Blunami'd MTH PRR H10

Sounds great!

I think it sounds good too! Lots to play with. I hope to get more time to play with it this week. I enjoyed all the posts you guys put up the past couple years so I felt it was time to check it our for myself.

Norm, I found the stock chuff to be lacking. As you know there are a few there plus playing around with reverb can help. Good to have an alternative if ERR and or MTH goes away.

Pete

I am a fan of the exhaust sounds, I think they sound just right. The two vids I posted are in switcher mode so the cutoff is wide open I believe. Playing with the cutoff is pretty neat. The first vid I posted sounds a lot like some of the old vids I've watched. Lionel's chuff sounds are generally ok, but tend to be a little boomy. MTH sound is generally just awful and I am not a fan.

That H10 is one sharp looking engine, that's what I call an H10. Sounds good to me!

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

….I really enjoyed the whole process and I think this board is amazing. I am not running any DCC hardware on my layout, just using the app on some Apple devices.

There is a lot of play value in these boards that's for sure.... You can adjust every sound for volume and reverb and there are some EQ settings too….

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

I think it sounds good too! Lots to play with…

Like I said in another thread, never looked back.  

I got to tinker with the app some more last night and set up the speed table to dial down the max speed. I'm not sure if it rearranges the speed steps but this seems to run smoother than my ERR-converted stuff. The switcher mode is cool for moving around the yard. Also played around with the chuff sounds and this has some sharp, cracking exhaust sounds when using the light exhaust choices. I always wanted that sound but could never really get it before. The vids above are using one of the medium exhausts. This engine is super loud too and I am going to hunt for some higher wattage speakers. I have master volume set to around 128 or so.

Chris, I think that's the one I used, it's the 8ohm version for the single speaker setup. (It appears the 16ohm ones for dual speaker setups are NLA.) I've been keeping a few of these on hand for my projects.

Here's my setup:

I posted the install pics on SDIV Tim's thread a few days ago: https://ogrforum.com/topic/3rd...conversion-sp-4-10-2

Yes Norm that's it....   The Blunami makes for a really clean straightforward conversion, board set up......    it's too bad that the 16 ohm dual speaker FatBoys appear to be NLA.    I  have tried to purchase them for over 2 years, no stock, no delivery date... 

If you locate a speaker that sounds even better than the single Lionel RS Fatboy, please share with us.   I suspect the single 50mm 1 watt speaker is likely to go NLA in the near future, if not already.

Chris and Norm, will this help?

https://www.dallee.com/2-Round...eaker-2W-3W-Peak-242

I have used the 40mm Baby Fat Boys with good results. As long as they're available I'll get them for my projects. I wanted to use the best speaker possible for the Blunami because I think their sounds are really good so this project called for a Fat Boy.

Hi Norm, I found this on OGR if.it helps.

This speaker has a wider range, greater sensitivity, and higher power handling capability than either of the Fatboys. Roughly the same size as the 50mm Fatboy.

https://www.parts-express.com/...m-292-640?quantity=1

Pete

Nice job Norm. Like your disappointment with the PRR Whistle choices, I share the same sentiment in another aspect.  I have a Lionel G Scale Thomas and James that got converted and are deadrail with battery power. The British and some of the single chime whistles didn't sit right with me. I like the Heisler whistle and the Frisco 1522 Steam boat whistle for those two. Some of the whistles could probably pass off as PRR whistle alternatives.

@Norton posted:

This speaker has a wider range, greater sensitivity, and higher power handling capability than either of the Fatboys. Roughly the same size as the 50mm Fatboy.

https://www.parts-express.com/...m-292-640?quantity=1

Pete

I highly recommend the Visaton drivers as well. The FRWS model they make is also good. I use them in all my upgrades.

Tim, at one time 3 rail was pretty far ahead of the curve with easy to use command control. They had great sounds too. Somewhere along the line they really fell off. I think Blunami is the way to go moving forward and now I’m trying to decide what engine to try next.

Norm any chance we're going to get a video of your Blunami install?  You've taught this old fart a lot  through your videos and they are greatly appreciated.  Dwayne

I hope to soon. I have filmed most of it, just need to film the on-layout stuff now. It will start off with the engine running with the original ERR guts.

