TTS sound

[ohanlonmartin]

Hi,

 

Saw this as a special offer from Hattons this week: "Hornby - R3460TTS Class 4F 0-6-0 44198 in BR Black with late crest - TTS sound fitted"

 

Not having any knowledge/experience of sound chipped loco's can anyone let me know what the above TTS sound actually does?

 

I have had a query answered by Hattons which just said: "This model is DCC fitted and comes complete with Hornbys own TTS sound chip which is an added benefit which hopefully will be a great addition to your layout."

 

Thanks

 

[gooderz]

TTS is a cheap sound decoder that offers the basics of a sound chip and locomotive control.

TTS, to my knowledge, can only play 2 sounds at one. one sound being your engine and the other being a whistle or horn etc where as the 'full fat' top decoders from Zimo and ESU can play 4 sounds at once.

The TTS doesn't offer the high quality in sounds, functionality and control that you get from chips supplied by Legomanbiffo, Digitrains or Chinnor railway.

[johnd]

And the other suppliers . Loco control is as per any other chip and certain CV's can be altered. TTS is a good cheapish introduction to DCC controlled sound. You pays your money and you learn with it.

 

Look up DCC sound suppliers. 

 

Also be aware that TTS sound will not work on DC (analogue ) controlled model railways.  

Edited July 14, 2016 by johnd

[RAF96]

The TTS diesels are more acceptable than the steamers as they drive quite realistically, but on the steamers you cannot synch the chuffing wheels.

Edited July 15, 2016 by RAFHAAA96

[ohanlonmartin]

Always true that you get what you pay for, with no sound chipped loco's in my stable I was considering this offer as a kind of look-see opportunity but will now discount that and maybe retrun to the idea of sound when I have progressed with the layout itself.

[charliepetty]

Always true that you get what you pay for, with no sound chipped loco's in my stable I was considering this offer as a kind of look-see opportunity but will now discount that and maybe retrun to the idea of sound when I have progressed with the layout itself.

 

Bachmann now seem to be using American ESU Select decoders as they are £45.00 Cheaper, one problem though.  If you don't like the sounds sadly they cannot be re-blown!!!

 

There list price seems to be more that £55.00 Dearer though,  FUNNY THAT???

 

Charlie

[cravensdmufan]

Now that it has been announced that Hornby are releasing their TTS decoders as separate items, I see that Hattons are advertising pre orders at £36 each.

 

I started fitting some of my favourite diesels some months ago - and have used Legomanbiffo, Coastal, and more recently Zimo.all of which I am delighted with.

 

Since then of course, many of the non-sound locos have remained in their boxes!  I am looking forward to fitting some of the less favourite locos with the TTS decoders.  I know they won't be as good as the ones I have already but at around a third of the cost it'll be a great way to increase the fleet. Some sound is better than no sound.  Especially as my layout room is small and I tend to only have them on very softly.  Usually about 50/192 on an ESU.

 

Pre ordered a 31, 37 and 60 to give them a try.

 

IMO a very welcome announcement from Hornby.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Now that it has been announced that Hornby are releasing their TTS decoders as separate items......

.....IMO a very welcome announcement from Hornby.

 

 

I'm not banking on it, but let's hope this may spark some competition in the area of low cost sound for British outline models.

Modellers of the North American prototype have various lower cost options open to them. We could do with that over here too.

 

 

 

.

[newbryford]

I have one TTS fitted loco - a ViTrains 37 that is fitted with a TTS decoder from a Hornby 37.

Whilst it does have basic sounds as mentioned above, it's fine for "normal" running on a roundy-roundy. It doesn't have the same functionality and play value of the higher end decoders. The TTS sound can be much improved by using a better speaker and installation that the standard supplied items.

 

I have a few 37s and I like to have some variance in the fleet, using different projects from SWD, legomanbiffo, a.n.other. and one TTS.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[RossE]

I'm really looking forward to the release of the individual TTS decoders. I've never had sound in my locomotives before and thought I never would after seeing the cost to install a Loksound etc. TTS has given a glimmer a hope to those of us with a tighter budget. I'm happy with the quality I've heard in videos and applaud Hornby for appealing to the wider market. My nieces and nephews are going to absolutely love it.

