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Posted: Sat Oct 1st, 2016 09:03 am |
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1st Post |
Si.
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It was a snowy '70s Christmas many years ago
when I lashed together my first piece of 'serious' electronics.
A stereo-amplifier kit from RT-VC on Londons grimy Edgware Road.
Clustered around the A40 Marylebone fly-over
were a number of rundown shabby stores, selling electronic parts & gizmos.
The legendary Henrys Radio & RT-VC were my favorites.
Model railroaders, radio HAMs & rastas all in search of 'cool parts'.
Mullard boards, military hardware, turntables, tools, you name it !
Affordable as well.
Since then I've had the DIY-audio bug & have built a ton of stuff.
Mostly a tad on the large and LOUD side !!
But some teeny-weeny things as well.
These days Edgware Road is all mirror-glass, air-con & Rolls Royces
nothing like the steamy & gasoliney Blade Runner scene it once was.
The Web is where all the really cool & affordable electronics are now.

Anyhow, cutting to the chase...
...I thought I'd try and lash together some kind of miniature experimental sound-system.
Ambient sounds, loading sounds, gas-mech. rumbleings, that kinda thing.
The idea is to use small, simple & affordable parts, to create a 'leftfield' layout soundscape.
Nothing complicated & certainly NO rocket-science !
Something that anyone could make for a few bucks, with no experience, is the aim here.
There are a huge number of cool products, easy to wire boards & parts out there to be had.
It's just a case of tracking down the best & most suitable of them for the job.
So that's what I'm doing now.
More soon ...

Si.
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____________________
' Mysterious Moose Mountain ' - 1:35n2 - pt.II
http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=7318&forum_id=17&page=1
' M:R:W Motor Speedway !!! ' - 1:32 Slotcar Racing Layout
http://www.slotforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59295&st=0&a
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Posted: Sat Oct 1st, 2016 10:26 am |
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2nd Post |
Posted: Sun Oct 2nd, 2016 01:40 am |
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3rd Post |
Salada
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Time was I could walk along Edgeware Rd, find what I wanted at bargain price & UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKED.
After an absence of many years I returned, no electronic stores - all changed. Not even a Sum Ting Wong Corp outlet.
Regards, Michael
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Posted: Wed Oct 5th, 2016 06:51 pm |
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4th Post |
Herb Kephart
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Keep going on this Si.
Sounds like an interesting project, but needs a remote (couple wires coming out into the sunlight,) so it can be hidden under the layout at a terminal, switching area, etc. etc.
Herb, who in general hates "noise''
____________________ Fix it again, Mr Gates--it still works!"
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Posted: Wed Oct 5th, 2016 09:27 pm |
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5th Post |
Lee B
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Salada wrote:
Time was I could walk along Edgeware Rd, find what I wanted at bargain price & UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKED.
After an absence of many years I returned, no electronic stores - all changed. Not even a Sum Ting Wong Corp outlet.
I agree. I now believe that it's not that I'm too old to get this stuff, it's that it requires WAY more hand-on work to make out-of-the-box things function these days. That's a simple fact. Time was, you needed to read the manual maybe and get some batteries, but that was it. Now, you need to program stuff, connect them to things they really don't need to be connected to (for example, a pal of mine with no internet bought a TV and he CAN'T use it because it won't allow him to simply hook it to an antenna lead; is HAS to be internet connected to function. And he can't return it because there's technically nothing wrong with it).
____________________ -Lee
Commanding Officer, 796th Railway Operating Battalion (in On30 gauge)
https://willysmb44.webs.com/modeltrains.htm
Photos of my layout: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53587910@N05/albums/72157668176638961
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Posted: Sat Oct 8th, 2016 08:05 pm |
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6th Post |
Posted: Sun Oct 9th, 2016 05:03 am |
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7th Post |
W C Greene
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Holy cow! I looked at the device and read the description and I ain't got a clue as to what all this means! Is this a sound machine? Is it "live or Memorex?" As Herb wrote-"it can be hidden under the layout"...maybe hidden somewhere else? I have a kitten who will hide it well. Maybe I will just go off and hide myself!
Woodrow
____________________ It doesn't matter if you win or lose, its' how you rig the game.
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Posted: Mon Oct 10th, 2016 08:12 pm |
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8th Post |
Herb Kephart
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Woodie--
They put it all in code so that some people can be smug about being able to understand it
I have enough problem with Engolloush.
Looks like it's time to oil the spull check again. Guess I should use a thinner oil for the comming winter. Where did I leave my stone club----
Hreb
____________________ Fix it again, Mr Gates--it still works!"
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Posted: Tue Oct 11th, 2016 03:32 am |
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9th Post |
Si.
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Hi Guys
Thanks for your interest in the project !
What project ?
Erm ... well ... it's 'under development'
EXPERIMENTAL !
It will happen...
... s l o w l y . . .
- - - - - - -
" Time was I could walk along Edgeware Rd, find what I wanted at bargain price & UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKED "
Hi Michael
The store selling the cheap 10LB sledge-hammers is demolished & the new place sells Faberge-eggs, behind bullet-proof glass !
Times have changed.

