I’m looking to install a sound decoder some old Atlas GP 7’s i have. I’m wanting to have the full, rich sound I hear on some models, not the tinny sounds. What set up would you recommend for this? Also, is there a site that shows the installation of the devices? This would be my first attempt at adding sound to an engine.
Thanks,
Fred
Fried,
TCS has a really nice library of decoder installation tutorials using their decoders:
https://drupal.tcsdcc.com/installations
Even if you don’t use their decoders, the tutorials should still be helpful.
For speakers, I would encourage you to look at Scale Sound Systems:
https://www.scalesoundsystems.com/
The owner, JT Burke, is a recording engineer and designs and 3D prints his own baffles for the speakers he sells. They are terrific! I have two speakers wired in-parallel in a brass 2-6-6-2 Mallet and the chuff is wonderfully gutteral - even at low volume.
HTH,
Tom
Hello All,
I’ve had great luck with Digitrax decoders, both non-sound and recently sound.
Most of my motive fleet does not have sound but recently I’ve been installing sound decoders.
The Digitrax SDXH167D Series 7 Sound Decoders come pre-wired with a speaker and a capacitor for the sound- -this is NOT an Energy Storage Unit; AKA: “Keep-Alive” device for the motor.
The great thing about these decoders is that they plug into the Digitrax 9-pin wiring harness.
At $59.00 MSRP I consider this quite a bargain (it can be found cheaper at Mountain Subdivision Hobbies).
The only other sound-equipped locomotive I have is a Märklin Class G 2000 BB Vossloh with factory-installed sound that I converted to a 2-rail DCC unit…
Well, that was easy…relatively…
The sound fidelity of the SDXH167D speaker is comparable to the Märklin to my ears.
If you do decide to upgrade the speaker to a Scale Sound Systems it’s a simple matter of soldering the two speaker wires from the 10-pin side of the SDXH167D decoder to the new speaker.
The SDXH167D comes preloaded with 8 sound files; 6 diesel and 2 steam.
Other sound files can be loaded with a PC (no Mac version is available).
Hope this helps.
The easiest way to get quality sound out of an Early Atlas is to remove that plastic board thing and install a pwb decoder like Econami ECO-PNP (2 amp). You need to replace the board lights so cut off the light pipes and install LEDs. Install a high efficiency speaker with enclosure in the cab area. The shell has solid fans so point the speaker down if you can.