First sound conversion.

I have wanted to try sound for a long while so yesterday I bit the bullet and fitted a South West Digital U drive to my Bachmann City (easy conversion for a first go) and spent the day setting up the motor control and chuff rate. This was all made very easy by SWD's downloads from their web site which means you don't have to wade through ESU's very extensive manual. I took my time so that I understood the process for next time as there definitely will be a next time. I'm totally hooked, sound brings a whole new experience to model railways and makes driving them so different if you use the sound effects to try and recreate what actually occurs for real. If anyone has doubts about sound I would say try it and be amazed. (or not as the case may be)

Colin

I'd have to agree with you Colin - wholeheartedly.  I'm completely sold on it.

I suggest you try one of Paul Chetter's projects - available from Digitrains (or, if he's not snowed under with work, from the man himself …….)  They really are something else. thumbs:thumbs

No connection - just a very, very happy customer. ;-)

All my locos are sound locos and are from Paul Chetter, Class 37s and the new Class 08 sound project, Zimo decoders take some beating in my opinion but I think as with all sound decoders a balance has to be struck with the sound volume.


Michael

Hi Colin,

Welcome to the yachting club*. Where's the sound coming out of? I have a City of Truro (now Chester) with a large weight for the coal, I ended up binning it and putting some real coal and holes instead so that sound came out up rather than down. I used an ESU Loksound with Howes sound files (from the real thing, not synthesized).  Not completely happy with the setup as chuffs and whistles coming out of the tender don't sound quite right. Another roundtoit project (2 speakers and a cross-over is the plan).

Nigel

*Definition of a yacht: Hole in the water into which you pour money.

Hi Nigel, I used a 40mm X 20mm oblong speaker but I took it out of its baffle box to fit it into the tender leaving the coal load in place. I mounted it cone down using the two mounting pillars at the rear of the tender but I sealed around all four edges using bluetac as I had removed the baffle. There are three holes in the bottom of the tender chassis but I didn't know if they would be big enough to let the sound out so I tried it and I am delighted with the result. The sound doesn't seem to be coming from the tender when I'm running it, maybe that's because it's being bounced off the track first.

Colin

Hi Colin,

Good point, there may be some sound diffusion by going down. I used the down and out approach on my 56xx, sounds good but then that's a tank engine (and space is limited).

Try silicone sealant (transparent, marine-quality) rather than Bluetac. Gives a positive seal and lasts for at least 5 years. Peel off if required. Bluetac (in my experience) dries out and loses adhesion after about a year.

Nigel