steam sound units

[hutchParticipant @hutch73959]

Hi Guys

I am back again after a long time away.

I have a problem. The problem is that I have a kit of parts for a Technobots

sound unit, the first type that was made I call it Mk 1.

I do not have a wiring circuit diagram, can any one help me with one?

Cheers

Hutch.

[hutchParticipant @hutch73959]

diy from a kit

[David Marks 2Participant @davidmarks2]

Hutch – No familiar with that make of sound unit but have found their website and there is is some info there detailing the assembly of a sound unit. If it is not the same unit as your own, you could try contacting the company which is based in Warwickshire.

[hutchParticipant @hutch73959]

1. HI David
2. Thanks for the reply, I have contacted Forge Electronics who make the Techonbots Mk 2 version,
3. they do not have any info on the earlier design so that is a dead end
4. Hutch.

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

hi there Hutch

Sadly, as you may know Alan passed away, another one who is no longer with us and such a sad loss.

I have built several of his circuits, but, mainly speed controllers, rudder mixers and go slows for servos.

When Alan worked for Technobots he did a lot of design work that was made up on copper strip board – I wonder is this the version you have? Or, when Alan left Technobots and started Forge up – a lot of his units came with a circuit board. If you are lucky enough to have one that was with a circuit board, you may be able to work out the component fixings and placings.

Here are a couple of photographs of the 2 versions. I will have a look through what I have to see if I have a circuit diagram for you – but – I am not 100% sure though.

Also, have you contacted Scale Warships – I know Alan did leave a lot of his circuit diagrams with them – they may be able to help you.

John

 

 

 

Edited By John W E on 25/05/2023 16:21:36

[hutchParticipant @hutch73959]

Hi John

Thank you for your input I do have the perf board and all the parts, to put the unit together ie to soldered them in place.But do not have the wiring diragram for the power leads go to the speaker and the board.
have contacted Forge and Scale warship, they cannot help me.
The diagram photos you have kindly sent does not look like the one I have, mine has not rudder control??

Just for any body reading this I am back build model boats after a long break my music got in the way a bit,

plus some health issues.

Regards,

Hutch

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Hutch if you do an internet search with the terms "technobots sound unit" you 'll likely find at least 3 different sounds units that Alan Bond produced. Hopefully one of those will be yours. It certainly brings up a sound unit built on a strip board and shows the component placements. That unit seems to use another circuit board piggy-backed on the main strip board and the speaker connections come from that.

Beyond that it wouldn't hurt to contact Technobots rather than Forge to see if they have the information that you need.

Keith

Edited By Keith Long on 26/05/2023 15:09:42

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

hi there Hutch, the pics I put on previous are really just for reference – so you could see the difference between the 2 different circuit boards.

Going back to your sound unit, I did a search on You tube – and there is a gent there who is doing a set up and walk through of Alan Bond's unit from 8 years ago. I think this may be the one you have. On the video there are images of the connection set up page from the booklet.

John

[hutchParticipant @hutch73959]

Hi John

Sorry I miss under stood re the boards

Keith, You are a life saver thank you for the link to Youtube the light at the end——— I never gave it a thought to try Youtube.

Cheers Hutch.

[hutchParticipant @hutch73959]

Hi Guys,

I have another Q for you What steam engine would a 1930,s tug have, would it be a single or double cylinder or bigger as need the engine sound for a OcCre Ulises tug kit.

I have the files for the Alan Bond sound unit ,thanks for the help you gave me,

a guy here in Adelaide has them.

Cheers

Hutch.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Just a couple of thoughts. In all my years as a sea going engineer I can safely say that the sound generated from a vessel's engine is invariably hardly noticeable from outside the vessel, and that is from a diesel engine. Invariably all you will hear is a slight burbling from the exhaust and perhaps a feint distant whine of a turbo charger, usually when the engine is suddenly loaded up.

Steam engines on the other hand hardly make a sound. You may get a slight hiss as a gland somewhere leaks a little steam but mostly nothing more than the gentle rumble of the running gear as the parts rotate around. There are some steam recip engine videos on YouTube to give you an idea. I think the danger with steam sound generator units is that they can make the model seem a little unrealistically noisy.

Having said that a tug steam recip engine would at least be a double expansion engine, i.e. two cylinders, but far more likely, a triple expansion engine, i.e. three cylinders.

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

hi there, as Richard says, there is very little noise from a ships engine (on the outside of the vessel) unless there is something seriously wrong with the engine. However, having said that, going back to the very early sixties when there were still steam tugs (on the River Tyne) the loudest noise I can recall was when the tugs were finished for the day, they would release steam from the boilers – and that was deafening – this would last for approximately 20 minutes. As the tugs were operating the loudest noise would be from the wash as the vessel moved along.

