TXS installed but no sound

[Brew Man]

Well I'm unimpressed so far. I've installed my 8 pin TXS decoder got the Loco, (Large Prairie) running but absolutely no sound. I'm currently running it on the default 03 address and the speaker is hanging loose, i.e. no enclosure but nowt.

Any ideas?

[meatloaf]

Im assuming youre using it on DCC with saying default address.

Does it need the enclosure to work? Im sure ive seen on recent loksound decoders that speaker wont work without the enclosure.

Id double check the speakers connected correctly i had to really push mine into the socket.

[Brew Man]

Yes, DCC. I've thought about the enclosure even as I was typing my post. It could be that but I'd expect at least some sound even without one. As for the connection, I've pushed the plug in as far as it will go, (I think).

[Bulleidboy]

Bear in mind what Rob said - once you have attached the speaker to a sound box the chances are you will not be able to remove it again. You could wrap a length of tape around the speaker when it is in place, this would save you removing the protective strip covering the adhesive. I'm pretty certain a speaker will work whether it's mounted or not - the box just enhances the sound.

[Brew Man]

That's what I thought, BB. Obviously better with one but should get something out of it even without.

I confess I did mount it to the smallest of the supplied enclosures and found I could not get the body back on the loco so removed it - yes it did come away but probably ruined the adhesive layer in the process.

[RB51]

Yup, that’s right BB. I have not stuck my speaker into the enclosure [Next18] as it was a tight fit in Blink Bonny without using any of the supplied enclosures. There was a shaped area which it fitted into perfectly. It sounds great. R-

[Brew Man]

@ RogerB

Does that mean you fitted the speaker without any enclosure?

[96RAF]

Once a speaker driver has been stuck down you will likely destroy it by trying it apart, the speaker driver simply peels into its component parts and is then caput. The tiny plug is very fiddly and usually will only go in one way. If in doubt unsolder the lead and solder it to a known good speaker or solder the speaker leads to the solder pads on most of the decoders.

[RB51]

@ RogerB

Does that mean you fitted the speaker without any enclosure?

 

 

Yes. As far as I could tell none of the supplied enclosures would fit in the space, which was fine as the speaker was fairly snug in the shaped recess anyway. This is TT120 btw. R-

[Rallymatt]

I am sure on one of the early video pieces from Hornby on TT:120, it was said that the speaker enclosure was already pre-formed in locos that would support sound via a sugar cube speaker.

And on from that, the set locos (Blink Bonny and William Whitelaw) have the pre formed enclosure whilst currently available stand alone locos have the speaker already installed in the tender.

The design of the sugar cube speaker does require an enclosure of some sort to work as intended although you may get a feeble noise with it hanging loose or your dog may hear it?

[Brew Man]

@96RAF

Yes I fear that's what may have happened. I did feel uneasy about it at the time. I've got a couple of ESU ones on order, a snip at £1.49 each. As for the plug, yes it is fiddly but with the aid of a good magnifying glass I could see how it went and it does appear to be plugged in correctly.

I'll await the arrival of the speakers and report back. Thanks for all the comments.

[Bulleidboy]

@ Brew Man

Make sure your new speakers are 8 ohms rated.

[Bulleidboy]

I appreciate not everyone will have a "large" loco, but I have the 21pin TXS installed in the newish Hornby 9F - the decoder is a direct plug-in (no wiring harness) and there is a sound box built into the tender to take the speaker supplied - it works well.

[Brew Man]

@BB

Thanks, yes the ESU ones on order are 8 ohms.

[96RAF]

Each TXS decoder comes with a speaker kit which look very much like the ESU speaker kits that Roads and Rails is flogging.

[Brew Man]

Yes, the TXS ones look a bit more extensive than the ESUs, i.e. more of 'em. Next time I'm in the loft I'll measure the current one's resistance. I must say it still looked OK after I'd removed it from the surround albeit the adhesive surface was a bit mashed. I should learn to be a bit more patient.

[Brew Man]

Update:

Well I've fitted a brand new ESU 8 Ohm speaker and still no sound, so I guess it's going back. Just to make doubly sure, there's nothing you have to do prior to use to enable sound is there? Nothing I can see in the guide.

I also measured the original speaker and it checked out OK at around 7 Ohms, same as the new one in fact.

EDIT: I've got it on my Decoder tester at the mo And thought I would turn F1 on. Guess what! the sound suddenly burst into life. Then I turned the functions off and the sound carried on working. Does anyone understand why that should be?

Main thing is though, the sound is working. Looking at it again I think the functions just need to be enabled - not any particular function on.

I've just ordered a 21 pin TXS for my Class C Wainwright. I'll try to be a bit less heavy-handed with this one.

[ColinB]

Brewman which Large Praire is it? I don't have one so I don't know much about them but I think I remember Sam reviewing two types, Hornby and Dapol. Now if it is the Dapol one and it has a 21 pin socket, when you push it back on check that the bottom connector isn't fouling a mounting screw and slightly lifting the decoder off the socket. On the tester there will be no such issue. If it is a Hornby ignore this post.

[Brew Man]

All working now, Colin, thanks. It's the Hornby offering, R3719. It was all due to my ineptitude with decoder functions. I've not really used them in the past with the exception of my Class 33 for turning the lights on and off and there's not much call for them with non-sound steam locos. I didn't realise function 1 had to be activated in order to turn the sound on. Having said that, the sound then seems to stay on even if you turn F1 off again. I need to practice more to get my head around how functions work.

[ColinB]

I think on mine, F1 should turn it on and off but there is a delay. I do know on a Zimo that definitely happens because sometimes when I am checking things out like a wheel derailing, sound is a distraction.

[Britannia Builder]

I have the same problem - F1 turns the sound on but doesn't turn it off again. I have F1 set up in Railmaster with the caption 'Sound on/off', which should toggle it. I also can't get F20 to have any effect - it's meant to toggle between chuffing and coasting. I thought coasting might sound better on a DMU! I've turned the sound volume CV down from 50 to 10 while awaiting a diesel sound file - I'm planning to try a Class 31 in the absence of any DMU sounds.

Regards, John

[ColinB]

I am sure it worked but I will check it again. I suppose there is a difference you have the 8 pin version, I have the 21 pin, but they should be the same software , so the functionality should be the same.

[96RAF]

If F1 is off and the sound is still running then I reckon you have F28 (auto function control) on which enables lights, background souns as well as starting off noises like steam blow down or brakes off and brake squeal at stop.

You really should thumb through the manual to see what the TXS decoder is capable of as you can completely get things crossed up and lock onto shunt mode or brakes on or coupling shuffle, etc.

[Brew Man]

So if you have a diesel with lights and sound could it be that F1 turns sound on but another function turns it of in order to be able to toggle lights on and off with F1 without it affecting sound. I've clearly a lot to learn about functions.

[Britannia Builder]

Thanks Rob, I do indeed have F28 auto function control turned on, to give the whistle on start and the brakes on stop, which I think is a nice feature.

I now see from thumbing through the manual a footnote on page 65 which I'd previously missed - 'Please note… ** Functions 0 and 1 are not selectable… they are always enabled during AFC control.' So that may well explain the problem - I'll try it later.

Regards, John