I’ve just installed a Digitrax DH165LO & SFX004 Soundbug in a Lifelike GP7 but there doesn’t appear to be any room inside the shell to mount the speaker & then but the loco together. Has anyone tried this.? And been successful!!!
The most common place for a speaker on a diesel is in the fuel tank. Have you tried snapping yours off and seeing it there is room there?
There might be room in the cab for a speaker and enclosure (maybe). Or, you may have to mill away some of the internal weight and use a rectangular speaker w/ enclosure. BTW, if you don’t use an enclosure, you will be disappointed with the sound quality.
In my own case, I have an old LLP2K GP9 in NH w/o sound but w/ decoder, and what I am going to do is buy one of the new QSI sound equipped GP9’s from Walthers P2K ($180 at my LHS) and swap shells. Then I will take the soundless GP9 drive w/ the new shell on it and sell it on eBay or to a fellow club member for whatever I can get for it (maybe $50-$80 w/ decoder). We’ll see, but I may be able to get a sound equipped NH GP9 for around $100 (or less if I’m lucky).
I’ve used the QSI equipped P2K GP’s at my club, and I like 'em. The sound is crisp and loud if need be, with all the QSI functions that I’ve enjoyed in the H24-66 from Atlas.
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
Your best bet is to use 2 sountraxx oval speakers (16mm) and wire them in series to give you 16 ohms (which is acceptable with the Digitrax SFX).
FYI…the sound output of the sound bugs seems to be about 3/4 of the other units.
David B
Sorry guys, there is no room in the fuel tank or the cab. Not enough room for one speaker let alone 2 smaller ones.
Since Digitrax recommends using a DH165LO on a Lifelike GP7 and the SPX004 Soundbug works with the DH165LO they should be made to fit.
It works great without the shell on.
SONIC BEST is replacing one of the fans with a ‘SEE-THRUE’ type, sealing off any other topside openings and using as much of the shell as possible as a ‘baffle’, then install an OVAL SPEAKER firing UPwards.
The speakers ‘back wave’ then exits through the wheel-wells.
If you don’t have a ‘see-thrue’ fan or ‘oval’ speaker, GET ONE. If you don’t have the skills to do this, PAY someone to do it.
SONIC BEST is replacing one of the fans with a ‘SEE-THRUE’ type, sealing off any other topside openings and using as much of the shell as possible as a ‘baffle’, then install an OVAL SPEAKER firing UPwards.
The speakers ‘back wave’ then exits through the wheel-wells.
If you don’t have a ‘see-thrue’ fan or ‘oval’ speaker, GET ONE. If you don’t have the skills to do this, PAY someone to do it. It’s THAT much better.