marc smith Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Just wondering a couple of things. Apologies if any of this has been asked before, I couldn't find a definitive answer - plus it's really 2 questions in one. I recently acquired an O gauge Ixion Fowler. I'd really like sound installed into it - but that's not necessarily the most important thing.I've planned a really small O gauge layout, which utilises an old Lima point. Now the point has a large plastic crossing vee, and I'm concerned that may cause power loss as the Fowler is a short wheelbase, and only 4 wheels at that.I've previously installed a Stay-alive chip in an EM gauge class 08 of mine, and it runs superbly, and never stalls! However, is it possible to install a stay-alive capacitor, and a sound chip? Or will that not work properly?Also, if this is not possible - has anyone installed a stay-alive decoder into one of these lovely little Ixions? Does it work well in an O gauge locomotive? - I realise Ixions draw very little current - so I'm assuming it would workCheers nowMarc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Definitely is Marc, although it's a pain in the proverbial to fit into the Fowler. Paul Martin at EDM models has done a significant number of them. The issue is not fitting the keep alive to the sound decoder- the Zimo chips Paul uses are designed for it to be an "easy" 2 solder joints to connect up- but squeezing it all in to the loco. I have one as done by Paul and it's brilliant. Runs beautifully regardless of trackwork (I have a section of inset track that is a bit of a pain to keep clean, not helped that the flangeway was full of debris at the time of testing) and it's completely happy on it now, as well as crawling over Peco points without a glitch. Obviously it should with the KA capacity Paul has fitted, but it's still impressive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted December 10, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 10, 2015 EDM Models are the Ixion stockists for sound fitted Fowlers and stay-Alive is all part of the installation. There are details on the website but at the moment Paul isn't taking orders as he is also responsible for sound fitting the Minerva Peckett and that job is taking priority at the moment. http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Ixion/Fowler/fowler.html EDIT Matt beat me to it - but have a look here where Paul has illustrated the process - I know at one time he was milling a piece off the chassis to make it fit but he might use smaller components now? http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Ixion/Fowler/fowler2.html . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Just wondering a couple of things. Apologies if any of this has been asked before, I couldn't find a definitive answer - plus it's really 2 questions in one. I recently acquired an O gauge Ixion Fowler. I'd really like sound installed into it - but that's not necessarily the most important thing. I've planned a really small O gauge layout, which utilises an old Lima point. Now the point has a large plastic crossing vee, and I'm concerned that may cause power loss as the Fowler is a short wheelbase, and only 4 wheels at that. I've previously installed a Stay-alive chip in an EM gauge class 08 of mine, and it runs superbly, and never stalls! However, is it possible to install a stay-alive capacitor, and a sound chip? Or will that not work properly? Also, if this is not possible - has anyone installed a stay-alive decoder into one of these lovely little Ixions? Does it work well in an O gauge locomotive? - I realise Ixions draw very little current - so I'm assuming it would work Cheers now Marc Marc, The Ixion Fowler is a challenging model for the fitting of DCC sound and stay-alive because of its small size. My personal Fowler "Kitchener", as opposed to the ones in stock, has been fitted out with Zimo DCC sound and stay-alive by Paul Martin at EDM Models/NG Trains. It works very well with no stalling and runs on for about 20 seconds after power is cut off. Paul also fitted my equally diminutive Ixion Manning Wardle H class 0-4-0ST with the same kit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Pretty sure mine doesn't have the block milled out of the chassis Mike, it's a relatively recent one though. I dare say for Marc's requirements a smaller KA would suffice- I think some of the issues were around speaker placement however. There's not a lot of decoder space either! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc smith Posted December 11, 2015 Author Share Posted December 11, 2015 Thanks for your replies folks I'm just wondering whether installing either the speaker or the decoder into the cab is a possibility?On my Ixion Hudswell Clarke, I've put the speaker in the cab, and it's definitely an improvement on the tiny speaker which fits the allotted space underneath.The speaker in the cab is hidden by inclusion of a crew - just wondering whether something like that can be done?Cheers again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ngtrains.com Posted December 11, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 11, 2015 I'm just wondering whether installing either the speaker or the decoder into the cab is a possibility? You could but by the time you have cut the body about to run the wires to install it in the cab you could do the job properly and install it without it being seen as I described in my PM replying to your PM Also as far as I am aware I am the only one offering the correct sounds recorded from the real thing on a decoder Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 And damn good it is, too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted December 12, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 12, 2015 Pretty sure mine doesn't have the block milled out of the chassis Mike, it's a relatively recent one though. See photos on this page - scroll down to near the bottom - described by Paul as "heavy engineering" but I thought that was what he did with his 12in / 1ft modelling at Boston Lodge ! http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Ixion/Fowler/fowler2.html . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ngtrains.com Posted December 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 12, 2015 Time to lets some facts get in the way of a good story EDM Models (Me) has now installed sound in just over 100 of the Ixion Fowlers. As far as I am aware ts the only decoder offered with genuine Fowler sounds on it (although the donkey engine sound is from a Kerr Stuart) If you got one of the early ones, first 30 IIRC, then the silly lump under the plastic speaker mount was milled out and the complete sound installation is in the chassis Stripping the loco and milling the chassis was a right royal PITA so all the later conversion have the Mk2 install which still involves electrically stripping the loco out, correcting a double wiring fault and starting from scratch but it avoids the milling machine. All is still a very tight fit but it allows us to use the fully featured ZIMO MX645 decoder and its direct hook up to the keep alive The keep alive is one I make up myself specifically to fit in the underframe as the commercial ones don't fit. It can only be used with the MX645 decoder as it is paired to its on board voltage and current control rather than having an external regulator circuit. Whilst there was a lot of amusement caused by the keep alive providing enough power for the loco to carry on running for 20 seconds or about 8 feet across a table I now despatch them with a CV set so that after 1.5 seconds without a valid DCC signal the loco stops. It actually brakes to a halt with all the proper stopping sounds and sits there playing the engine noises until the keep alive runs out. This is a lot more controlled, the KA capacity is still in there but 1.5 seconds is a reasonable compromise between getting over dirty track and not diving off the end of the layout. I am currently knee deep (or deeper) in Minerva Pecketts in for the sound and KA treatment. I have the second cut of the sound now in a prototype and its has some new features that proving very distracting - I want to keep playing with it when I should be making up installation kits. There is still a little work to do to the sound project but I'll try to do a video to post on the appropriate forum later Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc smith Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 My Ixion Fowler arrived the other day, and I had a play with it over the weekendI have to say, it runs superbly (as does my Ixion Hudswell Clarke) - straight from the boxI was worried as to whether it would stall over a very tight radius Lima point, which has a plastic VeeHowever, it ran perfectly Without stalling or hesitating, and the track was filthy (I wanted to give it a good test)That said, I may still install a keep alive decoder anyway...Thanks for all your comments, thoughts and advice fellow rmwebbers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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