Which locos have you fitted hm7000

[Sydney_railer]

Can I fit an hm7000 decoder into hornby 0-6-0 dcc fitted gwr class 2723 pannier tank locomotive?

[5Dublo2]

Can I fit an hm7000 decoder into hornby 0-6-0 dcc fitted gwr class 2723 pannier tank locomotive?

 

 

I have the version that was sold as part of one of the DCC Fitted sets (R1236M) and it currently contains a 4-Pin Socket with a Hornby R7274 4-Pin DCC decoder.

There is not a lot of space inside the body of the loco and even if you removed the current DCC socket and the plastic fitting that holds the current decoder I don't think you could get one of the HM7000 sound decoders (with a speaker) to fit - for one thing the cavity is too narrow for the decoder to fit horizontally (although the length and depth would also be an issue)

If the dimensions of the non-sound decoders remain as published, you could probably change the 4-Pin socket to a 6-Pin socket (soldering skills needed) and then fit one of the 6-Pin non-sound decoders (when they are released)

I'll post a picture of the inside of the loco in my next post (as it needs to be approved so will delay publishing this post if I include it here)

 

 

[5Dublo2]

Picture of inside of GWR Pannier No 2723 (from R1236M) to go with my earlier post

[96RAF]

I got TTS into mine, admittedly hard wired.

http://www.halton96th.org.uk/article1.html

TXS should be a breeze with the smaller speaker.

[5Dublo2]

Having just read the link posted by 96RAF and then taken another look at my version, I missed that the inside of the body does get wider where the pannier tanks are.

The HM7000 TXS decoder is .5mm longer than the TTS version, so might still fit in the bunker - however the side connectors for the speaker and stay alive might pose a problem

It also might just be possible to get the HM7000 TXS in (without using the bunker solution) by using the inside of the tank under the chimney and then place the smallest speaker enclosure where the current 4 pin decoder is sitting. If that is possible then I guess the stay alive might even fit in the bunker.

[John-359884]

I have bought 3 of these chips for DCC Sound and they work fantastic the sounds and speaker quality are excellent my only complaint is that the sound files or profiles are not all on which is a disappointment as I have a vast collection of locos that need chips and sound especially the 87/91 & 67 which were advertised as being available but as yet there not and no information is available for when they will actually be available to use.

[SteveM6]

Screenshot of the manual available on this site.

[George-351466]

Fitted so far (with comments)

1. R.3736 H Dublo Flying Scotsman, with relevant profile, plus power bank, small speaker enclosure. Tender internals needed adapting for all to fit - a common issue with OO gauge steam locos
2. R.3447 Keverston Hall, with B12 profile, plus power bank, small speaker enclosure. Tender required adapting as above.
3. R.3062 Hunt Class 4-4-0 (Railroad), with 2p profile, plus power bank, medium size speaker enclosure. Open tender moulding gives lots of internal space - a nice easy fit.
4. R.3424 Class Q6 0-8-0. 9f profile, plus power bank, small speaker enclosure. Tender adaptations needed.
5. Bachmann D11/2 4-4-0 Luckie Mucklebackit. 2p profile. 21 pin decoder an easy fit, with good tender space for power bank and speaker enclosure. This was a surprisingly straight forward adaptation.
6. Oxford Rail J27 0-6-0, 4f profile. 21 pin decoder fits fine. Speaker space below tender weight takes sugar crude speaker, but sound box is small and weight plus decoder above muffles sound somewhat. Power bank fitting needed reluctant cutting out of (fixed) moulded coal and replacement by power bank on top: has to be hidden by “new” coal above. This was the most awkward adaptation by far to date.

All in all I’m very satisfied with results and, as a convert from DC operation, the transformation is revolutionary and much more engaging. Further conversions will include Bachmann Atlantic, two Hornby A4’s, a J15, Bachmann Robinson O4 and J11. However, those using 18 pin decoders will have to wait for the second gen smaller chips from Hornby.

Frustrations have, however, been in relation to attempts (so far unsuccessful) to convert non DCC ready locos: ie Hornby N2 and J83 tank locos. Both can be hot wired with power bank and small speaker enclosures, if you’re happy to fill cab space. But, so far, they simply haven’t worked. Sounds are fine, but movement stalls after a few seconds, followed by loss of connection. I’ll keep trying, having boosted I-pad signal strength to the loft, but any thoughts or suggestions re retro-fitting older locos would be welcomed. Thanks.

[SteveM6]

Depend so on your definition of ‘old’ as older and dare I say it, more basic locos may have a higher current draw and/or poor pickup design.

Obviously the usual advice re clean track and wheels but I suggest the powerbank is the answer to your issue.

I wouldn’t get too hung up on using the cab space as the PB/speaker soon disappear if you add a crew.

[ExarKun42]

I have fitted the Dublo present day Scotsman, initially with the A1/A3 Flying Scotsman profile, but after discovering that that one has the second whistle and bell for the US tour Scotsman, switched to the basic A1/A3 profile. I used the second largest speaker housing, no power bank. That fit perfectly.

I also fitted the Accurascale Deltic, using the largest speaker housing, and it all works perfectly. Only issue is that the HM7000 decoder can't access the hallway light on the Accurascale model, which isn't a big deal with me. All the other functions still work.

Now that I know that they gave us a profile made for the US tour Scotsman, I will be fitting mine (I have the slightly older 2013 model that came with the observation car).

[5Dublo2]

Now that I know that they gave us a profile made for the US tour Scotsman, I will be fitting mine (I have the slightly older 2013 model that came with the observation car).

 

 

When you do try F18 - Scotland the Brave on Bagpipes

[Bulleidboy]

Just fitted a Bachmann Class 3 MT 2-6-2 tank with an 8pin TXS decoder and speaker. Fairly simple job.

