Legomanbiffo earth movers fitting questions

[Albie the plumber]

Here's a few pics of my installation on Dapol Western. You don't need to take much metal off, I used a decent file and it took less than 10 minutes.

The cones move a bit when 'loaded' and you need space for the silicone, but you want to keep clear of the bogie.

I took a bit off the speaker enclosure bottom and chamfered the top corners, see pic, so it avoids any contact with the loco body.

The EM2 is then bedded in silicone to dampen the vibrations, also good to insulate the bare speaker connection to prevent any chance of touching the chassis.

It sounds amazing!

The EM2 is a 1watt 4 ohm, so I'm going to fit another smaller speaker at the other end to see how that sounds. Anyone paired an EM2 with a sugar cube? 

 

Nice work that Woody !

Did you remove the bogie before filing down the chassis or did you simply cover the moving parts to avoid contamination ?

 

Albie

[woodys]

Nice work that Woody !

Did you remove the bogie before filing down the chassis or did you simply cover the moving parts to avoid contamination ?

 

Albie

Hi Albie,

Yes I removed the bogie, it's quite easy...just pop the drive shaft out, lift the top clip off the bogie and it's free.

[MikeParkin65]

When are we going to have the first derailment caused by the sound from a EM speaker lifting the wheels off the track?

My 8f tender mounted EM2 soon shifts any loose coal out of the tender when I open her up!

[MikeParkin65]

The EM2 is a 1watt 4 ohm, so I'm going to fit another smaller speaker at the other end to see how that sounds. Anyone paired an EM2 with a sugar cube? 

Ah 4 ohm, that explains how the EM2 blew the amp on my Hornby 40 tts! Sounded awesome for a brief couple of seconds

[woodys]

I just fitted an EM2 to a Dapol class 52 with lok V4 and Biffoman sounds. I have a range of Westerns with all kinds of sounds and speaker options but this is another level. It will make your ballast jump about if you haven't glued it properly! Not too difficult to do but you need to be precise and cut enough out to isolate the speaker with flexi mounts to prevent rattle...! I'll put something on YouTube soon..!

This is an EM2 with SWD sound files

Edited September 5, 2017 by woodys

[Albie the plumber]

This is an EM2 with SWD sound files

 

Sounds great Woody !

Bet the Legomanbiffo version sounds even better with an EM2 inside 

In fairness to SWD , their Western sound project has come on a bit since I had a V3.5 version running round the layout a few years ago .

Your layout looks good too !

[woodys]

Sounds great Woody !

Bet the Legomanbiffo version sounds even better with an EM2 inside 

In fairness to SWD , their Western sound project has come on a bit since I had a V3.5 version running round the layout a few years ago .

Your layout looks good too !

Thanks Albie,

I'm just doing another Dapol Western, this time with V4 and Legomanbiffo sound, an EM2 and another smaller speaker.

[campbellad123]

Hi everyone,

 

Has anyone any tips or tricks on fitting an EM2 to a Bachmann 47. A Limited edition one is coming way from Model Rail Scotland in February, and I'd like to get it fully kitted out.

 

Thanks,

Campbellad123

[tractor_37260]

Hi everyone,

 

Has anyone any tips or tricks on fitting an EM2 to a Bachmann 47. A Limited edition one is coming way from Model Rail Scotland in February, and I'd like to get it fully kitted out.

 

Thanks,

Campbellad123

 

I've not done a 47 yet, only a couple of 37's. Fitting a EM2 to a Bach 47 will require a complete strip down of the model. A suitably sized recess requires to be milled or cut out of the chassis block to fit the speaker. The original main circuit board will no longer fit, so the decoder has to be hard wired   It involves a lot of work, but the results (going by my EM2 37's) are definitely worth the effort. Rather than cut-up a new L/E model why not fit the speaker etc into a cheaper 47 model chassis, and then swap it over with the the L/E edition one when available.

[Chamby]

Reading the comments in this thread I am left wondering if EM2’s are the way to go for me. I don’t want the levels of volume that loosens my track ballast, makes coal jump out of the tender or derails my loco... for me it is about the pursuit of realism, decent bass and resonance that feels right at normal viewing (listening) distance in my 4mm world.

 

I’m surprised that some of you guys haven’t tried using Wireless megabass sub-woofer boom boxes under the baseboards yet...

 

I have ordered EM2’s from Charlie at GETS last weekend to give them a try... and now hoping I have made the right call!

