The Super-Chuffer Revisited aka the Super-Chuffer II

Applause please~

Well done John. Glad to see you didn't stop improving an already great thing.

Now, is it the same price as the old version? jk

It will be the same price when it's in production.  So far I have exactly one, and you see it.  I will hand build a couple more and do some real testing in actual installations, but I don't expect any issues.  Most of the design has stayed the same, but I did use some improved parts and small circuit changes.   I'll also want to sell the current stock of the existing design before these will be shipping, I wouldn't want to eat all of those boards.

Ok now that's it! I am taking my daughters polar Express to Hennings for Railsounds install with the supa chuffa II! That will make a nice Christmas display this year..  along with the ylb and the other Electronic Gizmo( outside rail activator) for the Christmas layout!

Nice work John 

its going to be nice that's it's smaller than the original one. 

Alex 

John,

Thanks for working on the improvements!  I like the smaller size and switching the fan power off if there is no heater element load.  I've got a couple of ERR sound commander installs planned and was going to use the optocoupler on the Super Chuffer (in my opinion, its simpler than gluing on the magnets and switch even though you've got another two wires in the tender tether).  Any chance we could convince you to educate us on how to do an optocoupler for use in this application?

Thanks!

Looking forward to installing this in my second Kline Berkshire as the first one had issues with the lighting as you mentioned 

Don't get too excited yet, I just have one prototype.   It'll be months before I clear out the backlog of existing boards and produce this new one.  I wanted to get the design ready and tested so it can be done in the next production run. 

It will be nice to be able to squeeze this into some smaller spaces, that was my original drive.  I have had several installations recently where it was difficult to find room for the S-C.  As small as it already is, it seems there's always room for improvement.

Two thumbs up!!! Have installed the Super Chuffer into my older EM-1, along with Chuff Generator, ERR's -CCM, and modified the smoke unit ; 20 ohm resistor, 1/4 inch hole on top of the smoke unit board, hollowed out some diecast in the impellar chamber to the smoke chamber and let me tell you, I had Ben Fiorello asking if the engine was an MTH unit when he saw it at Greenberg's Train & Toy Show in Edison, N.J.  Well worth the time, money, & effort in my opinion.  Three cheers for the Gunrunner. Smoke, Smoke, Smoke!!!

Steam Forever

     John

Thanks guys.   I hope it lives up to the great expectations.

Looks very interesting John. This really pours the smoke out compared to regular smoke units, right? I still got to get with Alex, do that in a week or two.

Dave, the Super-Chuffer is the electronic control for the smoke chuffing and smoke at idle, as well as the lighting features it offers.  Getting more smoke takes some tuning of the smoke unit.  Normally, when I do an install, I do a tuneup of the smoke unit for maximum smoke with the Super-Chuffer installation.

John, great work.  Job well done.

Thanks Marty.

 No worries John. I have so many projects to do now before I get to that Berkshire. I can wait a long time for that new board 

nice

GUNRUNNERJOHN,

I need the smaller footprint.

Will you be offering these soon?

It'll probably be available sometime around the summer, as I had stated, I still have a bunch of the current design in stock that I need to sell before offering these.  I also ran into an issue with my board assembly house, the US based one closed.  I've gotten several jobs through some Chinese assembly houses with good results so far, so I may have cracked that code.

GUNRUNNERJOHN,

What locomotives will work with the Super-Chuffer? Can it work with conventional locomotives or must is be command control?..thanks

Brian

It's possible to use this on a conventional locomotive, it takes an additional filter cap added to allow the power to drop lower and still maintain voltage to the board.  I was very successful with a 2200uf 35V capacitor added in parallel to the filter caps on the board.  The S-C was really designed for command operation, but was just because it was easier to provide power with smaller components when I could count on having steady track power.