Shedmaster 47 Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Hi folks , I wonder if anyone can advise ? I have a bachman Mauritania sound locomotive that up untill just recently worked fine .Then one day t suddenly without warning stopped producing sounds quite abruptly after settling down into an idle running sound and after the horn was used and the brakes released, it just STOPPED DEAD !!!....... My initial thoughts was a short had occurred and maybe it had derailed over points etc? Nope it was fine and my prodigy express controller was not flashing ( indicate a short ) puzzled ; I tried to start it again .NO JOY She runs just as slowly and smoothly as ever , all the lights work as normal but she has just gone MUTE !! Having read some reports on this forum that the speaker contacts mounted in the roof can sometimes cause trouble I removed the body and made sure they came into hard contact after using a fibre glass pen to clean the contacts ( both loco and roof ) reassembled but still no sounds !! Am I rite in assuming that if the chip was still working giving sounds , although the speaker may be dead ; that the loco would not" move off " imidiately up until opening the throttle if I had pressed F1 to start the sounds ?? It would wait untill the engine had fired up first yes ??.....Sadly this is not the case , it move off straight away , making me think I have a damaged chip !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 Sorry part of my post appears to be missing !! Any help would be appreciated.. ( Sorry if this problem has been raised and sorted elsewhere in the past) .... Thanks in advance Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 I have already reset the decoder to factory settings by giving CV8 an setting of 8 .this had not cured the lack of sounds... All lights work fine and she runs like silk .just no sound . Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted April 22, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 22, 2017 (edited) I have lost a few of the 28mm speakers this loco uses in its sound installation - they have failed. Suggest you start there ....and while you are in there hard wire the speaker on to those contact pads on the chassis, the rubbing contacts are not reliable. If you want improved sound volume and quality too get the blue tack out and seal around the speaker once sorted... But if changing the speaker doesn't work it may unfortunately mean the amplifier on the chip has blown.... Phil Edited April 22, 2017 by Phil Bullock Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 I have already reset the decoder to factory settings by giving CV8 an setting of 8 .this had not cured the lack of sounds... All lights work fine and she runs like silk .just no sound . Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 Thanks phill...how would I test the speaker .continuity with a volt meter perhaps !! It's so tiny that I don't want to try the usual trick ( as used with hi-fi ) And touch the terminals with a pen light battery; if it crackles it works......this may burn out such a tiny speaker ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 Thanks phill...how would I test the speaker .continuity with a volt meter perhaps !! It's so tiny that I don't want to try the usual trick ( as used with hi-fi ) And touch the terminals with a pen light battery; if it crackles it works......this may burn out such a tiny speaker ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 Sorry!! My mobile is duplicate things again !! Grrrrrrrrrrr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted April 22, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 22, 2017 No worries! Easiest with this loco is try it in another if you have another sound fitted with the same installation - just two screws to swap them over If not suggest you order another - it wont break the bank! http://www.digitrains.co.uk/ecommerce/speakers/50333-loksound-v4-4-ohm-speaker.aspx is the one you want Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 Thanks Phill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted April 22, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 22, 2017 Welcome! Let us know how you get on... Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
legomanbiffo Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 I test speakers with a PP3 battery all the time. Just dab it on briefly, if the speaker clicks then chances are it's fine. if you leave the battery conected it will probably blow the speaker fairly quickly so just be very brief. That's all you need anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 Thanks for that legomanbiffo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 Hi again gents ..well looks like you were rite Phil , removed the speaker from said loco and tested with PP3 battery ( sparingly ) direct to the speaker itself ... DEAD As the proverbial Doh'Doh !! SO as soon as funds are available again ( am unemployed at the min ) I will be ordering a replacement speaker and I will try again ...... Just one quick question for either of you ; What would be a sensible CV setting for MASTER Volume ( cv 63 ) so as not to overload the Amp??? I have yet to check it's setting , but the max available 192 and default is 128 from the paperwork I have with it !!! I was thinking 150 maybe ?? Thanks again gents..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 PS. forgot to mention that I am deaf ( I wear two hearing aids ) and the default on my class 24 was too quiet so eased it up by 20 and it's fine now !!! Mauritania hasn't been altered by me at all from NEW !!! Thanks .. