ESU/Loksound decoder no.54499 & Digitrains sound profile

Today I set about installing sound into my Dapol Class 22. Dapol recommends using the decoder/speaker combo available from DCC Supplies, but since I was purchasing Paul Chetters new sound profile for my 08 from Digitrains, I decided to purchase what Digitrains had on offer instead.

Now this was not a complicated procedure and anybody who can install a dcc decoder can install sound. I will say that I needed to modify the speaker box slightly, but that is as far as anything technical went !

Ok, first of, use a small flat blade screw driver to lift off the body. Please note that there are a pair of wires that are attached to the underside of the body, connected to the chassis. See below.



Here are the three individual parts : top right, original dc/analogue decoder and below right & left, the ESU/Loksound decoder. Note that the speaker is upside down…



Fit this carefully with the pins lining up. This first fit was a test fit to gauge the height on the speaker box. The height of the box is depicted by the green arrow and shows quite clearly that the box is way to deep to fit in under the lock-in tabs which are arrowed yellow.



When installing the decoder, make sure everything has a nice tight fit and that the pins line up accordingly.



The next step is to remove the speaker from the box. This can be done with a small flat blade screwdriver being inserted into the slot in one of the corners of the box and prying up. It pops out quite easily. I left the decoder plugged in and only seperated the box.



Once free, the box needs approximately 3mm cut off its height. Don't trim down the open side of the box, but the bottom (solid) side.



Once cleaned up, it should look like this…



Next step is to glue on a new base. I chose to use some very thin styrene sheet.



I decided to layer up a few pieces of styrene at the correct height (remembering that the spaeaker box fits inside a cradle on the chassis), on the ends of the box to form stops around the clips/lugs.



Please note that there is a sufficient gap left in the styrene to pass the speaker wires through, as the speaker sits flush inside the edge of the box. The pic below shows the gap left in the 'wires' end prior to gluing on the longer section with angled sides/edges as shown above.




After allowing this to dry/cure, the speaker can then be re-installed into the box and the whole lot placed into the cradle on the chassis.



I ended up using a small piece of insulating tape, to tape the two speaker wires together to avoid having them damaged when reassembling the body.




Before clipping the body back on, I would recommend programming the loco's address and running through the sequence of commands. Once happy knowing it all works, clip down the body and enjoy the sounds. I know I do !

Cheers, Gary.

Nice clear "how I done it" Gary.

Marty

Nice job Gary, looking forward to hearing it! Paul does most of Digitrains sounds I think, need to get my 105 DMU done!

Cheers
Ron

Well done Gary ………. I can't hear it though

Toto

Ok, for those who want to hear it…



Cheers, Gary.

Good article, Gary. One suggestion though: you should seal up all those slots in the sound chamber around the sides. I usually use Blu-Tack or black-Tack to do this, but whatever you use, the idea is to completely separate the air behind the speaker from that in front of it. 

I fitted Howes' sound to my 22. I can't remember exactly what I did with the speaker, but I have been known on other space-restricted projects to file down the chambers from the open end, cutting away those support 'fins' in the bottom if necessary to allow the speaker to sit properly.

The sound is good already, so nicely done. More interesting sounds than the Howes one, if I'm honest.
:cheers

Excellent Gary,

 

A great job done and a fantastic end result. I'll be listening to that from time to time teasing myself.

 

thumbsthumbs

 

toto

Listened and watched on Toms puter Gary,  good job and a great sound :thumbs

cheers


Matt

Thankyou all.

Jeff, I noticed that the sound chamber has a narrower bottom than top, hence cutting the lower side off. This way the speaker can also sit at the right height within the box. ;-) I'll take your advice on sealing up those air holes. Good tip, thanks.

Toto, no, not one or two, you know you want sound in all your 22's, and 25s, 33, 37s, 66s, Deltics, 08s, A4s, 3Fs, 4Fs, … :mrgreen:

Cheers, Gary.

Gary Behave !!!  don't start him off down that road ! my poor ear     :thud( yup only got one working…its a godsend in the car when the Mrs starts wittering  

Gary,

What about the 03's, 04's, 14's, Austerity's, jinty's, 7f's, DMU's, sentinel, pugs ……………. I ain't doing it by half.


I need a lottery win.

Cheers

Toto

Hi Gary,

I never mentioned …. I have an 08 on its way from Hattons. " Chris Wren " in EWS livery with Hornby sound. I spoke to Paul about it as he has the same only in BR green. The sound isn't the best but even down the phone it sounded acceptable. The horns a bit mmmm ….. Suspect.

