Is there a way to further lower sound system volume in 4-6-0 locos?

[on30gn15]

Is there a way to further lower sound system volume in 4-6-0 locos?

Reason:
I have Asperger's Syndrome, an Autism related disorder, and certain sounds actually hurt - one effect of the disorder is hypersensitivity to certain sounds, and light. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome

Even at lowest setting of rotary switch on bottom of tender it is still too loud for me.

Anybody know of some kind of electronic tidbit that could be cut into wires to speaker to lower the power?

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Forrest,

http://girr.org/girr/tips/tips4/bachmann_sound_tips.html

Scroll down to "Better Bass", and "A New Version of the Bachmann Sound Board".

Sometimes the equalization is more important than overall volume.

http://www.uneeda-audio.com/pads/

You could put in an "L" pad between the circuit board and the speaker.  Use R1 about half the impedence of the speaker, R2 about the same impedence of the speaker. 

Half watt resistors should do.  This should give you about a 6 dB attenuation. 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[on30gn15]

Hey Joe;

Thanks 

Oh boy, that's going to take a few readings to absorb!

[Joe Satnik]

Dear All,

None of my Version 5 volume controls really ever worked.  I've been told by someone knowledgeable that they have, and that we should send them back in to Philly to get them fixed.  (The schematic on George Schreyer's website certainly looks as though the volume control should work.) 

If you just want to brute-force reduce the volume with a 2-resistor  L-pad, Here's how:

(Let's see if I can do this using keyboard characters.)

Big Hauler Chuff - output to speaker, as is:
 
                                                                    /l
---------                                                   __/  l
chuff      l------------------------------------l   l  l
board      l                                                  l   l  l 8 ohm speaker
             l                                                  l   l  l
             l------------------------------------l__l  l
---------l                                                      \  l
                                                                     \l

With L-pad added:

 
                                                                    /l
---------                                                   __/  l
chuff      l------R1----------l-----------------l   l  l
board      l                         R                       l   l  l 8 ohm speaker
             l                         2                       l   l  l
             l------------------l-----------------l__l  l
---------l                                                      \  l
                                                                     \l

One speaker wire is cut, and Resistor R1 is soldered "in series" at that point between the chuff board and the speaker. 

Resistor R2 is soldered "in parallel" across the speaker terminals (or the two wires beyond R1).

L-pad Attenuation (dB), R1 value (ohms), R2 value (ohms):

-1, 0.9, 66
-2, 1.6, 31
-3, 2.3, 19
-4, 3.0, 13.7
-5, 3.5, 10.3
-6, 4.0, 8.0
-8, 4.8, 5.3
-10, 5.5, 3.7
-20, 7.2, 0.9

The cheapest parts would be a single 5-pack of 10-Ohm, 1/2-Watt resistors from Radio Shack:

Item number: 271-1101

This would give a -5dB attenuation. 

Use one of them (=10 Ohms) for R2,  Use 3 of them (a, b and c) in parallel with each other (10/3=3.3 Ohms) for R1.

    /-R1a-\
__/- R1b- \__
    \-R1c -/

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[NarrowMinded]

I am not up on all the details of the large scale but on the spectrum I have the sound is in the tender, I would just tape over some or all of the holes in front of the speaker, if tape does not work try some thin self adhesive foam strips the type used to seal/insulate around your windows of your house. maybe crude, but easy to reverse.

[on30gn15]

Ahh, thanks Joe  Helps to see it that way.

NarrowMinded, that's an idea.

There's a loco available to try each on.
there's an assortment of resistors on hand.

Will have to give it a go tomorrow.

[Joe Satnik]

Forrest,

Forget my fix til you try various kinds of tape.

My resistor fix will give a "flat" reduction in volume  - no "roll off" of the irritating higher frequencies.


NarrowMinded,

Kudos for the tape suggestion.  It should muffle the highs more than the lows. 

Too bad you didn't bring it up sooner. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik



   

[on30gn15]

Okay then, here's where the starting point will be - take tender apart, remove speaker, cut piece of cardstock to fit over speaker, reassemble the lot.

Will work on that after supper.

[on30gn15]

Well, maybe before supper after all 

Photo story here: http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa309/FSW4picts/Bachmann%20Loco%20Sound/

At lowest setting of "Volume Control" (such as it is) sound is barely louder than track noise 

As well as my own noise sensitivity, with this being an apartment there is the 'be considerate of your neighbors' aspect too.

[NarrowMinded]

Thanks for the Kudo's.  Had I brought it up sooner I would likely not had seen your talent with keyboard diagrams. wonderful demonstration!


NM

[Alex Butner]

Oddly enough I have Asperger's too. But train sounds don't really bother me. High pitched voices like young children's voices hurt my ears. I can't stand smoke as it gives me headaches. (I'm only 17 and I hate high pitched sounds)

[on30gn15]

Oddly enough I have Asperger's too.

Opens up a whole new world of fun, don't it 

[Alex Butner]

It does, but instead of model train sounds bothering me, high pitch voices and O-gauge trains with smoke bother me. G-scale doesn't for some odd reason. Maybe because it is light on the smoke or the smoke is not as strong as protosmoke.