[Bulleidboy]

Todays job is to fit a 21pin TXS sound decoder, speaker and stay-alive (Power Bank) into the new Hornby Coronation Class 46220 "Coronation". Normally with this installation everything would go in the tender - the tender has a 21-pin socket and a cut-out under the weight for a 28mm round speaker. The slight downside to this, is that it is very obvious that all the sound is coming from the tender and not the loco - I have experienced this in a Merchant Navy Class already converted with the speaker in the tender . I have removed both loco and tender bodies, and the stay-alive will fit in the space where the speaker should be, and with the speaker wires lengthened, the speaker will fit into the loco - there is a slot in the chassis, near the front, that will take the speaker and the smallest speaker housing provided in the decoder package. I will have to drill a small hole in the tender to take the wires from the speaker to the docoder, but hopefully that will be very straightforward. If you were to fit a round speaker in the space provided, I am pretty certain the speaker would touch the tender wheels, which protrude into the speaker space - you can see in the picture that the centre tender wheels come into the speaker cut-out.



[Fishmanoz]

You mean they have the tender design wrong given it is supposed to take a speaker?

[Wayne-in-Oz]

Hey Fishy,

Ok, I think what he is trying to achieve is having the speaker in the Loco not the Tender so the sounds come from the Engine not the Tender. I now have two Railways Loco's in the same configurations as his (Mallard and Princess Royal Mary). All decoder, speaker and stay alive are in the tender. Yes, I do hear the sound coming from the Tender more than that actual loco a bit but I am not concerned (well at this stage lol). However, the sound source is very noticeable when either come out of my corner three track tunnel.... Loco emerges but the sound comes a little bit later when the Tender emerges. Not the end of the world but I know some will feel it is :)

So, what to do..... I have actually thought about it and looked inside the Loco's.

These Railways version have a 4 pin plug connection to the Tender so two +/- connections. Inside the Loco, there is GENERALLY enough space to move the 8 Pin plug from the Tender and also fit the Speaker in one of the small enclosures. So it is possible to move the Decoder into the Loco with the speaker and then use just two wires to the Tender plug for the stay alive......

My feelings are its a bit of work and opens up to possible issues (ie backward compatibility if you sell it on - ie that 4 pin is different now). And really not a huge gain... well for me anyway.

In any case, I have decided its not worth the potential pain and the two Ladies are running and sounding quite nice.... (time will tell lol).

[Fishmanoz]

Hi Wayne, it’s interesting the extent to which this is psychosomatic given the physics of it - lower frequency sounds are not directional in a room given the wavelength versus the room dimensions. Once they get higher, they start to become directional. Haven’t done the maths to see where this changes.

Then, very little really low frequency sound comes out of such a tiny speaker and enclosure in any case, physics again. Some does but it’s greatly attenuated v higher frequencies. And yes, an enclosure helps as people’s ears tell them.

[Bulleidboy]

Hi Fishy

Nothing wrong with the design. As you will be aware a large number of Hornby tender locos are designed to take the round TTS speaker in the tender under the weight. In this particular case I think the round speaker would have touched the top of the centre tender wheels, and rather as Wayne said, the sound is sometimes very obviously coming from the tender and not the loco - something I have experienced with an already TXS'd Merchant Navy Class, so I decided to fit the speaker in the loco. I have some micro plug and sockets (very similar to the one's that are fitted to the new TXS gear), so I can fit these to the speaker wires, probably under the cab, so that the loco and tender can still be separated. BB

[M. Matthews]

I’m a little bit proud of myself right now. Managed to fit this little fellow with Bluetooth, sound and stay alive. I hard wired an 8 pin decoder, the speaker fits in his cab with one of the smaller enclosures and the stay went in the smoke box. The original face with moving eyes cannot be used but I have a more “accurate” one to fit in its place.

[TezzaG]

I have all these running with HM7000 decoders with sound:

R30283 Coronation Class 'Coronation'   

R3989 A1 Class 'Knight of Thistle'

R3997 Princess 'City of London'  

R3639 Princess Coronation King George VI

R3320 A4 Golden Eagle [bR Blue]  

R3701 A4 Walter K Whigham [bR Purple]  

[Chris-366970]

I have fitted HM7000 successfully into the Railway Children Fowler 3F. At least there is a profile available.

[Kristian-353752]

I have them fitted in the following locos. All chips are 8pin, none have stay alives fitted.

Railroad class 31 - Very easy fit. Takes the largest speaker with very minor modifications.

2-BIL - Very easy speaker can be fitted in the toilet area and hidden.

Old style Q1 with socket in the loco - A real pain to fit. Small speaker only.

[96RAF]

Too many to list. Test team is swapping decoders between locos all the time, but of note to make life easier I have converted my loco socket in some Pacifics to socket and speaker and power bank in the tender.

Version 2 of all sound profiles will be released soon which sort out a few niggling problems so when they are made available it is well worth reloading all your profiles.

[Mikey1707822023]

Nothing wrong with the design.

Unless you are trying to fit Next 18 to a OO locomotive

 

 

 

 

[Andrew -381476]

I have fitted HM7000 21 pin sound chips successfully to Hornby class 31 and 50 and to the Dapol class 73. Only issue I have had was when I tried to fit a 21 pin sound chip to a Bachmann class 47 (the older model). All fits but the speaker port fouls one of the copper coils directly underneath the chip. When I pressed the pins down they put pressure on the coil and the loco didn’t work. Removed the chip and reinstated the old chip and loco worked fine. I’m thinking of going for an 8 pin with an adapter to get the extra MMs to stop pressing on the coil. Has anyone else had this problem? Very happy with the three I have converted!

[Rog RJ]

You can remove the coils (inductors aka chokes) and replace them with wire links.