Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Size of Bachmann HO Mallet 2-6-6-2 Tsunami speaker is??

2859 views
5 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Morris, Illinois USA
  • 283 posts
Size of Bachmann HO Mallet 2-6-6-2 Tsunami speaker is??
Posted by rockislandnut on Saturday, April 2, 2011 8:05 PM

I ask this question of the speaker size in the tender for the one I own I have not taken off the tender shell yet to see and at the moment would not care too. ( maybe later? ).

Since there are more than one size speaker tsunami installs in the Bachmann steam engines I would like to tune the sounds a little finer using "Tsunami equalizer" as can be done according to a couple of pages from this "Tsunami users guide" below. But I don't want to harm a speaker by pushing too many decibels through it.Surprise

 Sound Programmingare as follows:

CV 128, Master Volume Control

Primary Audio Mixer CVs

 

 

CV 129, Whistle mixer level

CV 130, Bell mixer level

CV 131, Exhaust mixer level

CV 132, Airpump mixer level

CV 133, Dynamo mixer level

CV 134, Blower mixer level

CV 135, Rod clank mixer level

CV 136, Steam hiss mixer level

Secondary Mixer CVs

 

CV 137, Coupler Clank mixer level

CV 138, reserved

CV 139, Brake squeal mixer level

CV 140, Brake release mixer level

CV 141, Snifter valve mixer level

CV 142, Johnson Bar/Power reverse mixer level

CV 143, Pop Valve mixer level

CV 144, reserved

CV 145, Blower draft mixer level

CV 146, Water stop mixer level

CV 147, Injector mixer level

CV 148, Coal Shoveling mixer level

CV 149, Wrenches mixer level

CV 150, Oilcan mixer level

CV 151, Grease gun mixer level

CV 152, reserved

Using the Tsunami Equalizer

Tsunami’s built-in equalizer (or “EQ” as the audio guys like to call it) is

much like that you’d on your home stereo system. The equalizer allows you

to selectively cut and boost sound levels by +/-12dB over seven selected

frequency ranges and provides the “ultimate” tone control.

When most people hear about Tsunami’s equalizer, their first reaction is

“Great, now I can really crank up the bass!” What they don’t realize is that the

equalizer is also there to cut out the low frequencies as well.

Every speaker has a limit to the lowest frequency it can efficiently reproduce.

This is determined by a number of factors and in particular, the speaker’s

physical size. To reproduce a low frequency sound at high volume requires

the ability to move a lot of air, and hence a large diameter diaphragm.

On the other hand, the electromagnet at the base of the speaker cone will

react just fine to even the deepest bass. So if we try to drive a low frequency

sound signal thru a small speaker, the speaker still physically reacts to the

signal - we just don’t hear it very well because only a small amount of air is

 

being pushed about. If we turn up the volume, things will not likely improve

much and what’s worse, the speaker cone will eventually be pushed against

its physical travel limits resulting in annoying clicking and popping sounds.

This is where the equalizer’s ability to “cut” frequencies out becomes

important. By removing the inaudible low frequency sound components, the

speaker is now able to work more efficiently (i.e. louder) in the audio range it

was designed for.

EQ Presets

Using the equalizer begins with CV 153, the EQ Control Register. This CV

may be programmed with any value between 0 and 7. A setting of 0 disables

the EQ as if it were never there. Settings 1 thru 6 select a factory preset

which tailors the frequency response to several of SoundTraxx’s more

popular on-board speakers. The table below shows the presets and their

equivalent settings which may be used as the basis for developing your own

 

 

 

settings.

 

 

 

Custom EQ Settings

Finally, a setting of 7 allows you to customize the EQ response using CVs

154 thru 160, each which controls a different frequency band as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

CV 154, 62.5Hz

 CV 155, 125Hz

CV 156, 250Hz

CV 157, 500Hz

CV 158, 1KHz

CV 159, 2Khz

CV 160, 4Khz

 

Sorry about this large spaced posting but copying from a PDF isn't easy and the dog-gone fonts keep going bold when I don't want them to.

Thanks for reading though. Big Smile

Wadda ya mean I'm old ? Just because I remember gasoline at 9 cents a gallon and those big coal burning steamers.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Morris, Illinois USA
  • 283 posts
Posted by rockislandnut on Sunday, April 3, 2011 6:35 PM

Oops - SignEmbarrassed Embarrassed I am David and I apologize for this thread. Lately I'm jumping to conclusions without thinking properly. You are right for my Tsunami is stripped down and I knew that for it has been posted time and time again about Bachmann factory installed Tsunami decoders.

Guess I'd better stick to the Tsunami sounds I already have for I don't believe it would be worth it to strip out the default Tsunami and buy a TSU 1000 for $119.00 USD

I love sound on my engines and I do remember watching the C&O steamers just about 200 yards from  my Grandparents farmhouse ( farmhouse on a hill at least 100 feet above the C&O tracks ) in Lake county Indiana. That particular stretch of rail in our view at farmhouse was a start of a 1 1/2% grade and the start of a very large curve which would continue for the next 2 1/2 miles to Beatrice, Indiana ( small milk and passenger stop ) then level off. I remember watching the big puffs of black smoke from the stack as the engine started the hill.

This was all in the early 1940's through 1952, so this 2-6-6-2 with sound I have really brings back the memories. Smile

Edit: I did pull the tender shell off the 2-6-6-2 and the speaker measures 1 & 1/8 inch in diameter as close as I could measure.

Wadda ya mean I'm old ? Just because I remember gasoline at 9 cents a gallon and those big coal burning steamers.

  • Member since
    July 2010
  • 174 posts
Posted by Hergy on Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:12 PM

You have an answer on the spkr size and here are the CV's available to you and their defaults. This is from the Soundtraxx website.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM%20pages/Bachmann/HO%202-6-6-2.pdf

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:55 PM

You could pull the factory equipped decoder and sell it on ebay, maybe for a good price. It will give the Ranters here, some fodder for another ebay post.  Smile

I would leave it as is.

I just received a Spectrum 4-6-0 with factory Tsunami and I run it with a Spectrum 4-6-0 I put a Micro Tsunami into. Not a big deal as I am not a rivet counter. Ok, I just do not count all the rivets.

Many HO locos use a 1.1 inch speaker.

Don't forget to read over the SoundTraxx site. There is loads of good DCC info.

If you ever get a Athearn loco with Tsunami, the last I knew, those do not have all the same CV's.

Bowser/Stewart locos with the Tsunami have all the same CV's and are the same TSU that we buy.

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 2010
  • 174 posts
Posted by Hergy on Thursday, April 7, 2011 9:18 PM

You have an answer on the spkr size and here are the CV's available to you and their defaults. This is from the Soundtraxx website.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM%20pages/Bachmann/HO%202-6-6-2.pdf

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!