Does Tender Sizes Really Matter?

[cudaken]

I have a BLI Heavy Mike with QSI sound. Engine pulls well for it sizes and tracks pretty good after I installed some lead on top of the front truck.

 

 Problem is the sound system volume is so low you cannot really hear it? When volume is all the way up, it is still very quite plus it rattles the tender and sounds like caboose!

 

 I have pulled the tender shell and sealed with electrical tape like I have on my other BLI steam engines. Tape fixed the rattle on the other engines, but not this one.

 

 Is it the fact the tender which is the sound boxes so small is the reason there is no real volume? Would a bigger tender help, if so any ideas on what would work?

 

 The rattle I speak of is more then likely clipping of the speakers in the tender. (Clipping is when there is lack of power from the amp and causes the transient peaks of the sound to be cut off and distortion replaces the sound)

 

 Do you think maybe the up graded QSI chips would help?

 

 Thanks for the coming answers.

 

               Cuda Ken

[selector]

Ken, your speaker may have picked up metallic stuff, or the cone is torn, or the decoder amplifier has an issue.  Also, the speaker baffle may have come loose, or is cracked, and is not sealing the rear of the speaker from the front effectively. 

Geez, if it weren't for bad luck you'd have no luck at all! 

[tstage]

Geez, if it weren't for bad luck you'd have no luck at all!

Gloooooom, despairrrrrrr, and agony on meeeeeeee....

[Vail and Southwestern RR]

Deep, dark depression, excessive misereeeeeeeeeee

[wmshay06]

I have the BLI Light Mike and and had a similar buzz problem.  First get the upgrade chip - worthwhile investment.  But you'll still have to adjust the sound.

If you have one of the boards with the 'trim pot'  this can be used to reduce the overall volume to an acceptable level.  However, you will likely still have to adjust some volume CVs for various sounds.  I found that I still had to adjust the CV value for the whistle volume as it still caused the buzz when played.   The settings are a matter of taste.  Once I was done the buzz went away and it sounded fine to me on the railroad.

 

Charles

[cudaken]

 Hum, I did not know that Crandall, Tom and Jeff where the Three Stogies!

 Charles, thank you and I will look into getting the upgraded chip. With the up graded chip, how is the sound comparied to any other BLI steam you may have? My, Heavy Mike at full volume is about half of my other BLI steam fleet.

 Far as the condution of the engine it self, it was quite from day one. It is no better or worse than the day it came out of the box. In fact I just got it back from BLI last Saturday, two drive wheels came out of quater and it stripped the center gear. Maybe I do deserve the bad luck part!

          Thanks Guys, Ken 

[wjstix]

I have a BLI heavy Mike with the added chip, it didn't change the sound although I think it does offer more options as far as choosing a whistle etc. The volume on my Mike is about the same as my BLI 2-10-4 and Hudson, so there may be something wrong with yours. Heck even my BLI NW-2 is plenty loud!!