Terrible sound on someone's install in a Bachmann 2-10-0

[lvrr325]

I bought a couple of DCC/Sound engines stupid cheap today and one, a Spectrum 2-10-0, I just tested.  It runs ok and the sound is working, but it sounds like the speaker is being overdriven, lots of static and distortion, even though the volume is not very loud.  It has a small round black speaker attached. 

Anything special I need to know to change it for something else?

The other engine is a Bachmann Consolidation.  That one the sound seems to be okay, I need to bring it in and check how it runs; sound came on on DC but no motion so I presume the address has been changed.  I have a second one, basket case in the original box (bad drive belt) I thought I might swap the shells from and use the box on. It's so old it has that rubber-like insert in it, maybe the first run of them.    

[edwardsutorik]

Static and distortion at a low volume gets me thinking of a poor electrical connection. I'd try soldering the connections.

If that's not it, maybe there's loose bits and pieces that are being vibrated by the speaker. Or maybe the speaker cone has a hole poked in it.

Next, and finally, we have the speaker or the decoder. Probably the speaker, but you might just first try running the speaker with the sound output of a different decoder, just to make sure that it happens with that one, too.



Ed

[bnsf971]

It might possibly be an MRC steam decoder. They were reknowned for their chuffs sounding like nothing more than static.

[gnfan]

I don't think Bachmann ever used MRC decoders. If it is then it's an install done by someone other than Bachmann.

Bad connections is likely or a bad speaker,

DavidB

[lvrr325]

Well, I opened the 2-8-0 up tonight to find the same purple-wrapped decoder, that is non-stock, connected to the factory Bachmann speaker. In that engine it sounds fine; CV8 to 8 reset it at least enough to get the address to 3. I think a factory Bachmann board would be screwed in place.


Also, I did find a difference between the old 2-8-0 and this newer one; or perhaps between sound and non-sound. On factory sound tenders the screw which holds the forward portion of the body shell in place, is closer to the front by maybe half an inch. So the old, non-sound shell will fit on there, but can't be screwed on, and the boss may have to be removed entirely - I had to with this decoder, would have to test fit it over a factory one.



I haven't done anything else to the 2-10-0 but it is -not- factory sound, the engine was not sold sound equipped. The installer tried to have the speaker face up, out of the coal pocket, where there is now just a hole with the plastic coal load insert absent. So the speaker is not attached to anything and just flops around. It may have come with the decoder, I'll have to get it on the bench and look it over more closely.


A little Google search tells me they may be Soundtraxx Tsunami just based on the purple shrink.

One last thing, I opted not to change the headlight which seems to not be working. It's a royal pain in the caboose to reassemble the split boiler weight/motor mount, which also serves as the holder for the worm gear and belt setup.

[tony]

Might be helpful to see a picture of what the speaker is - does it have an enclosure? The purple color you mentioned made me think of early Souundtraxx Tsunami product. I would test with a good quality speaker that you know sound good and see how that sounds.