30
RailKing Dash-8 Operating Manual
TROUBLE SHOOTING
PROTOSOUND
®
PROBLEMS
Although ProtoSound® has been designed and engineered for ease of use,
some questions may arise during initial operation. The following table
should answer most questions. If you find that your problem can’t be
resolved with this manual, contact MTH ProtoSound® Electronics (9693-A
Gerwig Lane, Columbia, MD 21046, 410-381-2580) for additional
assistance.
HORN PROBLEMS
REMEDY
The horn seems distorted at low voltages.
Your battery may be undercharged or dead. Try
recharging the battery as explained in the battery
sections.
When I press the whistle button, the bell comes on
instead.
You are trying to operate the horn in neutral. The horn
will only operate in Forward or Reverse unless you
program ProtoSounds through Feature 25. See the
instructions in the section entitled “Using RESET to
Program ProtoSounds”.
I can’t get the horn to blow when I press the whistle
button.
You may be pressing the whistle button too quickly.
Most older AC transformers contain a two--step whistle
button that releases a DC signal onto the track. It is
this DC signal that tells the horn to blow. However,
because the signal is weaker when the whistle button
is depressed fully, the ProtoSound circuit may not
recognize the signal. Try pressing the whistle button
slower, taking approximately 1 second to fully depress
the button.
BELL PROBLEMS
REMEDY
When I press the whistle button to activate the bell, the
horn sounds.
You are trying to ring the bell in Forward or Reverse.
The bell only operates in Neutral unless you have
programmed ProtoSounds to recognize a separate bell
button.
When I press the whistle button to activate the bell, I
arm the coupler.
Reduce the voltage on the transformer before pressing
the whistle button to activate the bell. The bell will only
come on at 8 volts or less.
When I press the whistle button to activate the bell, the
bell only rings once.
You are trying to ring the bell in RESET instead of
neutral. Interrupt the power twice to enter Neutral, set
the voltage at 8 volts or less and press the whistle
button to activate the bell.
I can’t get the bell to ring when I press the whistle
button.
You may be pressing the whistle button too quickly.
See the 3rd remedy in the horn section above.
The bell won’t work with a separate bell button.
ProtoSounds must be programmed in order for a
separate bell button to function. Enter RESET function
number 20 (see the section entitled “Using RESET to
Program ProtoSounds”) and press the whistle button
until the bell sounds two dings. Simply turn the throttle
off and then on again to lock in the new setting.
