Has anyone been able to get acceptable quality if you use a microphone plugged into the tiu to make announcements over your ps2 engines speakers ? I find if you use the mike in the remote, quality is not good.
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I've only gotten this to work as well as the real thing works!
Ever hear announcements on the MBTA? Or rather ever hear announcements that you can actually understand on the MBTA? I think MTH is spot on matching the prototype there! Both are a garbled mess of static non-sense!
Can you program in your own station announcements and play them as a sound file in the engine? so, what I am asking is instead of the guys chattering, you could have your own chattering, your wife yelling in the background, dog barking, kids yelling! Pizza delivery guy in the fart can muffler mobile driving up the road with the sound system booming!
In Barry's book, he does describe how to do this. Their is a limit to how many recordings you can make. I have not done it. I have played a rail road song from my iphone or ipad plugged into the tiu and feed to the engines speaker. I found the quality very acceptable.
Note that if you use the Dispatch feature, there is a bug in the TIU that sometimes locks out any control. I can "almost always" get back by poking the MIC key a couple of times, but it's nice to be aware of it. 
Originally Posted by Asheville division of Southern:
Has anyone been able to get acceptable quality if you use a microphone plugged into the tiu to make announcements over your ps2 engines speakers ? I find if you use the mike in the remote, quality is not good.
Yes it's much better. It's been quite a while but I don't think the mike has to be stereo
It does require a good dcs signal though..
I've had the most luck hooking up to the Line input from a CD/MP3 player or whatever that has volume control. Then adjust the volume on the player to max that doesn't clip the sound. If you get crackly hiccuping audio using the Line input then check your DCS signal quality.
It could just be the mics I've tried but the volume always seems low when using the MIC input so you're shouting which detracts from the fun. I've used this Radio Shack 9V battery powered amplifier with volume control to adjust my mic level so I could use the TIU Line input:
http://www.radioshack.com/prod...sp?productId=2062620
Or some tape recorders/boomboxes you may have in the attic can amplify its MIC input with volume control so you could amplify your mic and feed it into the TIU Line input.
Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:
Note that if you use the Dispatch feature, there is a bug in the TIU that sometimes locks out any control. I can "almost always" get back by poking the MIC key a couple of times, but it's nice to be aware of it.
We are experiencing the same issue. My 9 year old son is hooked on the Mic feature. He has a lot to say every time the train is running.
You just have to remember to keep pushing the MIC button until it starts working again. I'd sure like to see them fix this one.
Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:
You just have to remember to keep pushing the MIC button until it starts working again. I'd sure like to see them fix this one.
I have an 8 ear old grandson that agrees with you John.....he sure would like to see them fix this one.!! I have banned him from using itl
Greg
I banned my 7 year old grandson from using it as well. He lost control of the locomotive and rear-ended another, that was when the MIC was decommissioned! 
We only have one PS2 engine and no others to crash into yet. We are finding that if my son does not try to push a bunch of buttons immediately after using the mic, the problem is not as persistant. Interesting side effect of the DCS system, There seems to be no motivation on the part of anyone using it to try full throttle, every one is pretty content at slower operating speeds. No so much with the conventional transformers.
Well, the lack of decent low speed control with many conventional locomotives, not to mention slow speed operation on curves and grades, tends to make highballing more of an operational mode.
Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:
Well, the lack of decent low speed control with many conventional locomotives, not to mention slow speed operation on curves and grades, tends to make highballing more of an operational mode.
True, Every kid that gets behing our conventional controls lifts that level and let's the train fly.
my little one floored my engines all the way and I did not even know it. good thing the curves were o54! or my premier diesel would have been flying through the air.!
