ABS Speakers in Maplins

[RedgateModels]

Called in yesterday for a couple of the ABS-221-RC 28mm round speakers (N97FU - £3.59) and was pleasantly surprised to see that they stock most of the usual speakers we use for sound installations:

 

the 20x40mm 224-RC(N99FU) - £3.69 - generally used in diesels, sadly they don't stock the ESU low profile enclosure!

the one with the enclosed chamber 229-RC (N24KJ) - £8.49 - my "standard" speaker for in the tenders of my BR Standards

and the 28x40mm 230-RC (N25KJ) - £7.99 - the ultimate tender speaker

 

Some are more expensive than say Digitrains charge, but others are less and if you have a local Maplins you don't pay postage

 

It's not obvious from the Maplins website which speaker is which as they don't have proper images

[Platform 1]

Called in yesterday for a couple of the ABS-221-RC 28mm round speakers (N97FU - £3.59) and was pleasantly surprised to see that they stock most of the usual speakers we use for sound installations:

 

the 20x40mm 224-RC(N99FU) - £3.69 - generally used in diesels, sadly they don't stock the ESU low profile enclosure!

the one with the enclosed chamber 229-RC (N24KJ) - £8.49 - my "standard" speaker for in the tenders of my BR Standards

and the 28x40mm 230-RC (N25KJ) - £7.99 - the ultimate tender speaker

 

Some are more expensive than say Digitrains charge, but others are less and if you have a local Maplins you don't pay postage

 

It's not obvious from the Maplins website which speaker is which as they don't have proper images

 

Thank you sir - useful to know, especially as Maplin's range seems to be declining

 

You may know that an 8ohm version of the 4ohm 224-RC - the ABS-216-RC - is available from CPC (others also, e.g Rapid).  It's cheaper and p&p is currently free for web orders.  I use the 216 in diesels and find their paper cone produces a more 'solid' sound than the mylar ones.

 

(No connection with CPC except as satisfied customer )

[corax67]

Excellent news - I was planning a trip to Maplin tomorrow to stock up on bits anyway so I will have a look at these too.

 

Many thanks.

[Compbck]

I stumbled on this post this week at the same time that I was maintaining and re-fitting sound to a Hornby Grange 4-6-0, so I took a chance on purchasing the 40mmx28mm speaker (N25KJ), and am I glad I did.

 

The tender did require excess plastic to be removed from inside to allow the speaker to be fitted facing upwards on a bed of BLU-TAC which seems to act a s very good sound insulator. A few small holes were then drilled in the coal load to allow the sound to escape. The wires were soldered to a small 2-pin connector and glued in a small gap adjacent to the cab. A further 2-pin connector allowed the extended speaker wires to be run through the cab to the decoder which was secreted within the cavity of the boiler.  This connection now allows the tender to be easily removed from the main body for maintenance etc.

 

However, the main reason for this feedback post is to praise the quality and increased sound produced from this particular speaker and to thank Redgate Models for bringing this to notice.

[RedgateModels]

It is a very good speaker, on my Hornby 8F I made a sealed chamber in the floor of the tender and sealed the speaker pointing down. In this way the primary sound is projected at the track and the tender body acts as a enclosure emphasising the bass.

[pauliebanger]

I stumbled on this post this week at the same time that I was maintaining and re-fitting sound to a Hornby Grange 4-6-0, so I took a chance on purchasing the 40mmx28mm speaker (N25KJ), and am I glad I did.

 

The tender did require excess plastic to be removed from inside to allow the speaker to be fitted facing upwards on a bed of BLU-TAC which seems to act a s very good sound insulator. A few small holes were then drilled in the coal load to allow the sound to escape. The wires were soldered to a small 2-pin connector and glued in a small gap adjacent to the cab. A further 2-pin connector allowed the extended speaker wires to be run through the cab to the decoder which was secreted within the cavity of the boiler.  This connection now allows the tender to be easily removed from the main body for maintenance etc.

 

However, the main reason for this feedback post is to praise the quality and increased sound produced from this particular speaker and to thank Redgate Models for bringing this to notice.

 

As you will see from my response to your other post, it's only £5.50 from Digitrains, not £7.99 as at Maplins.

 

http://www.digitrains.co.uk/ecommerce/search/dss230-speaker--rectangular--4ohm--2w--40x28x11-5mm.aspx

 

 

Paul

[two tone green]

One word of warning when buying speakers. Whilst the size and impedance may be the same the power handling capabilities may not be the same.

 

Some of the cheaper speakers are cheaper because they are of a lower wattage. I bought some 28mm speakers only to find out they are 1 watt whilst the ESU ones were 2 watts. This affected the quality of the sound at higher volume levels which can easily be achieved in some cases. Push the speaker at higher volumes and frequencies and the quality drops off very quickly.

[Compbck]

I agree Paul, but if you are lucky enough to have a Maplins in your area like I do - there is no postage to pay or waiting in to sign for deliveries - Digitrain charge £4 Royal Mail Sign For as their cheapest delivery method making the total cost £10.30.

 

A minor point I know, but to some the cost including delivery charges is an important issue, especially if you have to wait in to sign for it, or collect it from the sorting office if you miss a delivery.

[pauliebanger]

I agree Paul, but if you are lucky enough to have a Maplins in your area like I do - there is no postage to pay or waiting in to sign for deliveries - Digitrain charge £4 Royal Mail Sign For as their cheapest delivery method making the total cost £10.30.

 

A minor point I know, but to some the cost including delivery charges is an important issue, especially if you have to wait in to sign for it, or collect it from the sorting office if you miss a delivery.

 

£5.50 speaker and £4.00 postage = £9.50

 

No, it's not a minor point and one which is perfectly valid to make. You are correct that it depends upon one's circumstances and everyone will do their own calculations. 

 

For me, there's someone at home most days, my nearest Maplins is 8 miles away (that's an hour travelling into town and back - don't know the value you put on your time -  and about £3.00 in fuel, plus the £1.00 car park fee) and I usually would not buy just a single speaker, but add it (them) to other things I need (like a sound decoder which Maplins don't stock), so the postage cost is spread across the entire purchase. Whereas, every speaker of this type at Maplins will cost £7.99

 

But sometimes, I might need something urgently, in which case economy may have to bow to convenience.

 

There's no right or wrong in this and there was no intended criticism on my part; we are both just making information available for others to make an informed choice.

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul