Does anyone have a good idea on approx how much I should expect to pay an experienced repair person at my local model train store to install a motor/sound decoder and speaker on an older Athearn diesel locomotive? I would be supplying the engine, decoder and speaker. Labor is what I would be paying for. Should I also ask about labor warranties? I have not had good luck in doing this myself and think it is time to let someone else who does this all the time take a stab at it. Installing a decoder on a brand new model, on the other hand, is more to my liking as most engines today come decoder ready and plug in play. Thanks. JRP
The range runs from something as low as $20 and up to $50, depending on what is involved and who is doing it. If it is a quick shell lift, plug, and speaker situatiing, it might be as little as the $20, but if the installer must machine the frame or weight, or do other time-consuming things, it will add up when the clock passes an hour.
-Crandell
Check your e-mail.
Thanks,
Lee
To let you know what is involved with your older Athearns, Ill list the steps I take.
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Completely disassemble the loco including removing the trucks and motor. (takes time, and care).
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Remove and clip the top and bottom spring and replace the clips with wires soldered to them. Clean the commutator.
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Solder leads to the trucks rather than relying on the dodgy Athearn power routing design (saves on warranty work as the Athearn electrical joints tend to get dirty).
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Reassemble the loco and do a stall current test (to ensure the loco wont blow a decoder when stalled).
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Work out where the speaker you supplied will fit. Typically it is best to let the installer let you know which speaker will fit.
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Make a baffle for the speaker to maximize the potential of the sound.
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Install the decoder.
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Install fiber optics in the light housings (the Athearn “fire in the cab” just doesn’t cut it anymore). This involves Fiber optics, LEDs, knowledge and time.
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Reassemble the shell on the loco to make sure nothing is binding. If binding, then address the issue.
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Program the loco including address, speed table (so the loco will run properly at speed step one) lighting functions, speed matching (if other loco supplied) sound levels and sound features (if applicable).
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Return loco to customer and explain to them what was done.
For this, I charge 60 dollars Canadian. This is a flat rate and in this city I am cheaper than the “other fellas”. I also warranty my work for 90 days of usage (if you store your loco and don’t use it for years, you are still covered). I also allow the customer over to my home for reprogramming at any time or the customer can also be there when I perform the install. Also, I offer technical support over the phone (assuming you have
Every installer has different fees. Personally I charge a flat rate. Others charge depending on the work. Very few will charge by the hour.
David B
I had sound put into a P2K S1. This engine had no space under the shell. I have not opened the shell up to see how he did it, but I’m very happy with the result.
The fee was $35. My LHS does a lot of work himself, but these he sends out.
The next one, a P2K GP9, I tackled myself. Between machining down the weight to make room and building a custom baffle box out of styrene, I must have spent 6 or 7 hours just installing the sound. Of course, I also got sidetracked a bit and weathered not only that engine, but also the other one that I consist it with, and even a third engine just because I liked the results on the first two so much. Still, sound installation itself takes a long time if the engine isn’t built for it and you don’t have much experience in sound installations.
JRP,
It all depends on the variables, i.e. model, make and age of the locomotive, the motor and the decoders / speaker sets. However, I have had them put in at my local train shop Train Buddy ( http://www.trainbuddy.com ). They also do them by mail too. You may want to contact them for a quote over the phone, Kim Parker is very helpful with this type of service. The only thing is, their turn around time is quite a while since their installer has a back log of work depending on the amount of service requests. I’ve had them to install decoders in 4 of my locos and the price varies depending on the above stated variables.
Regards,
Digitrax makes a harness for installation in an Athearn Blue Box diesel, if you use it and follow the instructions it’s pretty simple. Kalmbach’s DCC book has a chapter on decoder installation that uses this harness so you can see it step by step in pictures. Once you do one, you’ll never have to pay someone else to do it again.
I charge 20 dollars for your average plug and play decoder installed and up to 50 dollars for what you want installed. I agree with David, let the installer pick the speaker for you and I prefer to pick the decoder for the person myself that way I know I’m getting one that will fit best. I’ve installed decoders in over 300, mostly HO loco’s and the time it takes varies from 5 minutes up to a few hours depending on what the owner wants in extras.