# PIko #36220 Sound System



## RkyGriz (Feb 14, 2019)

Well,I'm at it again. Spending money on a train...such a bad habit. I couldn't help myself. I really couldn't. I found the ultimate deal on the Piko #36220 DCC/Analog sound system on Ebay. $155.00 brand new ,and out the door. I've been playing with my Piko camelback, and I really like it. A lot. It's a good puller,(factory installed #36220)and the Piko sound is excellent. Much better than the #36221 analog version.Plus, it has the smoke unit regulator built into the board.I bought a Seuthe 5 smoke generator for $22.00 on Ebay, which compares well with the Piko smoke unit.So, since Ebay is currently running a 13% cash back deal on all purchases made through their phone app, I decided to go for it.Requires a minimum purchase amount of $25.00, and you have to use the phone app to get the 13%. You get 8% back on the website . This is going in my Piko 0-6-0 Santa Fe switcher.I kind of thought about throwing the sound system in my LGB Mogul,but I might run into issues that I may not be able to resolve.The guy at Shourtline advised me to rip out all of the electronics from my LGB Mogul,including the tender,when I talked to him about it a couple of months ago.Hence my concern over installing the sound system in that loco/tender.It's going to be a while before I receive the #36220.I'll keep you posted as to how it works out!


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## LGB333$$$$ (Oct 11, 2017)

Yes, you got a good price "out the door" and yes, it's a much better sound decoder then their Analog/DC unit. By the way, in case you didn't know, these two Piko sound decoder kits are made by Soundtraxx USA for Piko. I can sometimes get the Piko 36220 for $140 but then there's the shipping costs added.


It appears you only run DC/Analog. The 36220 runs on both Analog and Digital/DCC but you can only adjust the sound CVs using a DCC system, or if you have an LGB or Massoth PC Interface Module that's powered by DC. As I mentioned in my prior posting, I've installed many of these decoders into LGB locomotives so I've got lots of experience, if you need any advice. And, I assume you realize, you'll need to remove the existing circuit board in your locomotive and replace it with this Piko power/sound decoder. I'm retired and been into the LGB hobby over 30 years, and you can check my Website to see the upgraded LGB locomotives I'm selling, and also offer LGB repair and DC/DCC sound system installation services. 



Good luck!
Tom


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

LGB333$$$$ said:


> Yes, you got a good price "out the door" and yes, it's a much better sound decoder then their Analog/DC unit. By the way, in case you didn't know, these two Piko sound decoder kits are made by Soundtraxx USA for Piko. I can sometimes get the Piko 36220 for $140 but then there's the shipping costs added.
> 
> 
> It appears you only run DC/Analog. The 36220 runs on both Analog and Digital/DCC but you can only adjust the sound CVs using a DCC system, or if you have an LGB or Massoth PC Interface Module that's powered by DC. As I mentioned in my prior posting, I've installed many of these decoders into LGB locomotives so I've got lots of experience, if you need any advice. And, I assume you realize, you'll need to remove the existing circuit board in your locomotive and replace it with this Piko power/sound decoder. I'm retired and been into the LGB hobby over 30 years, and you can check my Website to see the upgraded LGB locomotives I'm selling, and also offer LGB repair and DC/DCC sound system installation services.
> ...


 Tom, is the chuff rate adjustable, I understand that it is not and is only varied by voltage, but what if the specific voltage only gives 1 chuff per revolution instead 2 ,3, or 4 can that be adjusted or is it fixed, Thanks Bill


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## LGB333$$$$ (Oct 11, 2017)

choochoowilly said:


> Tom, is the chuff rate adjustable, I understand that it is not and is only varied by voltage, but what if the specific voltage only gives 1 chuff per revolution instead 2 ,3, or 4 can that be adjusted or is it fixed, Thanks Bill