[RBAGE]

Fit the best speaker that the space will take (EM2 if possible) and turn the volume down.

[legomanbiffo]

Fear not Chamby, the benefits of the EM speakers will be obvious regardless of what volume setting you use. Only when you are trying to achieve the highest volume (eg for noisy exhibition use) do you have to take precautions to prevent things rattling from the large amounts of sound energy being developed in an enclosed space. Said precautions are very straightforward to carry out, and typically involve;

 

Adding weight (always a good thing anyway) to stop the wheels rattling on the track if the model is very light

 

Adding damping such as blue tac or thin lead flashing glued on to large, unsupported panels and bodysides. You can also use thin sheets of foam in-between metal chassis and plastic body to achieve the same thing.

 

Securing any loose parts such as bulkheads, roof fan parts etc with PVA glue to stop them rattling (PVA has the advantage of being removable if you ever need to do so).

 

 

Bif

[Revolution Mike B]

Reading the comments in this thread I am left wondering if EM2’s are the way to go for me. I don’t want the levels of volume that loosens my track ballast, makes coal jump out of the tender or derails my loco... for me it is about the pursuit of realism, decent bass and resonance that feels right at normal viewing (listening) distance in my 4mm world.

 

I’m surprised that some of you guys haven’t tried using Wireless megabass sub-woofer boom boxes under the baseboards yet...

 

I have ordered EM2’s from Charlie at GETS last weekend to give them a try... and now hoping I have made the right call!

 

The EM2s are fine Chamby so as Bif says, no need to worry - they just offer a deeper and clearer bass tone and therefore lose the tinny sound often reproduced by smaller speakers. I've got a pair of 37s with EM2s in the tanks firing downwards on to the tracks and there's no issues with stuff shaking loose....and everything is set to maximum volume.

 

You'll have a larger headache trying to work out how you can get them in to other locos 

 

Mike

[Albie the plumber]

OK , so I've finally turned my attention to my Class 37 /EM2 project .

 

The milling man has done his job and I've had lots of helpful advice from all you fine fellows !

 

I've bedded the speaker into its apeture with  silicone sealant and filed the sides of the speaker down to an angle to allow the body to go on .

 

I have also  'Dremmeled ' away the lugs on the inside of the body that encroach on the speaker area which is centrally positioned .

 

It seems to me now that the wires from motor and pick ups can only reach the decoder which is sat just behind the cab on the No2 end by running them

 

on the side of the metal casting .

 

Anything that goes over the speaker is likely to buzz when you hit the F1 button .

 

So with that , I've routed the wires from the motor, the No1 end bogie and the speaker to one side of the loco .

 

I've used double sided tape on the side of the casting, run the wires neatly along side the casting then covered them with electrical insulation tape .

 

The bond between double sided and insulation tape is very strong ! 

 

A quick test of the body will show that there are no issues over sliding the body shell over other than gently prising the tumblehome away from the wires .

 

So that's as far as I have got .

 

I plan to terminate those wires forward of the speaker at the No2 end onto phosphor bronze/copper pads which themselves will be fixed to plastic base - assuming it doesn't melt !

 

Or I might just use the heatshrink but its going to be crowded !.

 

As I prefer the earlier model without lights, I retrofit the loco with lights from stickswipe  . That will make it even more interesting but I plan to run the wires for that on the other side of the loco.

 

Will come back to you when I've made some decent progress on that 

 

 

Albie 

[bigal10]

Like I did with my Heljan 26, a few photos, even of the part-finished project, would be most welcome Albie.

 

Regards,

 

Alan.

[DCCmad]

Whats peoples thoughts and recommendations for EM speakers in a Bachmann class 47? 

 

Out of curiosity what speakers are fitted in these models? 

 

 

Thanks Connor 

[RBAGE]

The video answers that question.

[DCCmad]

The video answers that question.

 

Ah my mistake, Id missed the subtitle in the video explaining that 

 

Ive got an EM2 sat waiting to be fitted so will have a go with that then.

 

Thanks Connor  

[tractor_37260]

Whats peoples thoughts and recommendations for EM speakers in a Bachmann class 47? 

 

Out of curiosity what speakers are fitted in these models? 

 

https://youtu.be/jNY0BhId3fo

 

Thanks Connor

 

After hearing the above video I've now got a Bach 47 chassis ready for EM2 fitment still to test fit the body will fit properly....

