Installing Sound Systems into Scale Model Steamboats

      (Copyright Robt. Rydman WSRHS 2002)

This paper is concerned with the installation of sound
systems into model steamboats. The emphasis will be on 1/48
scale model boats. The techniques can easily be applied to
larger scales and may also serve as starting points for other
scales.

The sound system must be able to be controlled from shore, as
per Winona Steamboat Racing & Historical Society Rules,
ON/OFF control is required.  Volume and sound selection is
desireable.

It must operate from the onboard 12 v. DC electrical system.

It must have adequate sound.

Speakers may have to be water proof or resistant.

My first idea was to adapt a IR remote Boom Box.

Then I thought maybe an ON/OFF MP3 player.... or maybe some
900 MHz stereo remote speakers.

Any of these might be tried, depending on what you have
available, or are willing to find at a garage sale, or buy
new.

Of these methods wireless speakers seems to offer the best
choice for many reasons. R/S offers a nice system for $90. It
runs on 8 akaline batteries 12 V.?  It is good to about 150
feet. It might be noted that if several boats were so
equipped they might all respond to the same sound source for
an interesting effect. But, you really want your own
private sound system, but this would make a nice system, it
maybe that it is possible to set a code on these, and they
are compact on board, and offer stereo, and is controllable
from shore.  A push on/push off switch could be used to
conserve power, and the on-shore system could be enjoyed with
out transmitting to boat.

Using an MP3 player with spearker attachment might also be
good. Here the choice of sound might be less accessible as no
I/R remote is normally used with these systems. A push
on/push off switch might be used but you might have to listen
to a preprogramed selection.

Adapting an IR remote boom box is probably the cheapest
route, you would have to burn your own CD,s or buy some. And
it is possible that you will get interference from sunlight.
At night it would be less of a problem.

What sounds would you want? 

Well.... whistle, bell, calliope, dixieland band, steam
exhaust, crowd noises, cows, sheep, goats, roustabout chants!