So, that's 3 to date. All ropey sound modules well the 08 and the 37 anyway. I don't know what is in the 66.

I have promised myself at least a couple of decent versions, probably an 08, 25 and 37. That will be it. I will probably have them on Breadalbane with the exception if the 25. …… Oh and a 22 ……… Or 2

Cheers

Great sounds Gary.

Just makes me wonder that if you have some locos with sound and some without, is there a temptation to run the sound equipped ones and leave the others just sitting on the layout.


Ed

Hi Ed,

That might be the case ………. For five minutes at a time. When I use mine, five or ten minutes is enough. They play havoc with my hearing aids and totally do my box in if used any longer. ………. You may ask why I bother especially at the price they are but I must admit they are good to have even if just to switch on for 5 minutes.

I think that if you have a layout that is well advanced in terms of scenery etc, it would be good to sit there and watch things unfold with a realistic loco sound. You can let your imagination run riot for five minutes whilst you take yourself back in time. The cost is the subjective part of it with everyone having their opinion as to whether it's really worth it. Especially for someone with hearing like mine.

I have a Cyrus music system at home with streamer and a CD player. I use Dynaudio speakers the system has probably cost me about 8k to date including Sono's, digital router, hard drives, monthly subscription to spotify etc etc etc. I'm scared to put it on in case my ears deteriorate any further as it was the use ( and abuse ) of headphones that screwed my ears up in the first place. ( tinnitus as well as going slightly deaf ).

However, on the occasion that I do listen to it, I'll shove Eva Cassidy on ( songbird ) and if I were to put a 25 kg bag of spuds on my knees, shut my eyes and just listen, you could swear she was sitting on you knee singing to you. Beautiful sound.

Apologies Gary and Ed. I digress. My point being that sound ( as well as cost ) is subjective. In the case of loco sound ( for me ) it probably ain't with it……. But I'll have it anyway. Eva Cassidy on the other hand ……… Well, she's a must.

Cheers

Toto

I found sound to be addictive. I now have 43 sound-fitted locos or units. these are generally the ones that now get the most running, even if it is with the sound turned off - as a rule I don't usually have more than two sound locos turned on at any one time.

All bar four have different sounds fitted, even if it means the same class but different supplier for the sound. There are two Heljan class 33s both fitted with Howes sound (ideal for double-heading), and two class 450 EMUs with legomanbiffo sound, again with multiple operation in mind.

Back to the class 22, mine has Howes sounds, made up from archive material and known sounds using M.A.N. engines. As I indicated earleir, it is a little boring, but I wanted to keep it different from anything else I have, whereas one other person I know of decided he didn't like the M.A.N. sounds so had another sound project made up for his by Bryan of Howes, using half a Maybach-engined Warship (class 42). His one does sound nicer but it's not really true to the type and, as I already have a Hymek, a Warship and a Western all with Maybach engine sounds, I preferred to remain with the less interesting M.A.N. sounds.

To answer your question Ed, yes and no ! Linden Ford is analogue, which means at the moment, I can run all the dcc/sound free locos, but on Industry Lane and Kelly Bray (when I get back to it..!), will have sound. Fortunately most of the locos I do own, sound profiles are available. You could say it's a long term project. ;-) With the three sound locos I have, although I have not fitted the 08 (Paul Chetter's sound), these will be used on Industry Lane.

Now, if I could get a speaker and sound decoder in the little Hornby 0-4-0 4wDM Sentinel shunter… :mrgreen:

Cheers, Gary.

[user=878]Gary[/user] wrote:

Now, if I could get a speaker and sound decoder in the little Hornby 0-4-0 4wDM Sentinel shunter… :mrgreen:

Cheers, Gary.

Max has fitted sound into a Hornby Terrier. I will try to find the thread.


http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=3832&forum_id=52%20...

Hi Gary,

Nice job. If you are ever really stuck for space, and this applies to a lot of pre-DCC models, it's possible to block the backsound with some 3M or similar double-sided foam tape. Works just as well as an enclosure (works like acoustic foam) and keeps the speaker where you want it. 

Following the discussion, nice to have sound at home, especially when shunting, but rather a waste of time at a show where the ambient noise masks most of it, especially diesels at speed. Working lights get more attention.

Nigel

Knew I'd seen this somewhere Gary, but I can't remember the forum thread that points to it, sorry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjwUMbBo0AQ


Ed

Thanks Nigel, Sol and Ed.

I do remember that video Ed, thanks for posting. Who else but Paul Chetter would have a go at putting sound into a Sentinel… Then again, Max put sound into a Terrier !!

Cheers, Gary.