Hi All,
I have never really thought about adding sound to my locos before but my little ones saw the Loco's at the Local hobby shop, and heard them. and are pestering me to add sound. I know there is no room in the little porters so I was thinking about adding it in one of the oar cars and activating it with a reed switch and mag on the axle, I asked the sound expert at the shop but he seemed more interested in selling me hundreds of dollars worth of stuff to convert everthing to dcc and could not understand I just want it to chug, chug, chug, is there no basic sound generator available? is it to retro an idea? should I just build one myself? or should I tell the little buggers to buy their own trains and leave me alone ;)
I would be thankful for any ideas.
NM
NM,
One manufacturer makes(made ?) an HO gon with a simple "chug" unit(noise generator) concealed in large packing cases. It works off wipers on one axle so that it varies with speed and is powered by a PP3 battery. I bought one some years ago (forget the name of maker) and adapted the unit to fit into an altered Mogul tender.
It has an on/off switch for when loco is not running and now uses a rechargeable PP3.
Sorry that I can't be specific as to source.
Eric UK
Perhaps one of the ITT sound modules will fill the bill, especially for a triggered whistle. Check their website at this link:
http://ittproducts.com/index.html (http://ittproducts.com/index.html)
ITT also make steam sound modules which you can run steady or trigger on. Another alternative for a continuous chuff-chuff sound would be a digital recorder, such as one from Cana-Kit. See this link:
http://www.canakit.com/1-minute-digital-voice-recorder-player-with-repeat-function-kit-ck330m1-uk330m1.html (http://www.canakit.com/1-minute-digital-voice-recorder-player-with-repeat-function-kit-ck330m1-uk330m1.html)
Cana-Kit also makes board amplifiers that can raise the output of an MP3 player up to speaker level, or you can salvage an amplifier out of some amplified computer speakers.
The MP3 players are also good for background sounds around the layout. They are cheap, have long playing times, and can produce separate sounds at each of two or three locations. Station sounds from the station, farm sounds from a nearby farm, and birds singing in the trees between the station and the farm can all be done with just one player. Or got an old CD player? You can use them instead. You might even have one hidden away in a closet, disguised as an obsolete computer.
Bottom line, why spend a lot of money if you can do it for free.
Jim
Jim
Thanks for the ideas Gentlemen, those websites seem to have exaclty what I am looking for.
Thanks again
NM
Quote from: renniks on September 21, 2009, 04:47:32 AM
NM,
One manufacturer makes(made ?) an HO gon with a simple "chug" unit(noise generator) concealed in large packing cases. It works off wipers on one axle so that it varies with speed and is powered by a PP3 battery. I bought one some years ago (forget the name of maker) and adapted the unit to fit into an altered Mogul tender.
It has an on/off switch for when loco is not running and now uses a rechargeable PP3.
Sorry that I can't be specific as to source.
Eric UK
Sounds like the old AHM/IHC unit. See item #IHC4302 on this list: <http://www.nicholassmithtrains.com/store/category/39/397/HO-GONDOLA-CARS/page2.html>
Listed as currently in stock at Nicholas Smith Trains.
Bill
thanks bill i'll have a look.
NM
NM
No picture on the link but price seems about right.
Eric UK
I actually prefer the little MRC Syncro sound box for this and have sold a bunch of them in our store. Not only does it have sounds for individual locomotive types, it also has a built in DC throttle for control and is less than $60.00 street price.
Here's a link if your interested:
http://www.modelrectifier.com/search/product-view.asp?ID=7739