# Battery powered sound board w/RC whistle?



## Avel (May 4, 2017)

Does anyone manufacturer a sound unit with a whistle that can be controlled by a common servo output from a standard radio control receiver?


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

I take it you mean quillable? That is, playable?
If so, sadly not yet.
However, I do know it is being worked on.


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## Martan (Feb 4, 2012)

Hmm. Depends how handy you are with hooking up electronics - do you just want that single whistle? Does your sound card accept digital on/off inputs for the sounds? 
If so, this should do the trick - https://www.pololu.com/category/142/rc-switches

Martin
http://martinsant.net/


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Martan, I don't think Avel has a sound system.
That is what he is asking about.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

So, my interpretation is a sound card that can have the whistle playable via a servo "input"...

There are sound cards with quillable whistle, but they are DCC and use the "analog whistle" feature, which if I remember is some specialized DCC packets.

NCE and Digitrax, and some of the soundtraxx boards support this specialized packets, the buttons on the throttles (digitrax has a pressure sensitive button, and NCE uses the thumbwheel). I don't remember all the decoders that support this, I believe the Tsunami at least.

So if you had a DCC system you could do it easily.

Greg


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## Martan (Feb 4, 2012)

Oh. Ok. Of course I'm going to think of this in a geeky way. Sorry about that, can't help myself 

Actually, I think I may already have a complete design somewhere in my box of past experiments. I'll rummage about when I get home.

Is there interest in such a thing? It's not a hard circuit to make and uses mostly off the shelf components. Check out mdfly.com. Great little sound boards for cheap.

Martin
http://martinsant.net/


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## Avel (May 4, 2017)

I wrote a reply last night, but never posted it! Forgot, then went to bed.

TonyWalsham-Good point, I didn't even think of a playable whistle.

Martan- If I had a sound card that could use a reed switch for activating a function, or accept a digital input, that Pololu RC Switch would be nice. I actually never even thought of looking there. Thing is I've been on that site numerous times in the past when I was putting together an RC tracked loader, good thing you reminded me.

Greg Elmassian- I do have an NCE DCC system for my small HO layout, I just want to use RC for the large scale stuff because of all the room they have inside. I have a Loksound decoder equipped engine that if I change the polarity quickly on DC will sound the horn. So I might go that route. Just purchase a DCC sound decoder.
I just feel DCC offers waaaaaaaayyyy more than I'll ever use. I just need a good chuff and a whistle I can turn off and on. Not need, would prefer. 

Thanks for the suggestions.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

So, did I read too much into your request? You want to just sound the whistle with an R/C system. Oh, and you want chuff too.

So, there are several sound cards that can do it with a reed switch, move a magnet with a servo past the reed switch?

Greg


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

OK Avel.

Most of the sound cards with a chuff designed for just DC operation using reed switches, can activate a whistle with a signal from either a regular Digital Proportional stick type radio or a pocket sized RCS hand-piece designed to do just that. They need a suitable interface to actually trigger the sound.

In the not too distant future one of them will be able to take the Digital Proportional R/C signal and "Play" a whistle direct from a DP receiver without any interface.


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## Avel (May 4, 2017)

Greg Elmassian- That is what I thought of doing, using a servo with a magnet on the end.

I need to look through my backup hard drive. Back in 2010 I had an O scale engine with a cheap Electronic Speed Controller from an airplane that didn't have any reverse. I used a servo with the motor removed to control a set of relays to reverse the current. I need to find my notes, and pictures.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.


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## Martan (Feb 4, 2012)

I have just the thing for that- an R/C controlled 8A DPDT relay for reversing an ESC. Just plugs into your RX, no servo or magnet thingies needed


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## Avel (May 4, 2017)

Martan- You've got some cool stuff on your site.

I just received some Arduino Pro Minis, and nRF24L01 wireless transceivers to try out this idea.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Model-Railway-DCC-Wireless-Commands-on-a-Dead-Rail/

This is all for later, for now I'll just throw in a brushed motor ESC and control the engine that way if I put up a temporary loop.

Once again thank you all for the information.


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