Sound System Disbelief!!!!!!!!

[Curmudgeon]

Tom, I thought I'd covered those internet tracks when I hacked your e-mail......

OTOH, there are outfits out there that consider cost alone to be the deciding factor in sound.
Look at what one manufacturer used, and the failure rates.
There is an issue in smaller scales where APPARENTLY cost was the only concern, and "greeting card technology" was used, with a failure rate exceeded only by customer dissatisfaction.

To have something that triggers the way you want it to, is loud and clear enough, draws as little power as possible, and is of a size that will fit your application, these things are more difficult, and difficulty means money.

TOC

[TonyWalsham]

To the best of my knowledge the two most popular sound systems for LS are both made in the USA. As is another that is not as sophisticated but less expensive.
I am surprised you get them as cheaply as you do considering the small size of the market and the high cost of manufacturing in the USA.
The same high costs apply here in Australia too.
Notwithstanding the high cost of making electronics in Australia compared to, say China, I can still sell my RCS R/C competitively priced compared with the low cost mass made Chinese stuff.
I only survive in this business because I do it better than my Chinese made competition and the word spreads without mass, big budget advertising.

[Curmudgeon]

or giving it away with other stuff that won't sell......

[Anonymous]

I finally got my two DSX decoders. Installed the Shay sound decoder in my Heisler. It's not the loudest, but for the money, it's just fine with me.
I don't like the sound real loud, anyway. From 30-40' away, I can just hear it. Up close, it's plenty loud. The sound level is just about perfect. It's the same as I have set on my other sound equipped locos.
The installation was a snap. Two wires to the track picups, two wires to the speaker, and one to the chuff contacts. Just be sure and use the supplied capacitor and resistor.
Soundtraxx reccommends that you program the decoder seperately and to a different address than the motor decoder. I'm using a Digitrax DG583S. I programmed the sound decoder as the same address before I read all the destructions. It worked with no problem.
One thing I did find. The volume level of the decoder is turned down to about half volume when I got it. Using a LocoBufferII and the JMRI decoder programming software made it easy to reprogram. If you are running DCC I definetly reccommend getting the LocoBuffer and using your PC to program your decoders. It's sooooo....much easier! Just move the slider with your mouse and click!

I didn't install the speaker in the place provided on the Hiesler. A 2" speaker will not fit in it. I already had a 2" speaker, so I glued it to the white cover from a roll of teflon pipe tape, and covered the back with a disk of styrene. I painted it black and slid it into the back window of the cab. I stuck it to the cab back wall with some double sided tape. You have to look fo it to see it.
The whistle is just a tad anemic, but everything else works fine. I will not be adding an extra amplifier, although I did add a 1/8" plug on the back of the coal tender and wired it parrallel to the speaker. I can add speakers and an amplifier later by putting it into a boxcar behind the loco. I tried my amplified computer speakers plugged into the hack and just about broke my eardrums before I could get it turned down. [:D] the computer speakers laid end to end will just fit in an old time cattle car if I decide I want it louder.

One other note. The chuff mechanizm in the Heisler sucks. I ended up turning on the auto chuff. With a little bit of diddling with chuff rate it seems to match quite closely.
Am I happy with it, and would I recommend it? You bet' cha. You want sound relatively cheap and easy? The DSX 's are it. Will I buy anymore? ..Just ordered four more!

[Tom The Brat]

Morning, Ian.

(It says you're reading this topic at the same time I am[:D])

[Anonymous]

The cost of a sound system and the cost of a locomotive have nothing to do with each other. Two very different sets of manufacturing techniques altogether, and as the saying goes you only get what you pay for. Pay peanuts and you will get monkeys.

I have heard sound systems in some cheaper brand locos and it is hardly worth listening too, very soft and not realistic..

I have also heard a Phoenix sound system, pretty expensive (even more than LGB) but it was terrific and very versatile as well. Unfortunately as Doreen is an accountant we cannot justify the extra cost at this stage.

Just now I have put an LGB electric sound in my ICE train and what a difference it makes. Incidentall y we drilled out the base of the vehicle making a grate kind of, and it increased the volume three fold!

Hey Torby will you do me a favour and just once make an entry in plain engli***hat makes sense and is germain to the subject. It is similar stuff to what you are going on with that are turning good people away from this forum and they are my friends.


Thanks ian

We had a laugh when we were at Troy's place we put it in and old steam loco and we had it running around the track sounding like a modern day electric train.


Rgds ian