Hi Bill - Yes, some of the key CV adjustments using a DCC system are listed in the #36220 Owner's Installation Instructions that come with the decoder: Loco Address; Speed Steps; Whistle Version (3 available); Coal Shoveling; Speed and Chuff Rate Adjustment, including motor starting voltage, max and minpoint voltage, exhaust chuff rate. Piko of America Technical Department also has a comprehensive CV adjustments guide "Piko Steam Sound Unit Owner's Manual" that they don't readily give out unless they know you're skilled like I am in programming the CVs in digital decoders.......so Jonathan Meader sent me one. This Piko decoder is made by Soundtraxx and is similar to the Soundtraxx Tsunmani2 4400 series large scale decoders which have many more features than the Piko version......but Piko gave Soundtraxx the specifications they wanted for their Piko locomotives and Soundtraxx developed the decoder to be more limited, e.g., there's no connection on the Piko board for a engineer's cab light and when I asked Jonathan why not, he said Piko doesn't put a cab light into their locomotives. But overall, the Piko decoder is an excellent sound unit for the money and I've installed it into many LGB Forney locomotives I currently have posted for sale on my Website and eBay, or locomotives I sold over the last three years. This may be more information that you wanted, but you asked!


One last point, you can also buy the Soundtraxx Tsunami2 4400 series for large scale locomotives for about the same $155 price as the Piko unit, but you only get the digital board. But the Tsunami2 sound decoder has soooooo many CV adjustments available, such as 70 different whistle options, that it can make your head foggy. You can find sample sounds for it for steam, diesel, and electric on the Soundtraxx Website. With the Piko unit, besides the board, you get an on/off switch with cable for an optional smoke unit, a reed whistle/bell sound activation unit (like LGB 65012), and a nice 2 1/2 inch high quality speaker made by Visaton Germany.


If you go to my posting on this Beginner's forum "Expanding My Garden Railrail Project Underway" and view the my last posting there, you can see/hear a 4 minute video I made of an LGB Rail Truck that I've installed a Soundtraxx Tsunami2 "Electric Sound" decoder into..........operating on my new first loop of track that makes some very neat noises!


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## LGB333$$$$ (Oct 11, 2017)

RkyGriz said:


> Well,I'm at it again. Spending money on a train...such a bad habit. I couldn't help myself. I really couldn't. I found the ultimate deal on the Piko #36220 DCC/Analog sound system on Ebay. $155.00 brand new ,and out the door. I've been playing with my Piko camelback, and I really like it. A lot. It's a good puller,(factory installed #36220)and the Piko sound is excellent. Much better than the #36221 analog version.Plus, it has the smoke unit regulator built into the board.I bought a Seuthe 5 smoke generator for $22.00 on Ebay, which compares well with the Piko smoke unit.So, since Ebay is currently running a 13% cash back deal on all purchases made through their phone app, I decided to go for it.Requires a minimum purchase amount of $25.00, and you have to use the phone app to get the 13%. You get 8% back on the website . This is going in my Piko 0-6-0 Santa Fe switcher.I kind of thought about throwing the sound system in my LGB Mogul,but I might run into issues that I may not be able to resolve.The guy at Shourtline advised me to rip out all of the electronics from my LGB Mogul,including the tender,when I talked to him about it a couple of months ago.Hence my concern over installing the sound system in that loco/tender.It's going to be a while before I receive the #36220.I'll keep you posted as to how it works out!



Your LGB Mogul needs to have a four pin motor block to be able to install a DC/DCC power or power/sound digital decoder. Many of the older LGB Moguls only have a three pin motor block which you don't want to try to convert.......I've done it but it's a real tedious and pain in the ass. I charge an extra $50 for converting a three pin motor block to be able to install a decoder.......you have to completely dissasemble the motor block and modify the plastic housing inside to create a four pin unit. You'll need to find out which motor block your Mogul has by reading the owner's manual and/or the related LGB Parts Diagram for the model which can be found on OnlyTrains.com or TrainLi.com.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

LGB333$$$$ said:


