Fitting Coaches with Loco Sound

[TheEdge]

I've got a collection of continental N and had some fitting services look at my locos and come to the conclusion that there just isn't the space in most locos to retrofit sound. So I'm looking at other ways of achieving some sound and the idea that has jumped to mind is to fit coaches and wagons with the sound to go with their locos. In some cases I'm dealing with HST-esque semi permanently coupled power cars and coaches so it's no issue, in others I'm coming up with more fluid ideas. 
 

The first project is one of the semi-permanent sets so hopefully an easy start. The intention is to use a commercial lighting kit to get the power to the chip, then use a ESU LokSound 5 Fx chip to provide the sound. If I've understood that chip correctly with its lack of motor control and design intention for being used in cab cars I can happily just attach it to the feeds and leave it and its speaker in the coach? Then if I just consist it with the loco or use the same address for both loco and coach chip the sound should sync with the loco? Or am I over simplifying that?

 

For other locos I have had the idea of dedicated "sound coaches" to run within consists. As there should only be a limited different types of classes running with each consist I'm hoping I can make this work but having a coach with multiple loksound chips loaded with each different class, wired to one speaker. Then again, consist them up and have the right noise for the right loco. Is that a plausible idea or a bit unworkable?  

[Hamburger]

The Loksound5 Fx is designed for that purpose. Easy to do for diesel, maybe more difficult to get the chuffs in sync for steam.

When using a lighting kit for pickup you probably have to add a stay-alive to the decoder.

 

Never connect the speaker outputs of different decoders, so never wire two or more decoders to one speaker.

 

With the Loksound5 it is technically possible to have multiple projects on one decoder and swap between them by just changing a single CV even on the fly with PoM

(or, depending on number of projects, by F-key(s) ).

 

But who will do such a multiple project?

 

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Hamburger

[Chrisr40]

20 hours ago, Hamburger said:

With the Loksound5 it is technically possible to have multiple projects on one decoder and swap between them by just changing a single CV ev

Soundtraxx econami have this feature of multiple locos on one chip and are cheaper but not sure if they have a small version of their chip.

[Nigelcliffe]

Zimo and ESU, and others allow multiple sound projects on a single sound decoder, with fairly easy swapping between them for the end-user. 
There is a trade-off in doing that, as the available memory to store sounds is finite, and spreading it over more locos means reduced sounds for each loco (even if some sounds are "shared").  

 

 

For continental locos this many be feasible as a DIY.   Both ESU and Zimo have published downloadable sound projects for a number of continental locos, which individuals could mix/match to give the combinations they require on decoders.  To DIY this stuff requires the relevant programming hardware from the chosen decoder maker.    Or, it requires asking a sound provider if they can produce such a mixed decoder for you.  

 

 

-  Nigel