Thanks John,
I have just visited this site and he does indeed make for Technobots (and other retailers) but sells nothing directly.
Ah - the times, they are a changing!
I made my last delivery of sound units to Technobots a few weeks ago and I (as Forge Electronics) will be supplying sound units directly "real soon now" as Microsoft love to say! This marks an amicable agreement with Technobots who are rationalising their product range. Likewise, I decided to re-think my product range and in future will only be offering the Combo type (now the MK3) as it encompasses all three 'single voice' petrol, diesel and steam types - with the benefit that additional petrol/diesel sounds and many more user adjustments are available for a small extra cost.
http://www.forge-electronics.co.uk/index.php/boats/combo-mk3The (brexit) fall in the pound/dollar has significantly increased the cost of the components and as a small (retirement hobby) cottage industry I now have to pay VAT on the components so the MK3 selling price (£30) is necessarily slightly higher than for the discontinued MK2 petrol/diesel/steam variants (£27) but rather cheaper than the discontinued MK2 combo (£37). First-Class-Signed-For postage in the UK will be £3.00, elsewhere at cost.
As the attached picture shows, I've taken this opportunity to re-package it into a smaller, lower profile, 3D printed case, but it remains functionally identical to the MK2.
I won't be setting up an e-shop, but I've been direct-selling my competition timers for model aircraft quite successfully by issuing PayPal invoices to customers requesting units by email.
As for the rest of the discussion, I'm the first to admit that my 'steam' sound is quite unsuitable for boats other than the Puffer types - originally it was only ever intended for a novelty paddle steamer a pal built in bath-toy hull - you can read about this on my 'workshop' page
http://www.forge-electronics.co.uk/index.php/workshop/sound-unit-history.
I've supplied a few prototype 'real steam' units
http://www.forge-electronics.co.uk/index.php/boats/fe101 to some of our SRCMBC club members using a sound clip from a compound expansion engine in place of the Turbo Diesel shown in the photo, but I don't propose to continue with this particular approach.
Regards to all
Alan Bond