards that plug into interface boards?


----------