Just a note: next summer is the proposed release date- is this correct? How reliable do we think this proposal is?
Ross 

[newbryford]

I'm really looking forward to the release of the individual TTS decoders. I've never had sound in my locomotives before and thought I never would after seeing the cost to install a Loksound etc. TTS has given a glimmer a hope to those of us with a tighter budget. I'm happy with the quality I've heard in videos and applaud Hornby for appealing to the wider market. My nieces and nephews are going to absolutely love it.

 

Just a note: next summer is the proposed release date- is this correct? How reliable do we think this proposal is?

Ross 

 

It's not a new product, it's just that it's now becoming available separately. So I would hope for Summer 2017 as they say.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[MikeParkin65]

I bought a TTS class 47 to use the chip in the Bachmann model. The sounds are good BUT I find the chip is very sensitive to momentary power interruptions, much more so than any of the other sound fitted loco's I have. And it does't seem to like my Hex frog juicer connected points at all. I've checked the pickups on the loco and run it with a standard chip and it runs fine so I can only conclude its an issue with the TTS chip. All in all a reasonably cheap experiment (I sold the railroad 47 so the chip owes me about £25) but not one I will be repeating. And I wouldn't touch steam TTS at all as the sounds have scant relationship to the movement of the loco at all.

[JohnR]

Its a pity they dont seem to be offering a Class 25 TTS chip - I quite fancied upgrading an older Hornby model.

[cravensdmufan]

Its a pity they dont seem to be offering a Class 25 TTS chip - I quite fancied upgrading an older Hornby model.

I think Hornby are only releasing sounds for the Classes that they have previously fitted TTS sound to.

 

Their Class 25 was never so fitted.

[cravensdmufan]

I bought a TTS class 47 to use the chip in the Bachmann model. The sounds are good BUT I find the chip is very sensitive to momentary power interruptions, much more so than any of the other sound fitted loco's I have. And it does't seem to like my Hex frog juicer connected points at all. I've checked the pickups on the loco and run it with a standard chip and it runs fine so I can only conclude its an issue with the TTS chip. All in all a reasonably cheap experiment (I sold the railroad 47 so the chip owes me about £25) but not one I will be repeating. And I wouldn't touch steam TTS at all as the sounds have scant relationship to the movement of the loco at all.

That is very interesting.

 

I wonder if the problem occured when the TTS decoder was fitted in the original Hornby loco?  Did you by any chance try it out before you swapped it into the Bachmann 47?

 

Interestingly, I have had similar problems with ESU Loksound decoders!  But the other way round!  Bachmann diesels are all fine, but Hornby diesels behave strangely!  Legoman advised me to check the power supply to my layout (which is converted from DC, with no bus wire).  I temporarily hooked up some additional feeds using croc clips which cured the problem.  So I will now upgrade the track feeds with a new bus wire.

[MikeParkin65]

That is very interesting.

 

I wonder if the problem occured when the TTS decoder was fitted in the original Hornby loco?  Did you by any chance try it out before you swapped it into the Bachmann 47?

 

Thats a good question. I can't say conclusively because I ripped up the layout and am mid way through the second version at the moment but when I test ran the loco after purchase (ie the Hornby factory fit TTS 47) i didn't note this as a problem. 

[JSpencer]

To go in a Bachmann 47, I would need an 8 pin to 21 converter. For this very reason, I will stick with a classic 21 pin sound chip.

 

However TTS is great way of beginning in DCC sound and expanding the sound fleet. Oh the 20+ sound models, only 2 have TTS sound right now, but 2017 looks to increase this by another 4 (1 MN, and separate chips to upgrade a class 31, a castle and a Bachmann A1 peppercorn).

 

Sometimes I do need the finer control of a fully blown DCC sound chip, but most of the time I don't. So its limits are not that crippling and with a large sound fleet, I won't have time to tinker with the fine parts anyway.

