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selecting speakers compatible with a sound decoder

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  • Member since
    July 2018
  • 661 posts
selecting speakers compatible with a sound decoder
Posted by IDRick on Saturday, April 4, 2020 4:25 PM

I'm considering adding a sound decoder to a LL P2K GP30.  The first decoder on my list is the TSU-2200 with EMD sounds.  The amplifier has 2 W output with 8 ohm load.  As I understand it, the goal is to match the total Watt and ohms of the circuit.  Steam Back Shop mentioned this nifty excel program to speakers:

http://www.duncanamps.com/technical/impedance.html

If I purchase two speakers (each 1 W and 16 ohms) and wire in series, the resulting circuit will have 2 Watts and 32 ohms.  If I wire the same two speakers in parallel, the resulting circuit will have 2 watts and 8 ohms.  Wiring in parallel matches the output of the amplifier.

I'm not able to find 1 watt 16 ohm speakers or 1 watt 4 ohm cube speakers.  Any suggestions on how to proceed or where to find appropriate sugar cube speakers?  Or suggestions for a different decoder?

Another possibility is the TSC WOW101-Diesel decoder with 1 Watt amplifier and 8 ohm impedence.  Is the tsunami 2 better than WOW101?

Tony's has excellent sounding video with the WOW101 + Tony's Super Sonic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OhtoYgKoSI

 ADD IN

The speakers would be located below the fans with the magnet side up and attached to the frame.  Correct way to do it?

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Saturday, April 4, 2020 5:46 PM

I usually buy 1 W 8 ohm sugar cubes. https://tonystrains.com/product/tds-supersonic-small-18-x-13-mm-speaker-sugar-cube  Do you have room for 2 speakers, and enclosures?  They should have an enclosure and not just the ultra thin speaker.

I cannot access the TCS site, which has been happening off and on for at least a week.

The DCC Guy - Puckett says he usually wires in series because the increased ohms is actually helpful as he finds most decoders too loud out of the box.  He says things run cooler.   He also says some sugar cubes are rated less than 1 watt he cautions to turn the sound volume down, before you turn on the sound.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Saturday, April 4, 2020 6:42 PM

I’ve been using these speakers for the last couple of years and they sound great.
 
  
 
 
You must cover the speaker openings with fine material or the Neodymium magnets will pick up metal filings from the layout.
 

 
The 1” speakers are available in 4Ω, 8Ω & 16Ω on eBay.  I’ve used all three, a 4Ω resistor in series with the 4Ω speakers or a pair in series, a single 8Ω and a 16Ω resistor in parallel with a 16Ω or a pair paralleled sound great.
 
 
 
Mel
 
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
  • Member since
    July 2018
  • 661 posts
Posted by IDRick on Sunday, April 5, 2020 10:12 AM

Henry, thanks for the link to DCCGuy video and to Tony's TDS sugar cubes.  I can just barely fit a 17mm x 13mm TDS mini below the fans but would need to increase depth by 4 mm by removing material from the weight.  There are two 1/4" x 1/4" notches by the rear light housing that could be removed to ease speaker installation.

Soundtraxx and Streamlined Back Shop have a 13x9 or 8x12 sugar cube which easily fits length x width but requires removing 3 mm of depth.  

Out of the box possibility.  Bruce Petrarca has an interesting youtube video entitled "Getting the sound out".  He broaches the possiblity of blocking the sound waves from the rear and using the locomotive shell as the enclosure.  In my case, it could potentially work very well.  The speaker would be attached to the plastic cover over the LED light and reside just below a fan.  The shell fits closely to the weight so should be little or no cancellation from rear sound waves.  The front sound waves would work their way out through the fan.  Does this sound worth trying?

Alternatively, a 15x11 TDS supersonic mini speaker appears to fit the vertical face of the weight and just above the front truck.  Using the same approach as above, rear sound waves are blocked by the weight and front sound waves would be in the chamber defined by the cab and truck.  Front sound waves would exit through thegh the truck.  Seems worth a try to avoid removing the material from the weight.

What do you experts think?

ADD IN  ESU50321 with short stack fits without modification by rear fan

 

Mel thanks for the link.  Looks to be a good approach when their is adequate room!  

Rick

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