This page is a revised version of the original submission of an article entitled `Better Bachmann Sound For Under A Buck` published in the Feb. 1998 issue of Garden Railways Magazine. Editorial changes and additional artwork that might have been added by Garden Railways are not included in this document. The Bachmann Big Hauler locomotive has impr
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oved greatly over the last few years in appearance, reliability and noise level. However one thing that hasn`t improved is the very basic sound system. The system provides a pretty poor facsimile of an exhaust sound in the form of a "chuff" that is synchronized to the engine drivers. The system can`t provide anything near the pleasing sound of new digital sound systems, but for less than a dollar`s worth of parts and a few minutes labor, the sound can be materially improved. The "profile" of the exhaust sound is much too sharp in an unmodified sound system. Addition of one resistor and one capacitor to the sound board in the tender will soften the attack and delay of the exhaust beat. The frequency response of the system leads to a tinny sound, two more parts can improve the low frequency response. The sound system generates only two beats per driver revolution while real steam locomotives have four exhaust beats per revolution. Addition of two short wires or resistors to the sound drum on the front axle in the locomotive adds the other two beats. The system has the annoying tendency to sometimes hiss continuously when it stops with the sound contacts closed. A simple track power sensor can shut it off when the track power goes away. Each of these changes can be made independently and all are completely reversible. I find that the addition of these simple modifications makes a material improvement to the Bachmann Big...
This project fits more for custom made battery casing that can have more space to hide things inside. This switch with few alterations can be used for any other project as well but is designed based on e-bike needs! This project use a clever functionality of....
The circuit described here uses ultrasonic oscillations and operates based on the propagation velocity of these oscillations in the air. Thus, we can easily determine the distance of two points if the time within which the wave travels this distance is....
Sometimes the precious metals are hidden too deep and are not detected except with complicated devices. In many cases, however, small pieces of precious metal buried near the surface can be detected by relatively simple means. Everyone is very attractive to....
Many times for various reasons we forget or can not water the plants that we have in our homes. And many humidity sensors units just notify us with a beeping sound or with a flashing light, that the pot needs watering. But what if we are away from home? This....
The principle behind a metal detector is really very simple. Proof of this is the circuit that follows, in which it proves that the construction of a metal detector can be done in the minute, with few components that we find very easily everywhere. With the....
The sub-harmonic bass generator is a sound producing unit for guitars. The sound it produces looks very much like that of the bass guitar. The octave generator is sometimes quite unusual since it does not produce any of the usual ways of coloring the sound,....
In the past the sounding (sea bottom measurement) was done with the "bullet", that is, with a heavy lead object that the seamen plucked into the sea hung from a calibrated rope. As soon as the "bullet" reached the bottom, the depth appeared directly from the....
This Amplifier was designed to have the following specifications: Distortion less than 0.1% at full power of 100W even at 20KHz. Power has to be attributed to an extended bandwidth. The output transistors must be protected against short circuits. The power....
A series of LEDs serve to alert the gardener when plants need water. Using two conventional digital integrated LEDs and a series of LEDs, we make a very useful device for gardening. The device detects the amount of water in the pot and alerts the grower.....
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