Tried doing a search for sound affects modules, airhorns, foghorns, etc, came up with zilch. So where do I look for such a thing? Like to find engine and horn sounds for a scale tug.
- 'Doc

Try RAM and Graupner.

http://www.ramrcandramtrack.com

The Graupner ones have a engine start and shut down mode. Sort of like some of the newer cars and trucks that you find in the toy section at Wal-mart.

Ram sound modules are good PTB or gas engine sound units for about $ 40.00

You can also look Robbe sound module .

...should have said this in the first post. I've been to the 'Ram' site but can't get any sound. No idea why. Will try 'Gaupner' and 'Robbe'.
- 'Doc

Ram has the sounds on the telephone if you call them. A year ago.

How far away do you want to hear the sounds-- at the noise level as a loudmouth talking to you ?

cyclops2,
How far away? The duck pond is less than 50 yards in any direction, so something around that distance. Not particularly looking for 'huge' sounds, anything would be an improvement on nothing.
- 'Doc

I had no problem with hearing the sounds. I would suggest using an amplifier and a bigger speaker because a 2" speaker isn't very loud. It may sound loud in the workshop but once you get it outside on the water you will hardly hear it.

How big of a boat ? You also have to leave open SLITS at the deck to hull join area to let the sound out.

PT has a 1/2" high point in the center to get it out. Otherwise only water ripples around the hull and a moan.

Found out that General Motors auto speakers are Much more efficient than all those expensive speakers. $ 5 at a auto junk yard. Get the spearer, plug and a few feet of the wire together.

maKes hookup much easier. Medicin kickin in.-------later.

Rich

Rich and all,
Thanks for the suggestions. The only real problem is that 'Ram's on-line sound examples just don't want to work on my computer so I can't hear them. Thought there might have been other places to hear them, and that's why I asked. Probably wouldn't hurt to make myself clear at times, just too 'close' to the problem I guess.
Installation and hearing the thing shouldn't be a problem. The boat is certainly large enough, a 6" speaker would be no problem and an larger 'oval' speaker shouldn't either. There's ample power available. And if it's really needed, a small amplifier would also not be a 'biggie'. (The 'Rat Shack' makes a communications amplified speaker (4inch) that would be just the thing. Just not sure it would be needed or if I wanna 'rob' it from where it is - lol. Don't expect great fidelity, loud and fidelity don't really go together.)
The second problem is that I've never heard a real live tug boat horn. Sure, in movies etc, but just not many boats of that size around Oklahoma, you know? But as long as it sounds sort of 'real', and 'right', who cares, right?
Thanks again...
- 'Doc

I was totally bummed out when I bought a tape from --PT Boats INC--- Great bunch of WW II PTB Veterns and their families. The pictures and sounds of the factory testing the boats in the East River in N Y was a dull boring sound.

The movies must be using dressed up civilian boats.

Still I was able to adjust the 2 RAM Sound Modules To the exact same boring sounds.

Doc , Ram can take your sound tape or track and burn that in to the Module.
Call him. He will work with you . Refunds are quick if no damage is done to a module that I wrongly selected.
The guy is a 10 in my book.

I was totally bummed out when I bought a tape from --PT Boats INC--- Great bunch of WW II PTB Veterns and their families. The pictures and sounds of the factory testing the boats in the East River in N Y was a dull boring sound.

The movies must be using dressed up civilian boats.

Still I was able to adjust the 2 RAM Sound Modules To the exact same boring sounds.

Doc , Ram can take your sound tape or track and burn that in to the Module.
Call him. He will work with you . Refunds are quick if no damage is done to a module that I wrongly selected.
The guy is a 10 in my book.

The sounds are done with Quicktime. It happens to be loaded on my computer. I guess one of the kids must have done it.

I hope the sound from the module is better than what came over the computers speakers. The radial engine sounded good but the rest just sounded fake/digital.

Cyclops, have you listened to the triple Packards at JJC?
http://www.jjc-electronics.com/Propenginesounds.html

Note will change with your motor speed. Need to purchase from him in the UK, or a little more conveniently from Westbounre:
http://www.westbourne-models.com/ And his units have a 15w amp built in!

Pat Matthews

I liked the JJC sound.
My boat has 2 seperate RAM gas engine modules that are each, seperately, tuneable for the idle rpms and idle volume.
Each module is also adjustable for maximum rpms and volume.
As a result, I have the engines synched at idle and at FULL they are going in and out of synch about every 1.5 seconds.
At WOT, they really are laboring with a synch rate of 4 seconds. It actually sounds like they are being worked to death and no one cares.
A couple of PTB Motor Mechanics said they moved the governors up to 3,200 rpms just before bad missions.
I moved mine up to 3,200 rpms also.

I realise this is a bit late for the original post but I've just come across this thread.

I own Model Solutions of Canada Ltd. and we make very high performance SFX6 sound modules that are fully configurable, you can download your own sounds to them, have an enormous (40Watts) amount of output power (on 26Volts) - 10Watts on 12V. Plus they play back at full CD sound quality and have two fully proportional throttle controlled engine sounds. These new SFX6 modules will be out of the assembly plant about July 22nd, 2009.

Regards,
David Harrison
CEO
Model Solutions of Canada Ltd.
[link=http://www.modelsolutions.ca]www.modelsolutions.ca[/link]

Hi,

I have used JJC sounds in the past. I like them, although they tend to be somewhat pricey. Ralph at RAM is probably your best bet. Give him a call and he will set you up, no problem. If you have a specific sound he can digitize it for you and flash it to a chip for you. I don't know what that costs.

Like I said, give Ralph a call.

Pete

I think the problem you'll find with the RAM sound units is that they're way underpowered. They typically come with a little 2" speaker and an output power of maybe 2-3 watts. That may sound loud on the bench, indoors, but get your model out in the open and on the lake 20- 30Ft away and you definitely won't hear anything. SPL (sound pressure level) decreases as the square of the distance from the source so get any reasonable distance between you and a RAM sound module, and you won't hear it. Plus they're voice quality only which means they have high distortion and can sound muffled.

They are cheap - but then, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for.

Regards,
David