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[AndyR]

Does anyone have any information bout this unit?
It is from an old Mount Fleet Ben Ain that I have been given and needs a rebuild.


I don't know what the terminals are for, which is power? which is speaker@ etc.


It seems the manufacturer no longer exists.

[DocMartin]

Do you have a better picture of the full circuit board???  It may help answer some of your questions.

[AndyR]

The orange connector on the right is power, it's marked with a + and -
The black one has diodes connected in opposite polarity on it, I think they may be for the 'pulse breaker' that goes to the motor.


That would leave the white ones as speaker.

[AndyR]

Apparently Componentshop.co.uk took over the products.


I will email and see if they have any circuit diagram or instructions.

[DocMartin]

With the information you've provided, I'm guessing the set-up and control of your module could be related to this:

https://www.componentshop.co.uk/p56-steam-engine-sound-simulator.html.html

Check out the PDF file, as the controls and connections you describe are similar. 

Hope this helps!

[AndyR]

Yes, I was just looking at that, it's got fewer components than the one I have and the two pots for volume and state are in different locations, but it looks like it could be a development of the original Tomahawk.


This one has a bunch of 'potted' components under a metal cover that seems to be acting as a heat sink for a hefty transistor, that screw you can see is holding the transistor against the cover I wonder if it's got a built in amp.

[Mrs Stav]

not at all anything to do with ACTion electronics Dave Milbourn devised his own systems as he was ACTion.
Stan Reffin can you help at all




Mrs Stav

[Stan]

Sadly not.

[HMS Invisible]

Does anyone have any information bout this unit?
It is from an old Mount Fleet Ben Ain that I have been given and needs a rebuild.


I don't know what the terminals are for, which is power? which is speaker@ etc.


It seems the manufacturer no longer exists.

What about these photos DocMartin asked for? They'll reveal if its an audio amp or a timer circuit regardless of whether chip numbers are scratched off.
Its more likely to be some sort of smoke unit controller. Tomahawk search turns up smoke unit, Ben Ain has a lum, and a smoke unit would also have a motor connection by diode bridge.
 

[AndyR]

Haven't had chance to take any yet, I will do them this evening.

[AndyR]

I suppose 'Steam Chuffer' could apply to a smoke unit or a sound unit.

[DocMartin]

Earlier comments deleted as upon closer review, the circuit board clearly has printed "TRAIN CHUFFER" at the edge. 
+1 comments previously left by HMS Invisible

[AndyR]

Further on a motor connector via diode bridge, there's what looks like a diode bridge by the black connectors, four diodes.

[HMS Invisible]

I didn't notice the words "train chuffer" before. That's surely a sound unit. There would be no harm in connecting a high impedance speaker or headphones, say 64 ohm, or lower with a series resistor.

Maybe a search on web.archive.org shows something.

[DocMartin]

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. 

Following HMS Invisible's suggestion, I searched web.archive.org and found a few archived pages.

Attached is a product list and available wav. files for the associated sound cards.  Interestingly, TP offered both a smoke generator and a steam sound generator.

[AndyR]

Good find.
Unfortunately there's no part number on the unit 

[DocMartin]

Perhaps the "motor" output is really the connection point for the associated (add-on) smoke generator.

[AndyR]

There's a small black box with it labelled 'Pulse Breaker'
I just noticed that in small lettering next to a pair of captive wires it says "Connect to sound generator"
At the other end is a pair of terminals with "connect to motor)track" and separately "Polarity not important"
"

[AndyR]

A new development.
In among all the bits that came with the Ben Ain kit is a scrap of paper I ignored up to now.


It has written on it


"Two medium wires to sound unit (9 volts)"


I guess that answers the question about what it is.


I also noticed that the two white terminals are screwed down tight shut whereas the two black and the orange marked with + and - are unscrewed.


As there isn't a speaker anywhere in the boat or the bits I am guessing they were never unscrewed to fit any wires.


That, I think answers all my questions about what goes where and what exactly the thing is.


Thanks to those that responded.