videobruce
Tower Operator
What exactly is this "Kapton tape"??
How about a similar thread for N scale?
HO scale is a walk in the park.
How about a similar thread for N scale?
HO scale is a walk in the park.
The speaker:
One of the things I've learned about installing sound is that a good speaker with a good enclosure/baffle with good placement is a primary key to good sound. With the size of the GE loco here, there are a few places for installing a speaker, round or oval, but I prefer this speaker for most installs because 1) it sounds good 2) it's already enclosed and wired and 3) the size is good enough for this job and other installs. I've got ones in Athearn an SD40 and SD45, and also a CF7. I posted the back of the speaker so that people know where to get them if they want to try. This company also makes other speakers with baffles
That depends. The decoder in the eBay auction you linked appears to be a bulk N13SRJ decoder from NCE. The bulk decoders are for companies such as the one selling that decoder to buy a ton of el cheapo decoders for resale. The el cheapo version is a very basic decoder with NO pulse width modulation drive (also known as quiet drive, silent drive, hyperdrive, etc). If you buy a regular production N13SRJ, it will have the PWM drive.
What is PWM (Pulse width modulation)? If you apply straight DC to the motor, you'll notice that the motor vibrates, it may be a bit noisy, and it might rattle a bit. PWM sends power to the motor, and then cuts it off, hundreds or thousands of times per second, so that the motor is "off" and freewheeling so that it's not vibrating against itself. To better picture this, turn on a fan and notice how the motor emits a sound. Then turn it off and notice how quiet it is when the fan keeps spinning even though the motor is off. Before the fan stops spinning, turn it back on again. Now imagine doing this thousands of times a second. The effect is that you get less motor noise.
Bachmann locomotives are a different beast. Because Bachmann uses the same boards as their locomotives in Europe, the boards must conform to European standards regarding electromagnetic interference from electronics. Bachmann puts filters on their light boards, which causes erratic and/or sluggish response on DCC. The best way to bypass this would be to completely bypass/replace the board, or at least bypass the board for motor control if you want to keep the lighting resistors.
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I was surprised to see the listing still active, although the seller does have 5 on offer. All I can say is that it definitely does not look like any of the usual manufacturers products (No case for a start and the brand name DCCPP is unknown), so I would conclude it is made by a private hobbyist perhaps. He only had 3 pages of feedback and only 2 references to this product. On the 3rd page the buyer described it as a Great Product for what that is worth. The reference to a DCS Mega 2560 seems to be about an Arduino. His price point is exceptionally cheap. Contact him via ebay messages if you want more info. You can be our reviewer (Guinea Pig) if you like.Did anybody buy the DCC++ command station on eBay? It has been listed as
"DCC Digital Command Station w/ WiFi. DCS Mega 2560. 5 amps. Z N HO O scales." I need review.
Hello Greg, This is quite an old thread and the loco used as the example is also from an older version, although the motor type still survives in Athearn's later model RTR DCC ready versions. Newer ones also are DCC and sound ready, having new chassis, capable of mounting a speaker. Haven't checked one of those out but I would assume they have done something in the way of a mounting for the sound decoder to both insulate it from the motor itself and any other metal bits to make things easier. One of the problems with those older motors is securing the decoder safely. I think it was just luck that the speaker the OP chose was a good fit in that loco. Finding a convenient place can be a challenge sometimes.Just found that this post and the install instructions are top shelf. Is that locomotive you used in the video made for DCC and sound since the speaker fit so perfectly?
Thanks.
Greg
Originally, I had a TCS T1 decoder installed to the Athearn board. You won't need the board here since the Tsunami replaces it. The plastic clips that hold the wires on the board pickups can be removed and thrown out if you will solder. If not, you'll need to keep them when you reattach the wires to the Tsunami.
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What exactly is this "Kapton tape"??