ERR RailSounds baffle fitting

A baffle does make a considerable difference especially in low frequency sounds. Rather than grinding metal you can use a hand operated sheet metal nibbler. A very handy tool that cuts metal into small bits.

Pete

Thanks, Pete.    I will purchase one and give it a try.  Is that particular device in the picture recommended?

Dennis

Getting the baffle in there is well worth the effort.

You might be able to make yourself a different baffle, I've used a number of things for baffles.  One that works pretty well is small spray can lids, I just cut them to the size needed for the job.  I've also used Styrofoam cups hot glued down, they work well too.

I like that idea;  working with Styrofoam won't exceed my skills. Thanks! Heck of lot better than cutting this metal, which is surprisingly tough.  

Dennis

The object of the exercise is to isolate the rear of the speaker from the front so the moving air doesn't cancel out part of the sound.  It usually affects the bass more, so without the baffle, the sounds are very "tinny".  The volume will really be enhanced with the baffle installed.

I fit a small Dixie cup over the speaker, which appears to completely seal it.  Two Dixie cups and a string works to move sound and communicate!    If it sounds weak, I will try something else.

Thanks for the idea. I was spinning my wheels.

Dennis

J Dennis posted:

Thanks, Pete.    I will purchase one and give it a try.  Is that particular device in the picture recommended?

Dennis

That is the one I have. Had it for nearly half a century. It will last if you don't abuse it. There are others but I don't have experience with them. Just google sheet metal nibblers. Most hits will be for powered ones but they aren't needed for this job.

Pete

I have what looks like the same nibbler, ADEL TOOL CO.  I even bought an extra nibbling die for it, and it's still in the box, the thing is tough, and I never needed the extra die.  I've probably had this for around 35 years, I bought it in my old house, so that was before 1989.

The MTH 20-2100-1 smoke unit is connected via a switch to track.   It also has a fan. Can the fan be connected to the Cruise Commander?  I cut wires, so am now not certain but I think the fan was powered by a rectifier mounted in the engine's front.  Is the fan compatible with Cruise Commander?

Dennis

If it's the PS/1 smoke unit and you didn't hack up the circuit board, it's powered directly from track power.  OTOH, I don't know what was in that specific engine.

It's an early MTH PS1 smoke unit with a fan, one of the first.    I know the smoke unit is powered by track AC, so it could be connected to the Cruise Commander. What do you guys do with the fan?   I could reinstall the little full-wave rectifier board mounted in the front (which did power the fan), and forget about TMCC control of smoke, but rather not.  A 2pdt slide switch appears to have powered AC to the smoke (via track) and DC to the fan (via the discrete rectifier).    Or use Cruise Commander's smoke output to power both the smoke unit itself and the original rectifier (which then powers the fan and effectively replacing the switch?)

 How do you handle the fan for your conversions?

Dennis

Well, since I have the Super-Chuffer for my installs, the fan is not a problem.  The Super-Chuffer powers the fan and of course, provides the chuffing and idle smoke functionality.  For the chuff switch, I use my Chuff-Generator, it provides programmable chuff rates. 

I'm confused about the rectifier board, the PS/1 smoke unit is a self-contained unit that takes track power in and handles the smoke resistor and fan.  Sometimes the electronics is separated from the physical smoke unit, but all the logic is there to control the smoke.

Maybe a picture of what you have and the "rectifier board" would be helpful in determining what you're dealing with.  If you have a bare smoke unit with no electronics support, that's not stock PS/1.

There's diodes on the fan's inputs.  The rectifier had AC inputs, and some LEDs on the outputs, along (I think) with the fan motor.  Wish I took better 'before' photos.  BTW, I do appreciate your help with this.

Dennis

That is a really old rig, I haven't encountered that one yet!   That looks like the fan motor supply, are the smoke resistors wired directly to track power?  If so, they can be powered from the TMCC R2LC.  The fan obviously needs 5V, and if you want chuffing smoke, you'll need something to provide that.  Of course, you also need a source of the chuff pulse, that's why I posted the two products above, that's how I do it.

Most of the PS/1 stuff has an integrated electronics board, sometimes mounted separately, and sometimes right on the smoke unit.  Some diesels had them mounted below in various configurations.

I see one side of the smoke unit is tied to the frame, and the other was track-supply via the smoke switch.  I believe the fan was powered by that small rectifier. If I used the output from the Cruise Commander (I assume is AC track voltage) to power BOTH the smoke unit AND input to the rectifier, do you think that would work?  I could attach one side of the rectifier to the frame and the other input to the Commander's 'smoke' output?  If not, I will reinstall it as-before and hopefully it will still work

What do you think the diodes on the fan are used for since it's looking for DC?  They're installed with opposite cathodes.   BTW, per the MTH site, this was one of their first smoke units.  

As this is a diesel, the chuff-unit wouldn't be appropriate, correct?  I have other MTH engines with smoke units as you pictured.

Dennis

Diesel, I guess the chuff isn't an issue, and I so wanted chuffing smoke.  

The little fan power supply should work right off the TMCC smoke output.  That component across the one smoke resistor is a temperature dependent resistor, if it gets a low enough voltage across it, it reduces in resistance to provide more current flow to the other resistor.  I suspect those resistors will turn out to be 16 ohms in the smoke unit.

If you want to see how well this will work on the TMCC output, take 18V from the transformer, insert a series diode in the feed, and power the smoke unit and fan supply with that.  That will simulate the output of the TMCC R2LC, half-wave track voltage from the triac.

The little power supply for the fan is a pretty standard power supply, the four diodes are a bridge rectifier, the filter cap smooths the DC, and the regulator gives you the 5V output for the fan.

Yes, after posting I decided to try just that.  So the 'smoke-out' of the Cruise Commander is just track voltage (or close to it), and may serve as a switch to the MTH power supply. There's also a power supply with robust diodes on the main driver board. Odd that they used two, different units.

Thanks again.  Guessing by your screen name, do you ever visit Kimberton Fish and Game?

Dennis