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Does Tender Sizes Really Matter?

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  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
  • 13,892 posts
Posted by wjstix on Thursday, May 22, 2008 9:18 AM
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!!
Stix
  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Maryville IL
  • 9,577 posts
Posted by cudaken on Thursday, May 22, 2008 9:16 AM

 Hum, I did not know that Crandall, Tom and Jeff where the Three Stogies!Big Smile [:D]

 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!Wink [;)]

          Thanks Guys, Ken 

I hate Rust

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Conway SC
  • 222 posts
Posted by wmshay06 on Thursday, May 22, 2008 5:49 AM

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

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vail, AZ
  • 1,943 posts
Posted by Vail and Southwestern RR on Thursday, May 22, 2008 12:40 AM
Deep, dark depression, excessive misereeeeeeeeeee

Jeff But it's a dry heat!

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,249 posts
Posted by tstage on Thursday, May 22, 2008 12:10 AM

 selector wrote:
Geez, if it weren't for bad luck you'd have no luck at all! Sad [:(]

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

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Thursday, May 22, 2008 12:01 AM

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!  Sad [:(]

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Maryville IL
  • 9,577 posts
Does Tender Sizes Really Matter?
Posted by cudaken on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 11:40 PM

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

I hate Rust

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