Digitrax Sound Decoder for Kato E8 - how good is it?

[OldEastRR]

Hmmm.... I notice that after all this talk about milling machines, tantalum chip caps, airtight speaker enclosure, etc, the OP hasn't come back to comment on this. I assume he's going to just buy the factory DCC/Sound E9s from KATO and be done with it ....

[robert3985]

@robert3985

Bob, when you decide to DDC-ize your PA's and E's, don't use the 15mm round speaker.  Part of the problem with the Digitrax sound decoders (not all of the problem, but a significant part of it) is that the 15mm round speaker packaged with it is terrible. 

Instead, use an 8x12mm Soberton (available from Digikey) in John LeMerise's 3D printed enclosure, like this:

(Attachment Link)

This will sound a ton better, and takes less milling too, since you just have to mill a bit at the front.  This is a Kato PA, for the E's, you might have to put the speaker in the back and mill the frame (Rick Brodzinsky has done E's, and now I can't remember if he put the speaker up front or in the rear).

There's plenty of room for speaker, LokSound, and keeper caps.  I did mill a small space in the rear for the caps, like this - though I actually milled way too much):

(Attachment Link)

This PA sounds terrific, and at the end of the day, really isn't much more work than using a Digitrax "drop in".

John C.

 @jdcolombo

John, I did these quite a while ago and in a big hurry for an upcoming show, so I used what I could buy off the shelf at my LHS.  At the time, your expert advice and experience wasn't available yet!  When I get around to superdetailing my COLA and other "city" streamliners in the near future, I'll go with exactly your setup so the sound matches the detailing.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[robert3985]

Hmmm.... I notice that after all this talk about milling machines, tantalum chip caps, airtight speaker enclosure, etc, the OP hasn't come back to comment on this. I assume he's going to just buy the factory DCC/Sound E9s from KATO and be done with it ....

In any case, the famous TRW "topic drift" on this thread has been highly beneficial for me, and I assume for others too!   

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Maletrain]

"Hmmm.... I notice that after all this talk about milling machines, tantalum chip caps, airtight speaker enclosure, etc, the OP hasn't come back to comment on this. I assume he's going to just buy the factory DCC/Sound E9s from KATO and be done with it ...."

"In any case, the famous TRW "topic drift" on this thread has been highly beneficial for me, and I assume for others too!"

As a matter of fact, the OP (me) is reading these responses and considering his options.  Since I already own the E8s, and Kato is not currently making the DCC/sound versions of their E8/9s in the road name I want, I am taking-in all of this and considering using an ESU sound decoder with caps.

[RBrodzinsky]

You won't regret putting a LokSound into these, and it is not difficult. I looked for photos of my install, earlier today, but couldn't locate them. Depending on the road, the LokSound also makes it easy to add separate headlamp and Mars light.

[peteski]

As a matter of fact, the OP (me) is reading these responses and considering his options.  Since I already own the E8s, and Kato is not currently making the DCC/sound versions of their E8/9s in the road name I want, I am taking-in all of this and considering using an ESU sound decoder with caps.

Even if you have no means to mill out the chassis, you can easily clamp that single-piece chassis in a vise and using a hacksaw just cut off a slab as needed.  Then glue a sugar cube speaker in enclosure in that space. You might even find some room there for keep-alive caps.

[jdcolombo]

Even if you have no means to mill out the chassis, you can easily clamp that single-piece chassis in a vise and using a hacksaw just cut off a slab as needed.  Then glue a sugar cube speaker in enclosure in that space. You might even find some room there for keep-alive caps.

You can also use a Dremel.  Before I got my mini-mill, I used a Dremel with a variety of carbide cutters and cutoff wheels to do what needed to be done.  It won't be as pretty as a mill job, and it will take a lot longer, but you can get to the same overall place.

John C.