Station announcements

[EtchedPixels]

Watch this space and I'll post some results shortly

Be interested to know how they come out. Another option in DCC space is to use the Digitrax decoders or similar (Digitrax cos they are cheap)

Basically you load all the functions with your station sounds, don't bother with loco noise and you can just "drive" your station or other effects. If you set some of them as 'random' effects and set the CV to not go silent when unselected for a while it'll sit there randomly telling people to mind the gap, not leave luggage unattended and reminding them it's a penalty fare zone.

In theory you can put a sound on the loco idle loop to play non stop but it might get quite irritating. I did try that with a seaside wave recording filling most of the sample space and random seagulls. It's very cute .. for about 5 minutes.

Alan

[cycletrak9]

I believe Dave & Shirley Rowe used the sound of seagulls on one of their dioramas set near the coast.

They were doing a two-day exhibition and the bloke on the next stand was thoroughly sick of the sound of seagulls by closing time on the first day. On the following morning his layout had been modified overnight to include a recording of a bird scarer!

[weave]

Following on from my earlier post

Have just found ordered some of these from eBay, will take about a week to arrive http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-Sec-Talking-Button-Sound-Voice-Music-Recordable-Module-for-Greeting-Card-New-/140926861469?pt=AU_Gadgets&hash=item20cfe5409d&_uhb=1#ht_3352wt_979

I know they will probably sound a bit squawky but it's got to worth a go to try and build a push button announcement unit.
Cheap enough for most of us to hack around with

Watch this space and I'll post some results shortly

Alternatively here's another possible option if you can find a card http://www.instructables.com/id/Recycle-christmas-card-as-digital-recorder-module/

Hi trainsdownunder,

Good idea and looks like I might be able to figure out how it works. Pity only 10 seconds although a few on here aren't long


Jingles et Logos SNCF

The girlfriend mentioned earlier that she had an dictaphone somewhere so might give that a try too. Not poo pooing MP3 etc but am so crap with technology. Don't know where the i pod lead IS let alone where to plug it in. Am on the case this weekend. (Hoping she'll help)

Cheers to all for the interest and mind the gap,

weave

[trainsdownunder]

There are some that operate for longer periods, but I thought these would do as a start point. The main purpose was to be able to build a cheap push button bank of sounds

[trainsdownunder]

Have just found this on Amazon.com 5 push buttons, up to 5 minutes

[smg id=4229]

Might well prove a quick solution for someone.

http://www.amazon.com/digital-recorder-Recordable-Stuffed-Animals/dp/B002XINSRO/ref=pd_sim_misc_7

[weave]

Have just found this on Amazon.com 5 push buttons, up to 5 minutes

[smg id=4229]

Might well prove a quick solution for someone.

http://www.amazon.com/digital-recorder-Recordable-Stuffed-Animals/dp/B002XINSRO/ref=pd_sim_misc_7

Thanks again,

Like the idea of 5 different push button 1 minute announcements. Presume american dollars so be £19. Might be over the import tax threshold but will try and see if there is a UK distributor.

cheers weave

[trainsdownunder]

Found another source for prebuilt units. Also Loco noises. Reasonable prices, for limited sound options I think

http://www.mrrails.com

[weave]

Hi trainsdownunder,

Been a while but was wondering if you ever did make the push button bank of sounds with the card things. Haven't done much at all except play a bit with the dictaphone.

OK but sounds bit crackly. Also thought a bank of buttons would be easier. Am fixing my controller and point switches into a box and trying to get all the wires together. Wondered if you had done something, any good and how?

Thanks weave

[trainsdownunder]

.

Been a while but was wondering if you ever did make the push button bank of sounds with the card things.

Hi Fella

Still looking at a decent system to get sounds from a SD card selection at a reasonable cost. The "greeting card" system whilst okay is not easily volume controllable and also not particularly flexible.

Reason for using SD card means you can load your own requirements, but at the moment an Arduino style "jukebox" seems to be the only answer and that means an outlay for more than I think it's worth. Waste of an Arduino really. Haven't got round to looking at the cheaper versions on the market yet to see if they might do.

Using a larger PIC with EPROMs is the next stage but I don't have the spare time at present to learn the extra  needed code to achieve this.

It is still on the board as a project and may get looked at towards the end of the month. No promises

[weave]

Thanks for reply.

Had to look up SD card and Arduino so if you do get round to creating something please be gentle with me regarding the technical terms.

Cheers weave.

[ParkeNd]

You could always download an MP3 clip of the Russ Abbot 1980's sketch of his train station announcer job interview. All the atmosphere and prototypicaly unintelligible words - you know it's urgent and important but you can't quite make out what you have to do. Just like the real thing.

[weave]

Thanks,

My late father loved the film Monsieur Hulot's 'oliday and I remembered this. Obviously the same all over the world.


En la estación. Las vacances de Monseiur Hulot.- 1953

Won't dictaphone it as the girlfriend will think I'm doing things to a cat in the bedroom.

weave

[ParkeNd]

^^^^ Quite perfect.