28.9.09

Speakers ain't speakers, or size doesn't matter ! (32 update)

Sorry I have been a bit preoccupied with 'the cave' of late so here is the latest from the LLC & WW bench. I have a few other rolling stock entries to come but photographing them is proving a little difficult. The pics below are taken with the latest aquisition, a 2nd hand Canon EOS 30D. They are large files, approx 3 mb each, so let me know if they prove difficult ot tedious to view and next time I will reduce the file size

After a long wait the sound gear for the 32 arrived the other day from the states.
An initial mix up actually turned out to be beneficial from a learning perspective anyway. I had ordered a "light steam" Tsunami decoder with a Digitraxx Mega Bass speaker, I received a "DGRW K class" decoder and a QSI speaker.

As it turned out the K class decoder is the better choice for a 32 in terms of sounds. The QSI speaker(1 watt, 8 ohm) on the other hand it too large for the 32 tender and has no mounting points. I have put this aside for a future project. The Mega Bass speaker has approx the same size cone and magnet as the QSI speaker, comes with a mounting plate and is physically a smaller unit in all dimensions, it is also rated at 2 watts ! double the output of the physically larger QSI speaker. An extra watt may not sound like much but that is a 100% increase in power output!

I have never claimed to know the in's and out's of DCC let alone throwing sound into the equation, so this will be a learning curve for me as well. Hopefully the specs will prove them selves and the adage that "size doesn't matter" will be proven true.

This pic shows the diference in the size between the two speakers.
The Mega Bass speaker is in the foreground.














Soundtraxx decoder and Mega Bass speaker in situ. The speaker also includes a template (left) which is handy for installation.
If I'd known this was going to be a sound job I would have done all the drilling prior to folding/asembling the tender. I will also experiment with a scratch built speaker enclosure to see if this improves the quality of the sound as the tender body will not be a good acoustic seal.

25.9.09

The first step

I received a large envelope in the mail this morning bearing the Wollongong City Council logo on the front. With much trepidation I opened it up and carefully examined the contents. It contained the Development Application Consent and associated construction certificate paperwork for the Colourbond cave !!

No restrictions, or objections, to building right on the boundary and only a few realistic requirements for building in a bush fire prone area. Mind you some of the jargon and terminology may as well be written in ancient Hebrew for all the sense it make to me but I will persevere and seek 'council' from those more enlightened in such things.

This is going to take a little time to get my head around the fact that I may have a shed by the end of the year. Think I will go and give my FairDinkum supplier a call with the good news, I'm sure he will be impressed!

So it begins.....