Are there any inexpensive alternatives to the Lionel 6-5906 sound activation button?? It appears that $30 is the going price for these things.
You could try to build your own:
http://www.slsprr.net/features/SoundBlkProtect.htm
But the cost of parts and labor might come close to just buying one.
Regards,
CJ Meyers
Member TCA
I have built two of these, one for bell and one for whistle. You can use Radio Shack parts to make it. Diodes are 276-1661 and the switch, must be NC type, 275-1548. I did not make the protection part, so these are the only parts needed. You can use 4 diodes in series insted of the 6 called for, on modern trains. So the cost was about $3.50 for each. Not bad, I did not need a box, just put them under my control panel. No circuit board is needed. Just solder the diodes together and put the switch across the single diode and you are done.
That’s great info … Will it work on a Williams Truebalst??? My Lionel button died. I’ve never done anything like this. I located the parts on RS website … are the diodes soldered end to end?? Would you have a scketch or photo??
Check out this recent topic:
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/185196/2027932.aspx#2027932
CTT Oct 06 has a article titled build a better bell button by Dennis Elchenberg.
Here is another drawing
They are $13.00 here http://www.mttponline.com/#!
Bill
Well, I finally got around to putting together a “homemade” sound activation assembly per steinie’s instructions. In theory it should work but it doesn’t!! Using the specified parts from Radio Shack I assembled according to instructions however I did not use the pushbutton but touched the two wires together instead (should work as well). I tried both the bell and horn function wiring and all I got was brighter lights in the engine cab. I used 5 rectifiers per steinie … any thoughts on what’s happening???
How about a wiring diagram for what you have? I built one of these, worked fine. I used this circuit, and I also added an additional switch across all but one of the diodes on the other side. This makes it a universal horn/bell switch, it’ll do either.
Here is a link to the original topic: http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/185196/2030793.aspx#2030793
Here’s a picture of mine with the two buttons.
I couldn’t access those links … I used the diagram from stienie’s facebook link in this discussion however I only used 5 rectifiers not 7 … could that be the problem?? I’ll try to post a picture over the weekend.
I used 5 diodes for each leg, and my push buttons short out four of them. Works fine for both PW and modern whistles and bells.
Got it working this morning!!!
What was the problem when it didn’t work?
As a follow up to “problem solved” … When I tested the horn and bell function the train was in neutral and both worked. Tonight I tried it while running and nothing but dimming lights. Bothe engines in question are Williams with True Blast II. Put a 1990s era Lionel with horn only and it worked OK. Did not try my PW steam yet. Any idea on what’s happening?? BTW I ran the Williams fast with plenty of power.
Do williams horn units operate differently than Lionel’s??
I tested all engines with the following results:
Williams w/ true blast II - horn and bell both work in neutral but not when moving
Lionel RS3 90s era w/ horn - horn works fine both in neutral and while moving
PW 2055 - whistle does not work at all either in neutral or while moving … the buzz of the e unit changes sound but that’s it. What’s happening here?? Any thoughts.