Sound gerberators....

[tramcar trev]

As usual I was thinking that what I need for realism on the tramway is some sort of real tram sounds emanating from my trams. Ideally what I would like is 2 dings (in reality and by law the Motorman is supposed to yell out "Hold tight" but rarely heard these days even in museums) then the noises associated with a "real" tram accelerating (the clunking and whining that we all remember but find it hard to describe). This activated as the power is applied via the PWM speed controller..... Ok so I did an eBay search and found these;

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/STEAM-ENGINE-SOUND-GENERATOR-CROSSHEAD-OSCILLATING-/121246026096?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item1c3ad38970&_uhb=1

Ok substitute the steam engine/ lister diesel engine sounds for a "real" tram sounds and this crowd are onto a winner especially for the growing number of R/C control tramway aficionados out there, I know at least 5 and that has gone up by one since I joined the throng...
And these are of stout British Manufacture.

For he is an Englishman,
And he himself hath said it,
And it's greatly to his credit,
That he is an Englishman!
That he is an Englishman!

 

[dunnyrail]

Trev,
A friend of mine on His HO Garden Railway used a BR Block Bell for his Auto Tram part of the line. He had a Relay activated by a Magnet and Reed Switch system. I think that made to bell bong as a Tram passed a certain spot. Seams to me that a similar idea might work for you.
JonD

 

[tramcar trev]

Aaaaah dementia is setting in;
Mind you had I thought out my search string more thoroughly I would have found these. Only problem would be electronically triggering them. Maybe short out the play button after recording and supply power at 5V via an LM7805 across the motor supply, when the power comes on the thing emits its sound?

I guess at the price its not a great loss if it doesn't work....

Worth trying you think? ahh better add the url.....

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=sound+recorder+module&_sop=15

Now these devices have the ability to accept whatever recording you throw at them (so its real sound and not digitally created sound) and there are some that can give up to 30 seconds and these are considerably cheaper than proprietary sound modules. Yes a reed switch (replacing the onboard press button) and a magnet/s judiciously placed along the track where the tram is required to ring its bell would trigger....
Maybe this should be cross pollinated to the sound section/ let me see if I can do this.....

 

[facade]

This type of record + play chips are used in the ITTC sound modules (they do a nice "ding ding" trolley bell).

I looked into making my own sound modules too using these Christmas card modules.
However, the cheap ones will not loop play: if you connect them to power with the switch shorted they play once, the much more expensive ones like ITTC use loop.

I did have data on the chips used somewhere, and a circuit diagram to make it loop, but it was quite complicated.

 

[tramcar trev]

This type of record + play chips are used in the ITTC sound modules (they do a nice "ding ding" trolley bell).

I looked into making my own sound modules too using these Christmas card modules.
However, the cheap ones will not loop play: if you connect them to power with the switch shorted they play once, the much more expensive ones like ITTC use loop.

I did have data on the chips used somewhere, and a circuit diagram to make it loop, but it was quite complicated.

Ahhhhh soooo maybe exactly what I need. I want my trams to go ding, ding, clunk, whine, whir each time its started, so if I power it from the motor power via an LM7805 regulator it should do this each time the motor is started. From memory the LM 7805 needs 7 volts before it fires up... I have a few different types on order so experimentation will be the big GO.