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" Keep going on this Si.
Sounds like an interesting project
Herb, who in general hates 'noise' "
Hi Herb
I'll try my best !
It could be an interesting project I think.
Herb, I hate 'noise' as well.
>> THE REPLICANT << aims to be 'harmonious' & 'unobtrusive'.
Think ' a t m o s p h e r e ' rather than 'SPECIAL EFFECTS' !!

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" It requires WAY more hand-on work to make out-of-the-box things function these days. That's a simple fact.
Now, you need to program stuff, connect them to things they really don't need to be connected to "
Hi Lee
I couldn't agree more.
Things should be accessible, self contained & as easy to set up as possible.
>> THE REPLICANT << will try never to stray from these principles.

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" The main selling point is that it is easy to connect."
Hi Bob
Thanks for your link to the sound product.
I have looked at it & saved it for reference.
>> THE REPLICANT << is going to attempt to extract the maximum from cheap & simple components.
The board looks incredibly difficult to connect & costs 10x more than an MP3 player.
It also looks difficult to operate, as there are no controls, screen or regular sockets fitted to it.
I suspect, that without considerable care & experience, the $20 board would easily be TOAST !
The advanced electronics on this board, have already been 'encapsulated' as a cheap & accessible product; in the MP3 player.
The KISS principle is No.1 at >> THE REPLICANT << Corporation.

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" Holy cow! I looked at the device and read the description and I ain't got a clue as to what all this means! "
Howdy Woodie
Don't worry, the MP3 player is about 1000x easier to understand !
If you can fit Radio-Control to a loco...
...with all that WIRING ! batteries, chargers, transmitters, receivers, antennas, motors etc. etc.
>> THE REPLICANT << will hopefully be a 'walk in the park' compared to all that 'wireless' R.C. spaghetti !!

- - - - - - -
" They put it all in code so that some people can be smug about being able to understand it "
Hi again Herbie
>> THE REPLICANT << won't 'speak in tongues'
No secret codes & language.
Just plain, simple, cheap, good ol' fashioned, workshop tinkering !
We like THAT !

- - - - - - -
More soon . . .
Si.
____________________
' Mysterious Moose Mountain ' - 1:35n2 - pt.II
http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=7318&forum_id=17&page=1
' M:R:W Motor Speedway !!! ' - 1:32 Slotcar Racing Layout
http://www.slotforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59295&st=0&a
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Posted: Tue Oct 11th, 2016 06:42 pm |
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10th Post |
bobquincy
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Herb Kephart wrote: Woodie--
They put it all in code so that some people can be smug about being able to understand it
I have enough problem with Engolloush.
Looks like it's time to oil the spull check again. Guess I should use a thinner oil for the comming winter. Where did I leave my stone club----
Hreb
It's not so much being smug about understanding it, rather that I have been reading electronic specs for 50 years and do sometimes forget that it is not a native language.
As an engineer I have enough problems with English too! 
boB
____________________ Monorail modelers have a one track mind.
http://monorail.suzieandbob.com/
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