> Hi Bill - Yes, some of the key CV adjustments using a DCC system are listed in the #36220 Owner's Installation Instructions that come with the decoder: Loco Address; Speed Steps; Whistle Version (3 available); Coal Shoveling; Speed and Chuff Rate Adjustment, including motor starting voltage, max and minpoint voltage, exhaust chuff rate. Piko of America Technical Department also has a comprehensive CV adjustments guide "Piko Steam Sound Unit Owner's Manual" that they don't readily give out unless they know you're skilled like I am in programming the CVs in digital decoders.......so Jonathan Meader sent me one. This Piko decoder is made by Soundtraxx and is similar to the Soundtraxx Tsunmani2 4400 series large scale decoders which have many more features than the Piko version......but Piko gave Soundtraxx the specifications they wanted for their Piko locomotives and Soundtraxx developed the decoder to be more limited, e.g., there's no connection on the Piko board for a engineer's cab light and when I asked Jonathan why not, he said Piko doesn't put a cab light into their locomotives. But overall, the Piko decoder is an excellent sound unit for the money and I've installed it into many LGB Forney locomotives I currently have posted for sale on my Website and eBay, or locomotives I sold over the last three years. This may be more information that you wanted, but you asked!
> 
> 
> One last point, you can also buy the Soundtraxx Tsunami2 4400 series for large scale locomotives for about the same $155 price as the Piko unit, but you only get the digital board. But the Tsunami2 sound decoder has soooooo many CV adjustments available, such as 70 different whistle options, that it can make your head foggy. You can find sample sounds for it for steam, diesel, and electric on the Soundtraxx Website. With the Piko unit, besides the board, you get an on/off switch with cable for an optional smoke unit, a reed whistle/bell sound activation unit (like LGB 65012), and a nice 2 1/2 inch high quality speaker made by Visaton Germany.
> ...


Tom, Thanks for the information, fairly new into this and still gathering information, I'm building a Mason Bogie using a LGB spreewald drive and probably going to make it battery powered so right at this point just trying to figure out what to do, so far I think I like the gscale graphics control system but not fond of their steam sound particularly their whistle


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## RkyGriz (Feb 14, 2019)

Thanks for the great advise and info, Tom! I'm just going to stick the #36220 in my little Piko 0-6-0 switcher ,and leave it at that for now. The LGB is going to eventually get a Phoenix Sound PB17 system installed in it. I'm considering sending the unit to the people al Reindeerpass and paying them to install it for me.That way, I know that it will be done right ,and I will not have to worry about doing a bad install on it, and possibly damaging a $240.00 card. I build my own gaming computers, but train sound cards are a different animal to me. Fortunately, Piko has a really good installation video posted on youtube for this, and it looks like an easy install as Jonathan does a very good job at explaining how it's done.


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## LGB333$$$$ (Oct 11, 2017)

RkyGriz said:


> Thanks for the great advise and info, Tom! I'm just going to stick the #36220 in my little Piko 0-6-0 switcher ,and leave it at that for now. The LGB is going to eventually get a Phoenix Sound PB17 system installed in it. I'm considering sending the unit to the people al Reindeerpass and paying them to install it for me.That way, I know that it will be done right ,and I will not have to worry about doing a bad install on it, and possibly damaging a $240.00 card. I build my own gaming computers, but train sound cards are a different animal to me. Fortunately, Piko has a really good installation video posted on youtube for this, and it looks like an easy install as Jonathan does a very good job at explaining how it's done.


You're right, installing a DC/DCC sound system into a locomotive is not just proforma.......using an experienced installers with a consistent track record like myself or a few other USA places is the best option. Check out my Website listed below for good information about the upgraded LGB locomotives I sell and my repair and installation services. But I specialize in LGB locomotives, going on 30 years now, not the Piko large scale line. But if you have any further questions about the Piko (Soundtraxx) decoder you bought, let me know, since as I've mentioned, I've installed many of them into LGB locomotives and adjusted the sound CVs using my Massoth DCC system. I also specialize in installing the Phoenix PB17 into DC or DCC LGB locomotives, normally the tender.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

The Piko DCC sound is of much higher quality than the analog sound. I have installed both.


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## RkyGriz (Feb 14, 2019)

Hi,Mike! Absolutely. The Piko #36220 is far superior to their #36221. I didn't realize how tinny it sounded until I watched the entire install video for the unit. The camelback arrived before I received the #36221 analog and let me tell you, it isn't bad at all.After running the camelback,and finally having a chance to actually hear the sounds it makes live, I knew that the #36221 was not what I was wanting,especially since it sounds tinny by comparison and is mounted inside the locomotive,not the tender. So, I returned it to the seller,who was happy to refund my money. I then ordered the #36220 from them to make up for returning the #36221! I'm definitely looking forward to receiving the #36220 as my Santa Fe 0-6-0 locomotive is currently in pieces awaiting the new sound unit.
On another note, I will more than likely decide to buy the Phoenix PB17 from your store. I am currently planning on sending my LGB mogul to you to do the installation on it. You website says that the installation runs $50.00 extra in addition to the cost of the card. Is that a price that I can rely on to be current for a while? I don't currently have the cash for this project. So it will be a while. Private message me with the details, if you wouldn't mind.

Thank you!


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