What speaker to use in Spectrum Doodlebug?

[BlueFox]

I have a Galloping Goose Soundtrax sound decoder I want to install into my Doodlebug but there is hardly any space to install a speaker w/enclosure.  Has anyone done this and if so what speaker and enclosure did you use and where/how did you install it?

There's plenty of room for the decoder (where the OEM decoder was located on top of the OEM circuit board) but not a speaker, there is hardly any space above the OEM circuit board that has the passenger area LED's for a speaker, it has to be very thin along with its enclosure to fit.  The curcuit board is just above the top of the windows.

Frank

[Doneldon]

Foxy-

Can't you mount your speaker on the floor firing down with the whole passenger compartment as a baffle? Or what about vertically in one of the vestibules? Or maybe in the baggage/mail room firing into a non-sealed passenger compartment with the mail room as the baffle.

The trick is not to figure out how to locate your speaker the way the manufacturers mount theirs or the way a friend mounted one. Rather, examine your project to identify where a speaker will fit. Then planning how to get it in that spot and working becomes pretty easy.
                                                                                                                                   -- D

[vern1959]

Hi BlueFox,
Just did one of these, you're right it is a bit of a challenge. I purchased a mini oval speaker and enclosure from Traintek. I clipped out the front row of seats in the motorcar and mounted the speaker assembly to the forward bulkhead with double-sided sticky foam tape. The speaker is visible if you look closely but the sound quality is quite good-had to turn down the volume CV's!! Speaker and enclosure cost $17 plus shipping but I am pleased with the results. Speaker dimensions are 24 X 14 mm,
enclosure is 26.7 x 15.8 x 6.35 mm. As Doneldon suggested you can design you own installation to hide the speaker better I just was willing to make the trade-off for good volume performance! The sound makes this eye-catching little contraption even more fun to operate!
              Vern

[richg]

A oval speaker, I use a sanding block to narrow the plastic oval speaker case. I make my own sanding blocks using adhesive, hardwood block and sand paper.

Rich

[BlueFox]

Thanks, guys.  Real good ideas for me to work on.  I do have some of my own but wanted to see what others had first before I did anything.  I'll let you all know how it turns out when I've finished. 

I've already added figureines to both the motor car and trailing coach car and they now both look more like the real thing.  I'm still working on a way to add a motorman to the front cab without the powered truck assembly hitting him, it's a real tight area.  Might have to cut off the motorman figurine below the waist to make him fit.

Thanks, again.

Frank