SteveB
Western Thunderer
This all came about as a result of operating my Safety Valve Steam generators. My initial set up required me to switch the heaters on, then wait around 5 seconds and then switch the fan on. The fan being synchronised with the sound of the Safety Valves lifting. This isn’t too bad but then I had to remember to turn both off. It’s easy to get distracted and turn the fan off but leave the heaters on.
What I’m able to do now is just to use one function key which sets everything going and 5 seconds after pressing the button the Safety Valves operate and the sound starts. Turning them off is just turning this function off.
The key is really with the sound file because this has to have a delay set in at the beginning of the sound clip. I contacted John and Samantha Gymer at YouChoos and they couldn’t have been more helpful. I explained what I was after and two days later, a decoder was delivered to me with a special sound file for the Safety Valves which had 5 seconds of silence before the sound started. There was no extra charge for this service.
Although I only have experience using Zimo decoders, they do appear to be a very flexible in terms of how they’re set up. What they don’t have however is any form delay function.
There is a way to get around this though using a miniature non-latching relay. I found a suitable one from RS Components, which measured just 6 x 6 x 10.
There is a function within the Zimo decoder called ‘uncoupler control’, this is primarily used for automatic un-coupling. The output function is configured to value 48 (uncoupler) and CV115 is set to 90 which gives 5 seconds of power. I set my chosen function output to 48 and wire this to the coil of the relay. I then wire another function output to the ‘normally closed’ terminal on the relay. The ‘common terminal’ is wired to the fan. The ‘normally open’ remains vacant.
So, this is what happens. I press my chosen key on my control which switches on the heater relay, the new safety valve relay, the power to the fan and sets the sound file going. As the Safety Valve relay is energised it switches to the ‘normally open’ terminal which is not connected to anything. The power to this relay lasts for 5 seconds. When it switches off, it goes back to the ‘normally closed’ terminal which is now energised and connected to the fan. The fan starts turning, which coincides with the Safety Valve sound starting. Therefore it actually takes three separate function outputs for me to operate a single Safety Valve effect.
Regards
Steve
What I’m able to do now is just to use one function key which sets everything going and 5 seconds after pressing the button the Safety Valves operate and the sound starts. Turning them off is just turning this function off.
The key is really with the sound file because this has to have a delay set in at the beginning of the sound clip. I contacted John and Samantha Gymer at YouChoos and they couldn’t have been more helpful. I explained what I was after and two days later, a decoder was delivered to me with a special sound file for the Safety Valves which had 5 seconds of silence before the sound started. There was no extra charge for this service.
Although I only have experience using Zimo decoders, they do appear to be a very flexible in terms of how they’re set up. What they don’t have however is any form delay function.
There is a way to get around this though using a miniature non-latching relay. I found a suitable one from RS Components, which measured just 6 x 6 x 10.
There is a function within the Zimo decoder called ‘uncoupler control’, this is primarily used for automatic un-coupling. The output function is configured to value 48 (uncoupler) and CV115 is set to 90 which gives 5 seconds of power. I set my chosen function output to 48 and wire this to the coil of the relay. I then wire another function output to the ‘normally closed’ terminal on the relay. The ‘common terminal’ is wired to the fan. The ‘normally open’ remains vacant.
So, this is what happens. I press my chosen key on my control which switches on the heater relay, the new safety valve relay, the power to the fan and sets the sound file going. As the Safety Valve relay is energised it switches to the ‘normally open’ terminal which is not connected to anything. The power to this relay lasts for 5 seconds. When it switches off, it goes back to the ‘normally closed’ terminal which is now energised and connected to the fan. The fan starts turning, which coincides with the Safety Valve sound starting. Therefore it actually takes three separate function outputs for me to operate a single Safety Valve effect.
Regards
Steve