Had a wee accident with a 37 chassis just completed cutting out the recess for an EM2 dropped it onto the concrete garage floor grrr it broke into 2 parts. . hopefully with some Araldite Metal Resin glued in speaker and the bottom frame should hold it all together ! that's the plan anyway. ..be "warned"once cut the chassis is fragile !!

[Revolution Mike B]

I've just spent the weekend fitting an EM2 in the tender of my Rebuilt MN and it doesn't sound as good as I thought it would. My 37s shake the house apart but I'm not feeling any earth moving with my steam loco 

 

I'll have a chat to Bif next weekend and see if he can give me any advice on making it sound better.

[Chamby]

I've just spent the weekend fitting an EM2 in the tender of my Rebuilt MN and it doesn't sound as good as I thought it would. My 37s shake the house apart but I'm not feeling any earth moving with my steam loco 

 

I'll have a chat to Bif next weekend and see if he can give me any advice on making it sound better.

I’ve tried an EM2 with the 8F chip and was disappointed too. Compared to other speakers it gave a nice deep chuff, but the hissing sounds were poorly reproduced. I have now swopped it out in favour of a 28x40 cone speaker which gives a much better all round sound, to my ear anyway. I’d like to try it with the EM2 doubled up with something like a dumbo, but didn’t have the space.

 

Phil.

[Revolution Mike B]

I’ve tried an EM2 with the 8F chip and was disappointed too. Compared to other speakers it gave a nice deep chuff, but the hissing sounds were poorly reproduced. I have now swopped it out in favour of a 28x40 cone speaker which gives a much better all round sound, to my ear anyway. I’d like to try it with the EM2 doubled up with something like a dumbo, but didn’t have the space.

Phil.

That's what I've done Phil

[charliepetty]

That's what I've done Phil

All to do with frequencies! they work well in some projects but are crap on others.

 

Our Demo 8F has 2 X High Bass in the tender!    Charlie

[tractor_37260]

Well after a lots of cursing and head scratching etc, I finally got an EM2 fitted into a Bachmann 47......a lot of work, hopefully the resulting sound will be worth it ? need to order a re-blown Mid Norfolk file from Charlie/Biff............

 

To get the body to fit back on properly, the motor is now mounted just inside the tank moulding, the chassis floor and tank moulding had to be cut to allow running clearance for the flywheels, the cardan shafts now "just clear" the rear of the bogie frame mouldings, the motor now being so low, the shafts are angled slightly upwards to the drive worms, hopefully it's going to run OK.  I also had to cut a rebate out of the bottom edge on one side of the speaker to allow the bogie pivot to turn. 

As can be seen, there is very little left holding the metal chassis together....  depending on how good it sounds and IF I decide to do another, I would probably put the speaker in the middle, meaning the metal chassis would then be left in 2 parts, but the bottom plastic frame and the glue holding the speaker "should" keep it all together - in-line etc............ a couple of thin strips of metal/brass etc could be used to join/strengthen the the 2 chassis parts if found necessary.

 

Hopefully it will encourage some others to have a go.....................

 

Ken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Albie the plumber]

Well after a lots of cursing and head scratching etc, I finally got an EM2 fitted into a Bachmann 47......a lot of work, hopefully the resulting sound will be worth it ? need to order a re-blown Mid Norfolk file from Charlie/Biff............

 

To get the body to fit back on properly, the motor is now mounted just inside the tank moulding, the chassis floor and tank moulding had to be cut to allow running clearance for the flywheels, the cardan shafts now "just clear" the rear of the bogie frame mouldings, the motor now being so low, the shafts are angled slightly upwards to the drive worms, hopefully it's going to run OK.  I also had to cut a rebate out of the bottom edge on one side of the speaker to allow the bogie pivot to turn. 

As can be seen, there is very little left holding the metal chassis together....  depending on how good it sounds and IF I decide to do another, I would probably put the speaker in the middle, meaning the metal chassis would then be left in 2 parts, but the bottom plastic frame and the glue holding the speaker "should" keep it all together - in-line etc............ a couple of thin strips of metal/brass etc could be used to join/strengthen the the 2 chassis parts if found necessary.

 

Hopefully it will encourage some others to have a go.....................

 

Ken

 

Stirling work that Ken !

Makes the '37 look easy !

Its clear that the chassis block no longer gives any rigidity but  a snug fitting EM in the recess may well change that .

Perhaps we shouldn't fear the 2 part chassis block