Anyone ever try installing a SurroundTraxx system on a N gauge layout? Mine is a small 30" x 50" double loop layout, using NCE power cab, running 3 Bachmann DCC steam locomotives (one Alco 2-6-0, and two Baldwin 4-6-0's) all which equipped for speed, direction and lighting, but not sound. If anyone ever has, please give me a brief discription of items needed and approximate overall cost. Thinking it might be cheaper than installing sound in the three locomotives, which I am not sure if that is even possible.
It's MEANT for N scale, because you can;t get big speakers in N scale locos. But you need to use Digitrax, and Transponding, and only Digitrax or compatible decoders - only the Digitrax ones actually transpond, but as long as you have one Transponding decoder per train, the system can direct the sound. Any other decoder equipped locos need to be Transponding compatible, or they will mess up the Transponding signal and keep it from working. The Bachmann decoders that come in those locos are most definitely not Transponding compatible and would have to be replaced. You would also need at least one BDL-168 block detector with one or two RX-4 Transponding receivers. And, switch from NCE because Transponding won't work with NCE.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
DaveMAnyone ever try installing a SurroundTraxx system on a N gauge layout? Mine is a small 30" x 50" double loop layout, using NCE power cab, running 3 Bachmann DCC steam locomotives (one Alco 2-6-0, and two Baldwin 4-6-0's) all which equipped for speed, direction and lighting, but not sound. If anyone ever has, please give me a brief discription of items needed and approximate overall cost. Thinking it might be cheaper than installing sound in the three locomotives, which I am not sure if that is even possible.
On a small layout I don't know how well the sound would "follow" the locos anyway. Each SurroundTraxx unit does 6 segments. Why 6? I don't understand because it seems to me, to make the sound really follow the locos around the track one would need 8 just for a simple loop. But even assuming 6 segments are sufficient, then one still has to figure out how to place the speakers close enough to the tracks were the trains are. I thought of using trackside structures as speaker enclosures.
Every system I ended up designing needed at least 3 DSP-80 units.
For this small of a layout, you might be better off with one of those simple sound units like the MRC Symphony 77 or SoundStation 312 type units. For certain your wallet would not be as drained.
For me, it doesn't matter what is being done, the speakers and sound will be coming from a source other than the locomotive. That doesn't sound right to me. I'd rather have small speakers than sound that doesn't come from locomotive.