 

A TTS loco will run on DC like a DC loco, but there are no sounds. A full DCC model really depends on how it is programmed. One of my class 20s fitted with locosound, with a reversed sense of direction (so it can run in a pair), refuses to run under normal DC period.

[JSpencer]

That is very interesting.

 

I wonder if the problem occured when the TTS decoder was fitted in the original Hornby loco?  Did you by any chance try it out before you swapped it into the Bachmann 47?

 

Interestingly, I have had similar problems with ESU Loksound decoders!  But the other way round!  Bachmann diesels are all fine, but Hornby diesels behave strangely!  Legoman advised me to check the power supply to my layout (which is converted from DC, with no bus wire).  I temporarily hooked up some additional feeds using croc clips which cured the problem.  So I will now upgrade the track feeds with a new bus wire.

 

The only time my Hornby diesels started acting strangely was when the oil in the bearings of the gear towers dried up. Running became beyond a joke. Swaped the chip for a blanking plate, sure it run a little better but there was clearly a mechanical issue. Oiled the gear towers and they were then fine and superb.

 

DCC has a tendency to hide developing problems until they get bad. So always revert to normal DC mode to fix them first.

 

I am surprised at the statements of Bachmann 47 loosing electrical contact. This is long loco which requires no stay alive gadgets, and would hint at a problem with the loco's pickups of poor track joints or dirt on wheels/track, or a mix of all of them.

[cravensdmufan]

 

DCC has a tendency to hide developing problems until they get bad. So always revert to normal DC mode to fix them first.

 

 

That is a very good tip, thanks JS.

[JohnR]

I think Hornby are only releasing sounds for the Classes that they have previously fitted TTS sound to.

 

Their Class 25 was never so fitted.

Yes, Hornby havnt had their 25 in the range for a while. Would an alternative diesel be suitable?

[kernowtim]

Bought my first tts sound steam locomotive last week, LNER A4 on offer at kernow models for £65, steam sounds are not synchronized in any way which works best at speed,there are 3 whistle options, wheelslip and safety valve lifting among the function outputs, sounds cut out or stop altogether occasionally when crossing points presumably due to losing track power (tested on club layout with gaugemaster controller). Have tts Hornby/lima class 40 too, prefer diesel sound but A4 good value!!

[jamesg]

A TTS loco will run on DC like a DC loco, but there are no sounds. A full DCC model really depends on how it is programmed. One of my class 20s fitted with locosound, with a reversed sense of direction (so it can run in a pair), refuses to run under normal DC period.

Locomotive direction and DC running are both configured through CV 29 - could DC running have been lost when you reversed the direction?

 

I find TTS very good for the price - a lot less than more fully featured sound decoders.  It probably works better for diesel locomotives rather than steam, as sounds aren't synchronised to the wheels - you'd have to be watching the motion closely to spot this, though.  More noticeable is the distinct 'notching up' as the locomotive accelerates and the 'chuffing' sound changes from one sound effect to another.  Having said that, if there's a locomotive on sale that suits your interests, I'd buy one.  Unfortunately, Gadwall doesn't suit my layout, but I'll be following the new releases with interest.

[JSpencer]

Locomotive direction and DC running are both configured through CV 29 - could DC running have been lost when you reversed the direction?

 

 

 

Quite probably. When I ordered the pair of sound chips for my 20s, I specified one had to be reversed which the supplier did free of charge.

[RAF96]

For anyone hoping to install Hornby TTS chips to older locos then please check the stall current of your intended install is within limits of the TTS decoder.

 

If you want to run an old Triang XO3/4 motor with a full rake up a hill then I wouldn't bother, but if you just run light engine at low throttle as I do then you should get away with it.

 

Check, check, check...

[cravensdmufan]

Here's my latest TTS sound fit into a Bachmann 47 using two iPhone speakers from Roads and Rails.

 

 

CV settings are in the YouTube description.

 

I'm still pleased with TTS decoders! Thanks Hornby!

 

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by cravensdmufan
Additional wording