my sound installation

[Andy Fekete]

i am overjoyed that i have just purchased a tsunami heavy steam deacoder along with a 1' speaker and my lhs is installing it in my spectrum 2-10-2 for me! Yay!!!  but i forgot to ask and they forgot to mention approximately how long this installation would take. i figured that many of you on this board have experience with things like this and you might be able to provide me with an ETA for my engine.

i will post pictures as ASAP

[Nigel]

Hi Andy;

For an experienced installer, about 15 minutes after everything is unpackaged, it will be ready for the programming track, another 15 minutes, it will be ready to be re-packaged for delivery.

Of course, one interruption will double that time, etc.

[SteamGene]

Nigel, it takes me close to 15 minutes to drill the sound holes in the coal load!
Gene

[CAB_IV]

It depends.  these guys say 15 minutes.  Mine took a few hours.

then again, you guys are installing stuff in steam tenders.

I installed a loksound decoder inside my U34CH locomotive, and it took some modification to get it in right.  there was space in the cab, and it only required a few cuts to make room.

do not worry though, you should be able to plug it in.  the only hard part i think would be mounting the speaker in the unit.  You have to pick a good spot so that the sound comes out right, and with such tiny speakers you need to figure that part out.  Make sure your speaker is installed solidly, or with some foam tape to stop vibrations that can cause unwanted sounds.

in the future, you can install them yourself, and for probably less cost.

the only hard ones are diesels without cowlings.  there is little spacer under the hood, yet you don't want to use tiny speakers, as you won't get any sound from them.  Its best to buy diesels with sound installed from my expirience.  while if you get silver series Atlas locomotives they have places for the speakers and such, you do need enclosures that put the right pressure on the speaker, which take space, so you may not be able to use whats there.  I plan on trying to get a loksound decoder in my B40-8, but i'll have to see what happens.

keep us updated.

[Jake]

It should take 15-30 minutes, first you need to find a suitable space in the tender, remember this is a LONG decoder, once you find space in the tender for the decoder to occupy, the you need to drill no. 70 holes in the coal load, only about 1 inch around in a circle where the speaker is to be, then, mount the decoder per instructions with the air-tight adhesive ring.