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@Lou1985 posted:

I have several PS2 3V boards that are 10-15 years old and operate fine. I did replace the batteries with super caps. The PS2 3V boards are pretty robust unless you direct short them or don't have adequate circuit protection. They don't have the spontaneously failing components like PS2 5V boards suffer from. 

When you talk about the  "direct short " does that just mean like a pinched wire while reassembling of course ,or is it possible to have a pilot truck jump a switch , for instance ,and cause a direct short ? 😨

When you talk about the  "direct short " does that just mean like a pinched wire while reassembling of course ,or is it possible to have a pilot truck jump a switch , for instance ,and cause a direct short ? 😨

Yup. Direct short would be pinching a wire and shorting it directly to ground (I.E. the frame). Pilot truck jumping a switch is a track short, which shouldn't cause damage if your transformer has adequate circuit protection.  

Direct shorts are bad because there is no fuse or breaker between the shorted wire and the component it's connected to on the board. That kind of short may not be enough to trip a transformer breaker/fuse but it can damage a board.  

Last edited by Lou1985

Have you had it long Bob ?

Any particular issues ?     It's been quite some time since I purchased a proto 2 .     I did put BCRs in them and haven't had any problems.      Have you tried the BCRs ? 🤔

The PRR 2-8-8-2 was one of the first PS2 locos I bought (NOS) in 2011.  I replaced the batteries in 2015 with Radio Shack 2301144.  Not sure if they are still available, but I’m sure there are plenty of others that will do the job. I didn’t use a BCR at the time because I didn’t want to solder in a plug for the BCR.  Not sure if you can plug a BCR (or one of John’s SBRs) directly into the board.  This engine has been very reliable for me.  The last time I lubed it in 2018 it had 230 hours and 2130 trouble free miles.

The J and W BCR2s have a female plug.  The MTH 2.4 V rechargeable battery also has a female plug.  So, you can just unplug the battery from the wiring harness and plug in the BCR2.

John’s SBR has a male plug and as noted above it plugs directly into the board.  I just installed a few SBRs but didn’t feel like untangling wires or pulling the plug from the board so I replaced the male plugs with female plugs from an old MTH batteries.

Since the 2-8-8-2 has the AA cells, the SBR is the way to go.  That’s what I will most likely use the next time I replace batteries in it.

Last edited by Lehigh74
@Lehigh74 posted:

The J and W BCR2s have a female plug.  The MTH 2.4 V rechargeable battery also has a female plug.  So, you can just unplug the battery from the wiring harness and plug in the BCR2.

John’s SBR has a male plug and as noted above it plugs directly into the board.  I just installed a few SBRs but didn’t feel like untangling wires or pulling the plug from the board so I replaced the male plugs with female plugs from an old MTH batteries.

Since the 2-8-8-2 has the AA cells, the SBR is the way to go.  That’s what I will most likely use the next time I replace batteries in it.

You don't really have to untangle much, just unplug the 2-pin connector and plug this one in.  You can leave the battery harness in place, it doesn't weigh much.

@Lehigh74 posted:

The J and W BCR2s have a female plug.  The MTH 2.4 V rechargeable battery also has a female plug.  So, you can just unplug the battery from the wiring harness and plug in the BCR2.

John’s SBR has a male plug and as noted above it plugs directly into the board.  I just installed a few SBRs but didn’t feel like untangling wires or pulling the plug from the board so I replaced the male plugs with female plugs from an old MTH batteries.

Since the 2-8-8-2 has the AA cells, the SBR is the way to go.  That’s what I will most likely use the next time I replace batteries in it.

OK  John , where do I get an SBR ? 

I didn't see them on Hennings. 😢

Are you up and running gunrunners? 😴😎

If the MTH site is to be believed, it's the 3V boards, must be one of the first models.  Square charging port and two AA cells in the battery.

2-8-8-2 USRA Steam Engine w/Proto-Sound 2.0

 

Have received the Mallet .  Exactly the way you showed the battery situation for the 3v board.  Looks like MTH had their stuff on the right page !

The batteries are AA Nicads /700 mAh .   Before I PERMANENTLY  INSTALL  THE  BSR , is it OK to drop in a couple fully charged Energizer AA NiMH / 2000 mAh for testing purpose only ?

