Hi All, I have recently aquired a second hand Loksound V3.5 decoder for a Schools class loco. It's a 21pin decoder, which I can use a 21 pin to 8 pin adapter if I want to. However I'd like to know if this is how Hornby originally did this? I'd also like to know if Hornby made a TTS decoder for a Schools class, and if it sounded any different. This type of information is almost non-existent when searching the internet. P.S. I do already know that a V3.5 decoder requires a 100 ohm speaker. Cheers, Eve
Having a quick google, there doesn’t appear to be a schools sound decoder from Hornby in the TTS range? You may have to look else where such as South West Digital as an example. However, what you then need to check is have you got an 8 pin or 21 pin socket in the loco? I wouldn’t bother with a conversion harness with sound, it’s just taking up limited space in these models.
Hi Andy, Thanks for your response, I have already checked the internet and came up with the same conclusion, however there may have been a TTS decoder that is now discontinued. I'm only interested to know if the sound files were the same. Generally, I'm not impressed with TTS decoders after having experienced many problems with them, however they are at budget level prices.
Hello Eve, move actually found the to be not too bad. What is the key down is the quality of the speaker - on some I have replaced them, on others mounted them with better sound boxes. Yes, they are limited in the amount of channels they can play, but sometimes that’s not an issue. We have an A4, and A3 and the Hogwarts as well as a class 60 with TTS ( I also have a number of other locos with sound but from other brands) and these run on an outdoor layout. It may be worth having a shuffle around on the t’internet and see what you can get. I can’t say if the other southern loco is the same sound files, as I’m not an SR region modeller, but there may be one out there- some companies - Howes? - offer reblows of the sound files. It’s still a bit of a mine field. andy
Andy, Thanks for the correspondence but I'm not looking for a decoder, I just want information about a discontinued Hornby Loco, and if the files on the ESU V3.5 are any different to a possibly produced and since discontinued TTS decoder. If I wanted a new decoder I'd go to You Choos and have a Zimo decoder. Eve
Ah, sorry. Misunderstood your post. The TTS ones won’t be the same as from someone else as suspect they create their own. I can only find This one which shows it as cancelled. It may be they decided against it, so you may be looking for something that doesn’t exist.
Thankyou Andy, The ESU Loksound V3.5 might well have had Hornbys own sound files on it, in which case any subsequent TTS decoder might well have the same sound files. Hornby's R2898XS St Pauls model was introduced in 2010, this was before Hornby started producing TTS decoders. Anyway I give up looking. The only History of Hornby Schools class that I can find is on the Southern E Mail Group site under modelling and Hornby Schools https://sremg.org.uk/model/vvar.html, but it stops at 2010 with R2898XS St Pauls, which has the V3.5 Loksound decoder, can't find any info after 2010. I have 2 LeMaitre chimney Schools with You Choos Zimo decoders, and I'll put the V3.5 into my third Schools with original chimney.
It may be that Hornby only did a sound decoder for one particular model of the 'Schools' Eve. This is certainly the case with Hornby "Lord Nelsons" as they only released one version with factory fitted DCC sound but to my knowledge, never released the decoder with "Lord Nelson" sound files separately for sale, at least not yet. As you will doubtless have already found, the Hornby sound decoders are pretty basic compared to the well known brands with far fewer features, and I'm not personally a fan of them. Keith.
