Speaker cable, what gauge of wire?

[Owain]

I don't think adding 8 box speakers is going to improve the aesthetics of a Mk 2 Tourist Standard Open? Can you not get any flush-fitting speaker in? In the 1980s trains that did not have fitted PA systems had them added on using car 'pod' speakers and they would be less obtrusive mounted on the window pillars below the luggage racks. You are highly unlikely to need 40 watts per speaker. 100 volt line is definately suitable for foreground music and speech if you use music-rated transformers and decent speakers, and Cat5 cable would be adequate (although thicker cable would be better). A heritage railway is also likely (well should be) using 100V line systems for platform announcements and other purposes so using 100V line would give you more flexibility to mix and match equipment across fixed and mobile installations. Also, most 100V amps also have a 70V output. If you find yourself in emergency having to double up because of a failed amp, you can put two 100V speaker circuits in parallel on a 70V tap and run them both at half power without overloading the amp.

 

 

100V also makes it easy to provide a local volume control (multitapped transformer) in each coach, or even a channel selector switch so any coach can be switched to any on-train channel.

 

As for using a liquid fueled genny on a moving train I assume this is going to be slung under the coach body and will not be internal? But that's another interesting issue...

 

 

[Jivemaster]

RS do certainly offer 8 core flex in 100m reels.

 

NO I would NOT try to share cores between amplifiers.

[themadhippy]

I would use 2 wires for that, giving me 6 channels for 6 coaches

But its only a 4 channel amp

[PYROmaster]

I don't think adding 8 box speakers is going to improve the aesthetics of a Mk 2 Tourist Standard Open? Can you not get any flush-fitting speaker in? In the 1980s trains that did not have fitted PA systems had them added on using car 'pod' speakers and they would be less obtrusive mounted on the window pillars below the luggage racks. You are highly unlikely to need 40 watts per speaker. 100 volt line is definately suitable for foreground music and speech if you use music-rated transformers and decent speakers, and Cat5 cable would be adequate (although thicker cable would be better). A heritage railway is also likely (well should be) using 100V line systems for platform announcements and other purposes so using 100V line would give you more flexibility to mix and match equipment across fixed and mobile installations. Also, most 100V amps also have a 70V output. If you find yourself in emergency having to double up because of a failed amp, you can put two 100V speaker circuits in parallel on a 70V tap and run them both at half power without overloading the amp.

 

 

100V also makes it easy to provide a local volume control (multitapped transformer) in each coach, or even a channel selector switch so any coach can be switched to any on-train channel.

 

As for using a liquid fueled genny on a moving train I assume this is going to be slung under the coach body and will not be internal? But that's another interesting issue...

 

 

 

The aesthetics are not a problem, the speakers are on the overhead luggage racks, and for this event, also hidden by fake christmas presents. - using the curve of the ceiling to spread the sound - it works well :)

A couple of the coaches had already some speakers put in from their service days, these - needless to say - are awful, they also piggyback off the lighting circuit, so you get a constant hum.

I agree, in that I don't think I am using anything anywhere close to the 40W, but its definitely nice to know I have plenty of headroom.... did I mention its got to be loud ?? - singing & dancing !

At current, there is no platform announcements or anything else... no existing 100v system at all - and not being familiar with 100v audio, I kept it to what I know and what I know would work... I will however do a bit of research and look into 100v for other applications within the railway. - I do like the idea of local volume and channel selection ...

 

Yes the genny on a train is a seperate issue and not one I would like to get into on here - that is for me and the power 'bod' to discuss!

 

 

I would use 2 wires for that, giving me 6 channels for 6 coaches

But its only a 4 channel amp

Just talking in terms of the wire - I would obviously have to get another 4ch amp! :)

 

 

 

The cable has now been purchased - 250m of 2.5mm 8 core speaker cable ... :) - thats gonna be heavy !