On the drawings I have of steam tugs, the majority of them are triple expansion steam engines.

John

[hutchParticipant @hutch73959]

HI Guys

Thanks for your input I will take on board and make the sound low so one can only hear it up close.
Cheers Hutch

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

….on the other hand….only the most knowledgable know this, and a bit of noise sometimes can enhance the “ambiance” of a model boat.

i am not necessarily a fan of ALL noises, but the gentle fake chuffing or dieseling of a suitable tug or whatever can be quite nice and if you have gone to the bother of making some noise then it needs to be heard by a few pondside people and not those Right up close?

A chap comes down to the pond now and then with a very shiny Riviera type speedboat and that has a sound unit in it mimicking a V-8 or something. It does a start up, then idles and the revs increase as per the throttle and it’s really very good.

on the other hand…cannon noises from battleships, with no accompanying recoil or smoke I always think is a bit naff. AA machine gun noises, sort of ok…whoop! Whoop, destroyer hooters good.

one of Bushy Park Richards pirate ships has a sound thing in it playing risqué sea shanties, and another pirate ship (they are all pirate ships to the public) plays the theme from pirates of the Caribbean “ (his ‘dying gull&rsquo. My disco boat has disco music blaring out and ‘The Ultimate’ (which nobody has seen yet)has 60s female singer noises to accompany the singer (minion Monro)..and there’s a clue to the type of vessel.

Its a personal taste thing.

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 03/06/2023 07:32:23

Edited By ashley needham on 03/06/2023 07:33:19

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Yet again Ashley the issue of scale plays a part. Stand alongside a small motorboat at the jetty and the engine sound will be fairly clear and distinctive, stand alongside a large cargo ship in dock and you will hear nothing. Scale them down to convenient model size and sound from the motorboat might be considered as appropriate but sound from the cargo ship wouldn't.

As you say its horses for courses and we all have different ideas of what we enjoy in our model boats. My own aim is always for the most realistic scale model that I can possibly achieve whereas there are many who simply want to have fun. I make it a point to never critisise anyone else's take on the hobby, there's plenty of room for all, but I'm also always happy to offer thoughts on how to best achieve a scale looking, or sounding, model.

Another interesting point is that, even when the main engine is running, a very large percentage of the noise generated in a ship's Engine Room is in fact from all the auxilliaries, such as generators, pumps, compressors etc..  It's really interesting when you go totally 'cold' for a dry dock and for the first time in possibly years there is no sound whatsoever.  It's the only chance you ever get to listen for leaks!  This is why those in the business tend not to call them Engine Rooms because that is only one part of its function, most of us refer to them as Machinery Spaces.

Edited By Richard Simpson on 03/06/2023 09:19:39

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

When I open up the throttle on my SLEC Fairey Swordsman the brushless motor literally screams. At least I think it's the motor, it could be the guy behind the wheel I suppose….

Colin

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

You forgot one thing Richard, what about the telegraph 'ring' from the bridge – finish with engines or the worst one the emergency reverse . You know the bridge has it wrong and you are about to hit something. The only communication we had with the outside world.

Going back to other noises – one of the things that it took me a while to become accustomed too was when I moved from a Doxford driven ship to a Parson's steam turbine. Totally different noises altogether from the engine room.

John

 

 

Edited By John W E on 03/06/2023 15:57:25

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

You were on Doxfords! Now there was an interesting engine. The only Doxford I sailed with was their last ditched attempt to save the company in the face of competition from the likes of Wartsila and Sulzer, who had progressed when Doxford firmly sat on their laurels and remembered how good they were.

The last engines they made were fitted to a couple of small coastal Prince Line ships and they were a medium speed three cylinder engine. They were UMS as well so I would go down last thing at night for my last rounds when I was on duty and would be absolutely hypnotised by the three top pistons flying around at about 375 rpm! Manoeuvring was a real challenge when the top rings started to wear and compression dropped off just before a unit needed doing. At that point there was a very good chance the engine wouldn't start so the junior would stand on the tops with a bucket of oil and pour oil into the top piston skirt to help seal it. You had to jump over the handrails, throw oil around the three skirts then jump off again before the next start! Then, when the bucket was getting low, you had to run down to the bottom plates to fill your bucket up and then run back up to the tops with your bucket of oil ready for the next time it stopped. I was as fit as a butcher's dog in those days!

Sorry to hi-jack the thread but they are sea going stories so I hope I'm forgiven.

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