I bought a few tcs high bass speakers to put in some steamers that had some bad speakers. Do they require enclosures because they sound awful. If so does anyone know where I can accquire them from? Also I connected it to a loksound v5 decoder if that poses a problem.
I recently installed one in an old Bowser steamer and used a twist on bottle cap to make an enclosure for it. I'm not sure what the bottle was for, but I had to try a couple different ones before I found the right fit. I used a sharp knife to trim out some of the threads on the inside of the cap and the speaker fit right in. I'm very pleased with the sound, I had to turn the volume way down even without drilling any holes in the tender shell.
I probably have over a hundred various speakers from several suppliers as well as a few from eBay and train shows. Always looking for that 'Goldilocks' sweet sound which can be elusive in small scales. TCS, Soundtraxx, Railmaster, ESU, plus a dozen or more styles of 'i Phone' speakers.
Not long ago I came across mention of Scale Sound Systems which is a fellow that makes custom sized enclosures and includes an excellent miniature cube speaker.
I've been reevaluating nearly all my sound equipped engines and using the SSS speakers to replace the factory 'cheapie' speaker or in some cases replacing a speaker that I've already 'upgraded' that now doesn't measure up compared to the sound produced by the SSS speaker.
I sometimes use an old MP3 player and low power amp to 'audition' various speaker setups before installing them in a locomotive. Not all the speakers sold on the model RR market are first quality. Many are surplus or didn't meed minimum specs so are sold off as seconds. I always test speakers before installing them. Often times a decoder will over-drive a speaker, too. Be sure to reduce output levels to avoid 'clipping' or, worse yet, frying the tiny voice coil wires.
SPKR_test2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Here's a Broadway Limited PRR L1 that I installed a Scale Sound Speaker in:
PRR_L1_Tsunami by Edmund, on Flickr
And in this Bachmann EM-1 I used the SSS 'Big Boy' speaker with excellent results:
BnO_EM-1-DCC Tender by Edmund, on Flickr
Some tenders are designed to be the speaker enclosure itself. Here's a BLI tender that I installed TCS 'hi-bass' equivalents into:
BLI_PRR_QSI-tender-2 by Edmund, on Flickr
The tender floor acts as a baffle. Sometimes that's all you need to eliminate soundwaves from canceling eachother out. In the BLI NYC Niagara they used a simple cardboard tube to act as a baffle. It works amazingly well. Not all speaker enclosures have to be air-tight.
Hope that helps,
Ed
Braden,
From the TCS High Bass speaker webpage...
"You haven’t heard WOWSound until you’ve heard it through our 28mm High Bass 4W WOWSpeaker! This speaker handles an unprecedented 4 watts of power, and showcases a mighty bass reflex that packs a big sonic punch. Welcome to the new standard for sound in model trains - pick one up today and prepare to be blown away!
This speaker is 28mm (1.1") diameter and 13.5mm (0.53") thick which includes a rubberized mounting gasket. The mounting gasket allows for unrestricted movement of the cone and absorbs some vibrations, preventing distortion! This gasket also includes a tacky adhesive for mounting the speaker against a flat surface without the need for special brackets or an enclosure. If you do have screws or brackets to hold the speaker in place, only apply light pressure; elsewise, you might deform the gasket and prevent the cone of the speaker from moving properly, resulting in distortion or damage.
TCS WOWSound decoders use an audio amplifier capable of supplying up to 2 Watts of power to an 8 Ohm load at maximum volume. The amplifier(s) on a WOWSound product can support speakers with impedance ratings as low as 4 Ohms. A reduction in impedance will result in a more power (more Watts) being supplied to the speaker. The minimum power requirement for a 4 Ohm speaker is 4 Watts. It is highly recommended to reduce your master volume from the default level to prevent speaker failure or amplifier stress when using this speaker. TCS recommends 50% master volume when using this speaker."
The Loksound 5 decoder supports speaker impedances between 4 & 32Ω. Did you heed all the above warnings and recommendations by TCS?
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
BradenDDo they require enclosures because they sound awful. If so does anyone know where I can accquire them from?
Hi BradenD,
It sounds (pardon the pun) like you don't need an enclosure for the TCS high bass speakers if you can find a flat, smooth surface to mount them on. If there are no flat surfaces large enough, you could try installing a piece of 0.040" or 0.060" styrene sheet where you want to mount the speaker. It sounds to me as though the TCS high bass speaker gasket forms its own enclosure if mounted properly. Note that almost all 'sugar cube' speakers do require an enclosure.
As far as where to get speaker enclosures, you can buy them from sources like Streamlined Backshop. However, it is easy to make your own enclosures. Styrene sheet (0.040" or 0.060") is the easiest to work with for square or rectangular speakers, and a section of the bottom of a round pill bottle will often fit round speakers.
Just a few hints to improve speaker performance:
- The bigger the enclosure, the better the sound (generally);
- Enclosures don't have to be symetrical;
- Try to mount the speaker/enclosure to the inside of the shell or the floor with the enclosure next to the surface, not the speaker.
- Enclosures must be air tight but be careful to not get glue on the speaker membrane.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I try to buy the enclosure with the speaker but sometimes they are not available. I've made enclosures out of styrene, stuff from the scrap box, and even lead sheet. I needed weight in a tender with a rectangular speaker so I cut and formed the enclosure out of lead flashing. Double duty and sounds good. I used clear RTV gasket maker to stick the speaker flange to the floor and set the enclosure on it with a small bead of RTV to hold it.
And yes air tight is ok but most of my enclosures have holes for the wires. My ears can't tell the difference.
Pete.
BradenDI bought a few tcs high bass speakers to put in some steamers that had some bad speakers. Do they require enclosures because they sound awful.
1. Could you clarify how they sound "awful"? Distortion? Thin? Knowing the problem with the sound would help determine the problem with the speaker.
2. Just under "try everything", have you run the engines with the tender body reinstalled? Often with steam engines, the tender body acts as in effect the enclosure. The sound will be much thinner without it.