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted April 23, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 23, 2017 When you have a new speaker Allan apply the blu tak mod ....see post 497 on http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69217-Bachmann-announce-class-43-expanding-the-abbotswood-fleet/page-20 Will increase volume for a given setiing significantly so you can turn actual output volume down I tend to run ours well wound up as exhibition halls can need that but experiment to find the right volume for your own personal tastes What part of the word are you in Allan? Cheers Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 Hi Phil, Thanks for the heads up about the " gasket" mod !! I had heard about doing this but it's much better to " see " what your meant to be doing , as well as the finished result !! Many thanks I live in North Wales .. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 HI again Phill , just a quick update .speaker ordered and should be with me by Friday at the latest ....checked out the volume CV and now of course it's set to default of 128 following the CV8 factory reset to 8 !!! So Ave no idea if it was set too high when I bought the loco in " As new" condition over two years ago now .. tried the loco on the track and fresher F1 ( engine startup ) and imidiately opened up the throttle to see if she shot off up the track ?.....thankfully it DIDN'T and waited around 7-8 seconds before it did !!! SO hopefully it looks like my " sound chip " hadn't blown !!!..... Will keep you posted . Thanks for your help .. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted April 24, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 24, 2017 You are welcome Allan Would have been happy to offer actual help if you were nearer - I do head off in to Wales trout tickling from time to time, but that's usually around Builth - suspect you are t-other side of the mountains! Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 26, 2017 Author Share Posted April 26, 2017 Hi again Phil. Yes you're dead correct I am " t"uthere side ot moon tins " am int.Abergele near enough !! LOL THANKS anyway ... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster 47 Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 Hi phill , Just to let you know the NEW speaker arrived earlier than quoted !! So after testing it out the of the body and fitting a " blue tack " gasket " inside the roof, it was placed on the layout once again .. F1 was pesssed and the results were impressive , " Mauritania " has found her voice again!! And a fair bit louder too ( chip set to factory levels ) !! Hard to believe that such a small modification can make huge difference!!! Thanks again for your help and advise..... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted April 28, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2017 Hi phill , Just to let you know the NEW speaker arrived earlier than quoted !! So after testing it out the of the body and fitting a " blue tack " gasket " inside the roof, it was placed on the layout once again .. F1 was pesssed and the results were impressive , " Mauritania " has found her voice again!! And a fair bit louder too ( chip set to factory levels ) !! Hard to believe that such a small modification can make huge difference!!! Thanks again for your help and advise..... That's good news Allan Goes to prove that a bit of attention paid to speaker installation can yield - as you say - worthwhile results. Goes back to physics at school - constructive and destructive interference in wave forms Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucknall byron Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 Phil i have just found this thread whilst waiting for Bachmann to come back to me on the long running saga of the poor running on my self same model. Is the speaker you mention a marked improvement on the factory fitted one in your opinion? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted November 20, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 20, 2020 (edited) 17 hours ago, hucknall byron said: Phil i have just found this thread whilst waiting for Bachmann to come back to me on the long running saga of the poor running on my self same model. Is the speaker you mention a marked improvement on the factory fitted one in your opinion? Hi there Apologies for not coming back sooner. If I am reading correctly you have two issues... poor running and no sound. Unfortunately Bachmann changed the pick up arrangements on the 40s from wipers to brass bushes and only on two axles! Not good....pretty sure D211 has the latter arrangement. To their credit Bachmann have listened to the issues and have reinstated wipers on the latest batch. Will be interested to hear if they offer you a solution. If not then fit your own wipers... there are instructions in another thread. As for the speaker.... I don’t know what Bachmann have fitted in the sound version but the ESU 50333 is a direct drop in. Before you change it however just check the brass wiper strips to the speaker are contacting the pads on the chassis. I dont trust them and prefer to hard wire the speaker. As Biff says test the speaker with a battery. If you do go down the replacement route in addition to the round 50333 which fits as described a double Iphone speaker will just sit on top of the chassis block. Which is better? Not much in it if you seal the 50333 in with blue tack. Here’s a comparison video .... D200 has 50333, D233 has double IPhone. Maybe the double iphone has a bit more tonal range... both locos have Howes files on ESU Loksound chips, volume set CV63 to 192... maximum! I can happily live with either Edited November 20, 2020 by Phil Bullock Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucknall byron Posted November 20, 2020 Share Posted November 20, 2020 Thanks for your interest Phil. Yes mine is the original with brass bushes i didnt know that Bachmann had since gone back to wipers. I have had a reply from them but only with the usual suggestions, clean the track, clean the wheels etc. I am not confident enough to go down the route that you suggest with the model but i am currently having some work done on another model by Richard at Roads and Rails so that might be the way to go? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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