SD-9 Sound Install

[carlso]

Russ (tehachapifan) posted and excellent piece of work with his recent sound install in his SD-9. Beautiful work!

Well, I got the bug and found two new, never run, old Atlas/KATO SD-9's. Here is a picture of where I am at with the project. You will see the frames milled to accept the speaker and decoder, the decoder is an ESU Loksound Select Micro with 567 file, Knowles Fox speaker in DIY enclosure, set of two 220uF 16V capacitors:



I am taking a different approach than Russ did because I am putting the decoder in the rear with the speaker and caps in the front. I will be able to attach LED's to the front of speaker enclosure. Also, while milling I accidentally took off the lugs that would have held a modified light board, so I am hard wiring black/red leads to the brass pick up rails on side of chassis.

Always, have fun, life is short!
Carl

[tehachapifan]

Cool! Looking forward to seeing more!

[mighalpern]

Russ and Carl,
both of you guys are blowing my mind with the installation and finished pictures, of sound in N scale.
 I would love to have my old Kato  F3's have sound but not sure if the sound quality is worth it.  My steamers (3) are enough sound for me but I am missing diesel.  I have seen a web sight that sells the frame and everything already to go, but they offer different decoders and speakers and sound files, and I don't have any idea what i should be looking for. I would attempt the install, I'm mechanical in that sense, but the programming etc.. is a whole other world to me.  Any thoughts,
thanks  and keep posting pictures !!!   

[woodone]

I have installed an ESU LocSound select decoder in the Kato F3/7 units. The DCC sound decoder will fit under the hood but you will have to bore out an hole at the rear of the frame for a speaker. 1/2 inch speaker will make a very nice sounding unit.

[C855B]

I wanted to ask this in Russ's thread, but since we're here...

In my 1:1 experience with Cadillacs in mainline service (...gawd, I'm gettin' old...), the most noticeable and unique sound characteristic was the dynamic braking. The traction motors and fans set up this enormous wail you could hear down the entire canyon. Does the decoder know anything about this?

[carlso]

Mike,

you think your getting old, how about a train nut who operated SP 2-8-0's assigned to work trains. My dad would let me operate and wow was I hooked on trains at 10 years of age.

Russ can most likely answer your question regarding the dynamics, fans and such from personal experience. Mine will be installed some time this week if life doesn't get in the way. I need to be working on my taxes but heck that can wait. Must be low priority, you reckon?
From what I have heard on the ESU web page yes all those sounds are there. Shall see soon. I will post a short video.

If it had not been for Russ's posting, I probably would not have attempted this. However with his excellent thread and John Columbo's GP-9 install, excellent as well, I figured it was worth a try. Hope all finishes well as I have  two more to do. One in Black Widow and two in Bloody Nose.

Always have fun !

Carl

[tehachapifan]

I wanted to ask this in Russ's thread, but since we're here...

In my 1:1 experience with Cadillacs in mainline service (...gawd, I'm gettin' old...), the most noticeable and unique sound characteristic was the dynamic braking. The traction motors and fans set up this enormous wail you could hear down the entire canyon. Does the decoder know anything about this?

Yes, the LokSound Select Micro, with the EMD 567 16cyl. Non Turbo sound file (#73836), does include dynamic brake sounds. You can listen to a sound sample here, along with many others....

http://www.esu.eu/en/downloads/sounds/loksound-select/loksound-select-usa/?tx_esudecoderprojects_pi1%5Bpage%5D=2&cHash=518df4b0dd4c28ff3db12c00a6473b46

I hope this link is OK to post. I'm not affiliated....just a happy customer!

The quality of sound from this decoder in my SD9 install is awesome. From my research and (still-limited) experience, a vital component for quality sound is a quality speaker with a completely air-tight enclosure/baffle. Also, while it may seem like it would, I don't believe there is any benefit to drilling holes, etc, in the shell or anywhere with the idea this improves sound volume or quality. If anything, I believe the more trapped the sound is the more it resonates and becomes less tinny.

mighalpern, sorry, I missed your post until now. I believe the same sound file would work for your loco too, if you were going to use this same decoder that is. I suppose depending on where you order the decoder from, you can specify the sound file you want installed when you order.

[carlso]

Here is an image of project as of now. The 4 power wires are connected and 1/2 of the caps wiring is complete the speaker is next and is quite simple. the lights blue wire that also connects to the caps will be next and if I decide to add any other light effect to the 2 auxiliary pads that will be last. The camera angle sort of distorts the picture but yes, the shell fits over all this mess.



One thing I need to double check is the red and orange wires. It appears that I have them backwards, however I checked and double checked prior to soldering. I wish they would use a true red for the pick up.

Always, have fun ! ! !

Carl

[tehachapifan]

Glad to hear the install is going well but, for some reason, I don't see your pics. Am I the only one? The first one never showed up for me either but I assumed it was a temporary thing.

[peteski]

Glad to hear the install is going well but, for some reason, I don't see your pics. Am I the only one? The first one never showed up for me either but I assumed it was a temporary thing.

Can't see any of Carl's photos either.

[reinhardtjh]

I can see the pictures.  If you click on them you see they are being hosted on trainboard.com.  I have an account there and am automatically logged in.  Maybe that's the reason I can see.

[peteski]

Not a Trainboard member. So I'm sure that's it.  Oh well...

[jdcolombo]

Hi Carl.

The SD-9 installation looks excellent.  Here is a link with photos to my SD-9 install, which used the "decoder in front, speaker in rear" orientation (but the "speaker in front" orientation works fine, too):

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31621.0

There is really no need to drill holes in the shell for sound egress; I did this in the first couple of my sound installations, but then realized it simply wasn't necessary.  It will sound great without.  I wrote about my experience with this in the following thread:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31981.0

Still hoping to see a less-wide sound decoder from ESU.   The Atlas S-2 decoder board is about 8.5mm wide, and that would be a perfect width for retrofitting N-scale hood diesels.  There are rumors that ESU is working on a much smaller sound decoder, so let's hope those rumors are true!

John C.

[tehachapifan]

John, great install thread links! On that ESU rumor, that would really be great if they do make a smaller sound decoder. How "hot" is that rumor?

On the picture issue, I can see them now (nice work, Carl!). Strange thing is I am a trainboard member who is always logged in. I went over there to make sure I was indeed logged in (I was) and, when I came back, the pictures were showing up. To add to the mystery, I can't see your avatar any more, Peteski.

[peteski]

To add to the mystery, I can't see your avatar any more, Peteski.

No mystery -  that is by-design.    The the website hosting the picture must have yanked the image. Nobody can see it anymore. I need to edit my profile.