Prime Mover Sound Question

[wmwalker]

This is a question for maybe Yardmaster or 3rail in fact anyone who might have the answer.

I took my new RS3 to our club meeting last week and everyone really like it but a few people had a couple of question so I thought I would put them out here to see if there might be answer.

1. With the prime mover sound can it be made to be turned off but keep the bell and horn to work.

2. Can you take out the True Blast II plus board with prime mover sound and replace it with the true blast II only board?

My answer to question number 1 was NO.
I could not answer number 2.

Thanks in advance for any input on this two questions. Once again thanks WBB for all the great products you are producing. I really like my RS3 and GP30 as I do of all my WBB engines and cars.

[r0gruth]

WM,

A review in OGR mag still left me with a question that you should be able to answer since you have one of the locos.

What happens when the horn is sounded?
Crossing signal as on Tru Blast II locos?
A short blast?
A long blast?
A sound determined by the length of time the button is pushed ala LioneL?

[wmwalker]

r0gruth
The horn is only as long as you hold down the button just like Lionel horn works. No preset horn like True Blast II
You can do the horn and bell at the same time and they both work. Very nice.

[3rail]

I will summarize all the features.

1.  The True Blast Plus sound board cannot turn off prime mover sound.   All of the feedback that we were getting was that people wanted the sounds.  Now you want to turn them off!    The Prime mover sound varies with track voltage. You can adjust the master volume on the board, if you take off the shell.

2.  The board is polyphonic.  Meaning that all sounds can play at the same time.  True Blast II was monophonic only one sound at a time.

3.  Sounds are prototypical to loco type.  True Blast II was a generic sound set.

4.  You can control the length of the horn blast on the True Blast Plus board. The True Blast II was a pre-programmed grade crossing.



Yes you can use the True Blast II board in place of True Blast Plus.  Both use the same power plug that connects to the reverse board, so it is an easy swap. 

Regards,

3rail

[wmwalker]

3Rail
Thank you very much for answering all my question. I will take it back to the people who asked me about it. I personally love the new Prime Mover sounds and the new setup. Nice going on being able to swap the board by just plugging and unplugging into the reversing board. I have completely moved over to WBB now. I just like it when I push the handle forward everything runs and keeps on running. Great products and please keep it up. I know their will be some surprises at York and I am waiting to hear what they are for us all.

PS:
I got my GP38 CSX on preorder as well as RS3 sound board. I plan on upgrading all my WBB engines with the new board. Just need to decide which sound board for each engine.

[phillyreading]

So what 3rd rail mentioned is that I could change out the older True Blast II for True Blast Plus by just removing the connector plug and the old unit and adding the new T. B. P. unit.
Will this work for older Williams engines from the Williams Reproduction series as well?

Lee F.

[r0gruth]

WM and 3Rail,

Thank you.

N ow I'm waiting the answer to the question by Lee.

[3rail]

Lee,

All that is required to install either of these diesel boards is power (two wires), and the physical space to install them.  They come with a plug installed that will go into any of our reverse boards that have sockets.  For older installations, you must cut the plug off and hard wire.

Regards,

3rail

[phillyreading]

3rd rail, Thank you!
I might consider a newer True Blast plus for one of my SD-45's.

Lee F.

[Sherwood]

Now I just have to wait for a blown 567 sound version for my BL2s or old F units!  Do the separate True Blast Plus systems come with a speaker like the add on True-Blasts did?  The speakers in my BL2s were so covered with hot glue that they couldn't flex much and I ripped one trying to pull off the globs. 

I did try an Altas generic sound unit with different speaker in one but the normal 3 rail operating sounds drown it out.

[phillyreading]

Now I just have to wait for a blown 567 sound version for my BL2s or old F units!  Do the separate True Blast Plus systems come with a speaker like the add on True-Blasts did?  The speakers in my BL2s were so covered with hot glue that they couldn't flex much and I ripped one trying to pull off the globs. 

From what I have read by 3rail, you should get a new speaker with the new sound system. The reasoning is quite simple, when you add two systems together you will find it difficult to match the speakers so it is just as easy to throw in the speaker with the new system as well.

Lee F.