Sound on the 201 - some questions...

[aramand]

Hi,

 

Bought a sound decoder yesterday and it arrived this morning (thanks Gareth and all at ModelShopBelfast ) but now have more questions :

 

1. I had heard before that there was an issue with the standard speaker on the 201 (only really for the horn) but looking for advice on how easy it is to swap this out for a better speaker. I havent looked in detail but I'm guessing the whole body needs to come off as no easy access to the speaker as with the decoder.

 

2. My Hornby Select has finally started to show its limitations. Apart from turning on the normal running lights I appear to have lost all control over the main headlights and the cab lights I'm guessing you need a controller which can control more than 9 functions as apart from F0 (lights) everything else is a sound function. If anyone has the full list of functions for these sound decoders it would also help.

 

Only got to run it literally for 5 mins but sounds great other than the horn which appears a bit distorted, will get to play a bit more this evening hopefully.

 

Thanks,

Declan.

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

I'm a wee bit of an eejit with these things

 

 

Once you get what ever system you choose it won't take you long to figure out how it all works. After all your supposed to be part of this computer generation.

 

As for been an eejit I'm affraid non of us can help you there you just going to have to live with it

[RedRich]

Correct

 

Anto you need to put the feet up and take a break for an hour or two mate. I'm getting tired just reading all your replies, what must it have been like composing and typing them. You have given some seriously fair and unbiased advice regarding the more specialist DCC systems available. I think if you are living close to another member (or members) that are using DCC a look at their systems might be a good opportunity to have a play and see what system you like.

 

I went for the NCE Power Cab myself and I set up a little shunting plank a few years ago to get used to the system and I love it. Although it might not be an important issue for some prospective buyers the wheel for controlling the speed just felt right to me when I first had a demo of the unit.

 

Rich,

[enniscorthyman]

Cheers Anto. I probably won't be running that many trains at once anyway, so I'm probably going to go for the prodigy express.

I know money might be a problem,but do try to get the next one up as the express

is a bit on the basic side.

[irishthump]

I know money might be a problem,but do try to get the next one up as the express

is a bit on the basic side.

 

Well if the budget is set in stone then he would probably be better off with the Powercab.

[irishthump]

When you type in the address of the 3rd 4th 5th 6th etc etc nothing stops running

 

Sorry Anto, I have been misinformed!

Here's what I have been told on another forum... If you leave 2 locos running and enter the address of a 3rd one then one drops out of the recall stack as we know.

If you then reenter the address of the loco that dropped out of the stack then the loco will not remember it's speed setting and will stop. That's exactly what I was told and I had more or less decided on buying the Powercab at that stage....

Talk about being given a bum-steer!

[201bhoy]

Let me put the power cab 1.5 amp issue to bed for you. Before I got the SB3a add on and when I had the old layout in my attic I did a test to see how many 141/181's I could run with the basic power cab putting out 1.5 amps the total I was able to run was 14. 7 on the up line and 7 on the down.

 

The layout I have at the minute is massive compared to the last one and I have got the SB3a upgrade and I have yet had the need to run 14 locos at any one time.

So I think that 1.5 amps should be more than enough for you.

 

Thanks a lot for the help Are the 141s with sound or not?

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Anto you need to put the feet up and take a break for an hour or two mate. I'm getting tired just reading all your replies, what must it have been like composing and typing them. You have given some seriously fair and unbiased advice regarding the more specialist DCC systems available. I think if you are living close to another member (or members) that are using DCC a look at their systems might be a good opportunity to have a play and see what system you like.

 

I went for the NCE Power Cab myself and I set up a little shunting plank a few years ago to get used to the system and I love it. Although it might not be an important issue for some prospective buyers the wheel for controlling the speed just felt right to me when I first had a demo of the unit.

 

Rich,

 

 

I was away yesterday mate (at hospital in Manchester) so just playing catch up at the minute. As regards trying out different systems I tried as many as I could get my hands on and to be fair the NCE power cab was by far the best for me. Another tip is when you are at a show just ask some of the clubs for a go on their systems I have yet to be told no you can't

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Sorry Anto, I have been misinformed!

Here's what I have been told on another forum... If you leave 2 locos running and enter the address of a 3rd one then one drops out of the recall stack as we know.

If you then reenter the address of the loco that dropped out of the stack then the loco will not remember it's speed setting and will stop. That's exactly what I was told and I had more or less decided on buying the Powercab at that stage....

Talk about being given a bum-steer!

 

 

 

Right mate we are getting our wires crossed here

 

Here is how it works. For this exercise we are going to use 4 locos we will call them 201,071,141,121

 

You are running 121 in recall 1. 201 in recall 2. So you decide you want to run 071 so you enter that locos address now you have 3 locos running 121,201,071.

 

So you go to look at recall 1 which had 121 in it. It has now dropped 121 and it says 071 but 121 is still running but you only have control over 071. Recall 2 still says 201

 

So lets call up 141 now you have recall 1 with control over 071 and recall 2 with control over 141. 201 has been dropped from recall 2 but it is still running.

 

Now we are going to call up 121 again as soon as you do this 121 which was running with no control over it will stop. Recall 1 will now read 121 but 071 will still keep running you now have control over 121 in recall 1

 

So we now have 201,071 running but not showing in any recall and no control over them and 121 in recall 1 and 141 in recall 2.

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Thanks a lot for the help Are the 141s with sound or not?

 

The sound is an after market add on

[201bhoy]

The sound is an after market add on

 

I know, but do you know how many locos with sound it would accommodate? Does sound not require more current?

[RedRich]

I was away yesterday mate (at hospital in Manchester) so just playing catch up at the minute. As regards trying out different systems I tried as many as I could get my hands on and to be fair the NCE power cab was by far the best for me. Another tip is when you are at a show just ask some of the clubs for a go on their systems I have yet to be told no you can't

 

I hope it wasn't anything too serious mate and that everything is ok.

 

Rich,

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

I hope it wasn't anything too serious mate and that everything is ok.

 

Rich,

 

 

All Ok mate actually got a run over to Sheffield as well to you guest it

[RedRich]

All Ok mate actually got a run over to Sheffield as well to you guest it

 

Glad to hear it.

 

Rich,

[irishthump]

Right mate we are getting our wires crossed here

 

Here is how it works. For this exercise we are going to use 4 locos we will call them 201,071,141,121

 

You are running 121 in recall 1. 201 in recall 2. So you decide you want to run 071 so you enter that locos address now you have 3 locos running 121,201,071.

 

So you go to look at recall 1 which had 121 in it. It has now dropped 121 and it says 071 but 121 is still running but you only have control over 071. Recall 2 still says 201

 

So lets call up 141 now you have recall 1 with control over 071 and recall 2 with control over 141. 201 has been dropped from recall 2 but it is still running.

 

Now we are going to call up 121 again as soon as you do this 121 which was running with no control over it will stop. Recall 1 will now read 121 but 071 will still keep running you now have control over 121 in recall 1

 

So we now have 201,071 running but not showing in any recall and no control over them and 121 in recall 1 and 141 in recall 2.

 

Thanks for clarifying that Anto!

 

Yep, I had been given a bum steer for sure on that other forum. If I had asked you on here first I would have bought the Powercab. Although I have no complaints about the Prodigy.

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Thanks for clarifying that Anto!

 

Yep, I had been given a bum steer for sure on that other forum. If I had asked you on here first I would have bought the Powercab. Although I have no complaints about the Prodigy.

 

 

At the end of the day mate there ain't much different in the top systems it all comes down to personal choice in the end