LOw sound level on FA2

[dex]

  QUESTION

I have one of the new Bachmann FA2's

Is it possible to increase the sound volume on this loco and if so just what do I need equipment-wise to do it

I also have a Bachmann 2-6-0 and 2 other steam locos with sound...Is there some special requirement to have such low sound level output on these DCC/DC locomotives?

I like the realistic sounds but dang it's hard to hear 3 ft away.

[richg]

Get yourself a DCC controller. Simple solution. Surprised you have not done that yet.

Look in the Online Store web page. Sounds like you need to take some time reading through ALL the Bachmann site. All the documents are there.
Get the Dynamis. There are online stores with good prices.

Rich

[rogertra]

Why do you need high sound volumes?

Think of the real railway.  When you are 100 yards away from a diesel, can you hear it idling?  Maybe, very faintly.  Think "scale sound"  We scale everything else down, why not scale down sound?

I've set my sound volumes so that from three to four feet away you can hardly hear an individual loco, steam or diesel,  if at all.  Except for the whistle/horn and bell, which you can hear from some distance away in real life.  Having six to ten or more locos with the sound blasting out at full volume soon becomes very annoying, even at idle. Conversation is impossible and high sound levels get distorted through those small speakers, so the engines actually sound better with the volume low.

Give it some though but, of course, the final choice is yours.

[GN.2-6-8-0]

Agree with rogertra 110 percent there's ñothing more irritating than a overpowering sound locomotive'we have a few members of our club that have had to be told to lower their sound levels in order for other members to be able to even carry on normal conversations in a 30x100 bldg.

[dex]

Thanks guys for the info/comments
Will look for a programing device
I'd like scale sound that matches the scale of my ears like 12 in to a ft
No I don't want to blast things out but a bit louder would please me
I ran in silence for over 60 years and have been delighted with the more recent sound locos.....just wanna hear em...

[blwfish]

I have relatively little experience here, but it is my pretty clear impression that nearly all locos come set up for maximum sound level right out of the box (or bag, if you're using a separately purchased decoder). I nearly always have to turn them down, per advice above.

Your particular units may have been turned down somehow, of course.

But more likely they're set to full volume already, and if that is true you need more volume, it could get complicated pretty quickly. I haven't seen the inside of one of these, but an FA is one of the best chances to have space for another speaker, a different decoder, or both.  My impression is that ordinarily the SoundTraxx decoders aren't set up to drive two speakers, but that may be possible if they're wired properly. If your out-of-the-box decoder isn't capable of that, you have a couple of options.  One is to be sure that the speaker is enclosed, meaning that all of the sound goes out one direction. Some of the Bachmann units I've seen have enclosed speakers, and I think some others don't - you'll probably have to look. The enclosure can make a surprisingly big difference.  If you have an enclosed speaker, you may want to see how open the chassis is to letting the sound out. Again, I don't know this loco, but I have one steam loco that seems to have no means for the sound to escape the tender - although in this case it works just fine. Often the speaker in a diesel is in the fuel tank area facing down and is well vented, but other times it's just sitting inside the shell, and opening more ways for the sound to escape can help.

An extreme measure is to replace the sound decoder with a more powerful one. I use QSI Titan sound units when I get a loco without sound. They are set up to drive two speakers right out of the box. If you use one of these puppies to drive two enclosed speakers you will almost certainly be running to the programming track to turn down the volume!

[bapguy]

Look into a DigitraxPR3 This hooks up to a computer and a programing track. It works best with an 18V power supply. Down load JMRI Decoder Pro. This makes programing decoders a snap.  Joe

[JNXT 7707]

I'm agreeing with your view on this dex. Personally I run straight DC/no sound - but if I HAD sound, you're dang right I'd want to hear it without leaning down with my ear X scale feet from the loco!
Club running is one thing but it's your RR, go for the volume! 

[Hunt]

The Sound Value equipped F2A   Master Volume Control, CV 128, default setting is 192. This is a 75% (192/255) volume level.
                    0 = Minimum volume
                255 = Maximum volume

Volume setting of the Master Volume Control and individual controllable sounds is found online in the Bachmann HO FA2 Sound Value Equipped Configuration Variable Defaults  PDF.
Click Here for that Configuration Variable Defaults PDF


An aside:
The Digitrax PR3XTRA SoundFX USB Decoder Programmer has replaced the Digitrax PR3 SoundFX USB Decoder Programmer.

For both products, Digitrax states, "Do not to exceed 15 vdc"  input .
Best to discuss with Digitrax before using a power supply exceeding 15 vdc.

[rogertra]

I'm agreeing with your view on this dex. Personally I run straight DC/no sound - but if I HAD sound, you're dang right I'd want to hear it without leaning down with my ear X scale feet from the loco!
Club running is one thing but it's your RR, go for the volume! 

All well and good but I think you would change you mind about having the sound blasting, and possibly damaging the speakers, if you had a dozen or more sound equipped locomotives like I do.  As you say, you do not have sound equipped engines so you are not speaking from experience but are only speculating. 

If they all have their sound cranked, you can hardly hear yourself think and that's not fun.  I have a 10 x 32 foot model railroad room and even then this is why I set the volumes to be comfortable at around three to four feet, which is not "leaning down with my ear X scale feet from the loco" but standing comfortable near by.  When I have half a dozen steam and diesels idling around the turntable I can faintly hear them from 15 feet away.  Now that is, to me, a pleasant background sound while I'm working away at my workbench or elsewhere on the model railroad.

[JNXT 7707]

I'm agreeing with your view on this dex. Personally I run straight DC/no sound - but if I HAD sound, you're dang right I'd want to hear it without leaning down with my ear X scale feet from the loco!
Club running is one thing but it's your RR, go for the volume! 

All well and good but I think you would change you mind about having the sound blasting, and possibly damaging the speakers, if you had a dozen or more sound equipped locomotives like I do.  As you say, you do not have sound equipped engines so you are not speaking from experience but are only speculating. 

If they all have their sound cranked, you can hardly hear yourself think and that's not fun.  I have a 10 x 32 foot model railroad room and even then this is why I set the volumes to be comfortable at around three to four feet, which is not "leaning down with my ear X scale feet from the loco" but standing comfortable near by.  When I have half a dozen steam and diesels idling around the turntable I can faintly hear them from 15 feet away.  Now that is, to me, a pleasant background sound while I'm working away at my workbench or elsewhere on the model railroad.

Point taken, roger - not criticizing your preferred sound volume from your locomotives, but I did get the impression from the OP that he was wanting to clearly hear his sound without actively 'listening' for it.  And while freely speculating, I do have plenty of experience running soundless (other than the usual Athearn gear noise) running. As such, I'll hold to my original opinion - I'd rather have the problem of turning it down rather than wondering why I can't hear it.