On this older model Mallet I have only opened the tender and I did find that rough metal flake look on the speaker that has been discussed before . Only one little speck of shiney stuff on the chassis floor.  I have coated the speaker housing several times with ( Super Thin ) Super Glue.         (( on the exhaust of an older vehicle I had porous leaking at the muffler and I coated the area, with that product and the rust ..............a year and a half later the muffler gave out........the area with the Super Thin coating came off in the shape of the original repair !!! 😨 )      Sooooo, I figured it would keep the shiny stuff on the speaker housing at bay for awhile.

The Mallet from Trainz on the Bay was no where near cosmetically challenged as I thought it would be.  Great price and overall looks like new.   

I will probably have questions on it for you later John 🤔

Thanks.

 

No problem with the other batteries, they won't have any issue.

Regarding the flaking on some older speakers, you MUST replace those!  The flaking can also happen internally where any treatment you apply won't matter.  If those metal flakes short the coil of the speaker to the frame, it's typically "lights out" for the audio amp at a minimum, and the damage can be more extensive.

So the either of these two speakers should be OK John    ? 

 The only physical difference I see is that the 5ASO4 - 1 has a  visually smaller magnet housing than my other spares.

 

GRJ ,

probably not going to work, I'm guessing..........Only speakers  I have are  VECO  50ASO4  / 4 ohm / 4W     and  1 of the VECO 5ASO4-1  ???

Can't find out what speaker is in this thing.

 

 

 

 

The 30-1305  3 volt has incadescencts for the tender backup light , the Firefox and headlight.   Later I'll have to get back to you John for LED installations maybe with markers also.

What is the best bulb type for this replacement now  ?

The VECO  4 ohm speaker install worked well and sounds good.  The proto 2 steam sound is pretty nice .    The OEM diameter was less than the VECO but I was able to use the original retainer by turning it upside down and using a little Dremel work. 

The 3 voltsystem didn't have any problem with those Eveready rechargables .

Can't wait to do the BSR install.  Judging from the photos of the BSR , and looking at the charging port in the tender ,it doesn't look like any issue plugging the male connector into the port on the board.  🙄

 

 

 

The 30-1305  3 volt has incadescencts for the tender backup light , the Firefox and headlight.   Later I'll have to get back to you John for LED installations maybe with markers also.

What is the best bulb type for this replacement now  ?

All PS/2 incandescent bulbs are 6V 60ma rated.  I use a 220 Ohm resistor and a warm white LED for replacements.  Typically, I use flangeless LEDs, they are the same size as the incandescent bulbs, see below for example.

Can't wait to do the BSR install.  Judging from the photos of the BSR , and looking at the charging port in the tender ,it doesn't look like any issue plugging the male connector into the port on the board.  🙄

 

Just pull the 2-pin connector off the top board, plug the supercap replacement into the socket, job done.

 

 

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  • mceclip0

Reading this thread made me decide to dust off my 30-1320-1 PRR 2-8-8-2, take a peek at the speaker and run it.  The speaker is starting to show signs of flaking around the bottom edge of the magnet so it looks like I’ll have to put off running the loco till I replace it.  While I’m at it, I’ll also put in an SBR.

IMG_5391

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  • IMG_5391

Looking for a speaker for the PS2 3V USRA 2-8-8-2.  It looks like MTH does not have the BF-0000034 in stock (there is a link for “Add to Wish List”, but none for “Add to Cart”).  I don’t recall the loco having a particularly bad (or good) sound, but I wouldn’t mind making an improvement.

I’ve never messed with speakers in model trains, but after a brief search, I came up the following list of possible replacements.  I’m leaning towards the first two (recommended by Norton) or the third (recommended by Engineer Joe).

Does anyone have experience with any of these and can either recommend them or tell me to run away from them?  Anyone have other recommendations?

https://www.xump.com/Science/M...aker-2inch-4Ohms.cfm

https://www.parts-express.com/...mium-driver--264-839

https://www.madisoundspeakerst...=product&id=1018

http://www.asapwire.com/Produc...Code=SP50-4FC-01-010

https://www.allelectronics.com...ustic-speaker/1.html

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