Amplifiers for DCC sound.

Scale7JB

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Hi all..

I've been struggling for a while now to get a decent volume out of DCC sound chips. They're fine at home when testing on a piece of track, but stick the engine on the Crosscombe layout, or in an exhibition hall, and you can't hear them at all. I've tried increasing the sound levels on the CV's but go too high, and it seriously distorts, almost painful so...

I've just done a search for 5v sound amplifiers, and it now seems there is a plethora of cheap tiny sound amps that would easily fit in an engine, and I wondered if anybody had any reasons NOT to pop one in. Have a search on YouTube, and there are some amazing results..

I'm using mostly Zimo sound chips which have an onboard 5v outlet, and I was thinking about using this to power the amp, and then using the standard speaker outlet from the chip for the signal..

Anyone have any ideas?

JB.
 
Steph Dale

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Sounds feasible, but you'd probably find a well-designed speaker enclosure would make it unnecessary my couple of test locos are genuinely deafening and it can only be down to the enclosure as the decoders are bog-standard LokSoundv3.5 with their normal speakers. I always get a little worried when people claim their decoders are too quiet; you have had a hearing test recently haven't you? :confused:

Just watch that the 5v output is unlikely to be particularly smooth (is it even regulated?); if the ripple/noise occurs at audible frequencies you will hear it as distortion. You'd also need to ensure that the input impedance of the amplifier is >> than 8 Ohm to ensure you don't draw too much power off the decoder.

Oh, and IMHO the volume should be just enough to fire the imagination and even in a loud room, you don't want to be able to hear it from more than a couple of feet away...

I SAID, YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT FROM MORE THAN A COUPLE OF FEET AWAY...

Sorry, couldn't resist it.:rolleyes: :))

Steph
 
BrushType4

BrushType4

Western Thunderer
I often think the soundscape of a layout is ignored and I've thought how I would like to replicate everyday sounds so that while there are no trains running the layout sounds like you are outside. Maybe engineering works, a plane flying over, birdsong etc.
 
Dikitriki

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
BrushType4 said:
I often think the soundscape of a layout is ignored and I've thought how I would like to replicate everyday sounds so that while there are no trains running the layout sounds like you are outside. Maybe engineering works, a plane flying over, birdsong etc.
Click to expand...

Oh yes, we're going to get a recording of the mill looms banging away. There's plenty of room in the mill for a huge speaker:D

Richard

.....for the full Heyside experience:)
 
Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Steph Dale said:
... IMHO the volume should be just enough to fire the imagination and even in a loud room, you don't want to be able to hear it from more than a couple of feet away...
Click to expand...
I agree with your comment as a generalisation and there are probable exceptions where a layout is of a size where one can "observe" stock movements over some distance. Croscombe is such an example and diesels need to be "heard" over more than just a couple of feet.... particularly those with modern sound projects which allow for coasting and then notching up in good order.
 
richard carr

richard carr

Western Thunderer
Steph

Thats far too quiet, railways are noisy places, quieter today maybe but back in my diesel days standing next to a loco was a noisy experience and even noisier when it pulled away.

Richard
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Having spent three days exhibiting a "silent" steam era layout at York a while ago, two stops down from an O Gauge diesel layout which had everything at full volume, I can say that it can be bl**dy annoying!

I like sound, but I prefer that it doesn't drown out conversation!
 
Cliff Williams

Cliff Williams

Western Thunderer
I agree Heather.
Sound is good in moderation and you should be able to reduce the volume easily. I have started assigning a function key to reduce by 50%.

On the point of locos not being loud enough on a layout is that these diesels are all running with reduced volume on my speakers:
 
Scale7JB

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Gees! There's some stock on that layout...

Are there any videos of the kettles?

Now I agree that the volume in the video is pretty high, but with some of mine in a large expanse of space you have to put your ear about a foot away before you can hear them, especially with a long train in tow..

JB.
 
Scale7JB

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Ignore that, just checked YouTube and it's Over Poever...

If the train is too long, the sound of the wheels drowns out the sound of the engine..

JB.
 
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