FANTASTIC!  Thanks Norm

Can you adjust the exhaust sounds? I noticed in the first video it sounds like you almost shut the throttle and are just coasting, I don’t know the first thing about this stuff, so apologies if this was already answered

Yes, there are quite a few choices for the exhaust and many adjustments available. You can pick a few of each different type of exhaust (light, medium, heavy) and also choose articulated and three cylinder version options plus geared. If you set up the DDE it makes the exhaust match the  changing load. When just using the throttle, it’s much like TMCC and Legacy where the intensity and cutoff change with its use. There’s also manual cutoff and that’s what you heard in the first vid being set all the way to drift. It’s use is explained here on page 6:

https://soundtraxx.com/content...steam_usersguide.pdf

Norm,

I just got my H10 back from being repaired. Have been on the sidelines with the Blunami thing. Will watch out for your video on this, technical lingo and all.

Dave

Great thread. We've had a lot of luck with Blunami upgrades in locomotives recently, diesel sounds are also great, wide variety of horns available on the stock board. Cheap and easy upgrades to older engines, huge improvement in sound effects. My friend Johnny Nguyen recently upgraded my 3rd Rail TA with Blunami and it is excellent. He also is installing it in a pair of older Atlas O diesel switchers I bought on Ebay. Like Norm I'm a believer and will likely use it for most if not all upgrades rather than pirating a Legacy board or using PS3. The ability to run it on anyone's layout is a feature I don't think was mentioned here. If you can run 18V to the track on your layout, you can run Blunami engines on it, just using a mobile phone since they are controlled via Bluetooth. No control system base required or special wiring. Don't want to use your phone? You can grab an older generation iPhone or Android phone from Ebay and use that as your controller. Great for clubs, or larger layouts where you let friends come over to run. You can run Legacy, DCS, and Blunami all at the same time.

Raif Palmer

Has anyone tried double heading engines with blunami in them?

@I1sa posted:

Has anyone tried double heading engines with blunami in them?

Yes, I doubled head a Lionel G Scale Thomas and James. Pretty simple to consist them. It's a little bit similar to doing an MTH consisting.

@MPC1974 posted:

I don't think was mentioned here. If you can run 18V to the track on your layout, you can run Blunami engines on it, just using a mobile phone since they are controlled via Bluetooth.

Not sure if that was clear in my first post but yes, Blunami is very friendly to an existing 3 rail command control layout. No hardware needed, just a phone or a tablet/iPad. It's kind of like using the Lionchief BT app for a BT-equipped Legacy engine but way better.

Norm,  Did you add power sharing between the engine and tender... i.e., no current keeper?

This always had three pickup rollers so it never had any power issues. Which is good because this can really crawl now!

Norm, just finished watching your video on the Blunami install, fantastic video as always.   Do you think the day will ever come when manufacturers standardize to something such as Blunami or possibly sell locomotives with the option of not having their control boards automatically installed?   Dwayne

Glad you liked the vid! I had a lot of fun with it and want to try another install.

I have no idea what the future holds for command control in 3 rail but at this point what do I care when something like Blunami is available?

Enjoyed the video. I really prefer a remote for running trains. Mostly for me there’s just to much going on with what’s on the screen. I like the Blunami approach as it looks like it covers all I need on the main screen.

I purchased a so called Legacy 0-8-0 years ago. Totally useless as a switcher with the boards they used. It now sits on a shelf. What perked my interest was the switcher mode on the Blunami and watching your engine crawl. Which I’m guessing cuts the steps sort of in half for more precise speed. Legacy does the same thing.
No antenna nor chuff switch needed. I don’t run smoke. As far as communicating with the engine. Doing switching moves I’d never be that far away from it. I may have found my first victim.

The app isn't too fussy I think. Most of what you need for running is on the main screen. It would be cool if you could rearrange some shortcut buttons to your liking in future versions. I guess we'll see what they come up with.

I've been waiting for this install video.  Would someone please post the link?

Chuck

don't think its been mentioned here but the Blunami also has a socket to plug in a keep alive capacitor with helps for some of those pesky dead spots. also I am using Tang Band speakers , much smaller but they are built int an enclosure and have very good Base. the ones I am using appear to have two speakers in the enclosure one small and one larger.

@PRR1950 posted:

I've been waiting for this install video.  Would someone please post the link?

Chuck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dew8tQyrTwo

@Bob posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dew8tQyrTwo

Norm....Thanks for the video on your MTH to Blunami conversion. Lot of food for thought. On the topic of speakers I agree with Pete and others that the Visaton speakers are a cut above. I have used their FRWS 5 SC  and FRWS 5 R. RMS wattage is 4 and 5 0r so. one is round the other rectangle.

Richard

I love this: