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Sound on DC block control

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  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Monday, January 4, 2010 9:34 PM

Sorry. I usually copy and paste to a Open Office document for spell check. I think the Font is 14, Liberation Serif and it looks bold but really is not. I will change it to 12.

I have thought the same about some of the Avatars some of these guys use. There huge.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Monday, January 4, 2010 9:25 PM

forspar
What are some good sound systems that work with a DC block control railroad?

Did you want the sound to be on-board (in the actual locomotive) or off-board (speakers sitting around the layout)?  MRC makes some off-board systems that are tolerable if you do not have a sensitive ear and don't care about exact sound synchronization with the loco.   In the current On-board market there are the BLI Blueline Locomotives, and the new QSI (Quantum) decoders will work on DC.  These decoders are put into Atlas, Proto-2000, and some BLI Paragon locomotives.     Avoid any MRC DC/DCC on-board sound systems with the little wireless controller.  I do not know if the Soundtraxx Tsunami have a DC mode or not.

For straight DC block control it is hard to beat the PFM and PBL sound systems.  The catch is they have not been manufactured for years and they go really high on the used market like eBay.   Soundtraxx also made a DC system I believe was called "Sierra" that you might be able to find on the used market.  All on-board sound systems will require some sort of electronics in the locomotives. There is also a company call Phoenix Sound that produces large scale DC sound systems.  One might be able to be squeezed into a larger HO scale loco.  I've got one in a dummy Alco "PB" unit.

The new off-board Soundtraxx system called "Surround Traxx" that someone else recommended depends on a DCC feature called transponding.  It is definitely not for DC.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Monday, January 4, 2010 9:11 PM

richg1998
You might consider breaking up your questions. That is a lot for one message.

You might consider using a smaller and not bold font. It looks like you are shouting and takes up tons of unnecessary screen space.


  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Monday, January 4, 2010 8:51 PM

 Forgot to mention, we run consist and sound also on our club DC layout. Tonight three diesels running in consist, two steamers running separately and one small 44 ton diesel. We just leave the block switches alone.

Rich

 

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Monday, January 4, 2010 2:42 PM

You might consider breaking up your questions. That is a lot for one message.

 I am using a NCE Power Cab, about 2 amps current on my DC block layout. I can run two maybe three locos.

At a club I belong to, we use a NCE Power Pro, 5 amps current and the club layout is a DC block layout built in the 1980s. We can run about five or six locos but are limited by space. We do not power anything else with the DCC signal, locos or lighted passenger cars only.

We use a variety of decoders, steam and diesel.

Do some home work by searching with Google for dcc controllers, dcc decoders, dcc switch tracks, etc.

Search for NCE power cab, power pro, dcc books, dcc starter systems are more examples.

We can lead you by the hand but you will learn a lot by looking yourself. There is a lot of DCC info on the Internet.

Organize your Favorites folder into different DCC subjects and you will be able to keep all the links you find for future reference and to help others in the future.

I find it is a nice gesture to also give back to the MRR community.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Monday, January 4, 2010 10:59 AM

 Depending on the size of your layout, the Surroundtraxx system from SoundTraxx may be what you want.  This goes under the layout instead of requiring modification of the locomotives.

 

 http://www.soundtraxx.com/

  • Member since
    December 2009
  • 10 posts
Sound on DC block control
Posted by forspar on Monday, January 4, 2010 10:02 AM

 What are some good sound systems that work with a DC block control railroad? I want one that will work with several engines at once.I did a search and found several systems. Some have multi speakers, some have reed? switches, some have parts that need to be put in the engines. But most of the info is about how they work with DCC. Can someone give me an idea about which ones work well for DC? Thank-you for any help.

Rick

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