Opened up the tender today and found a very small decoder. I want to replace it with a small sound decoder but I need a very small one and a small speaker. The Tsunami micro 750 looks huge for this. What is the smallest available? Any thoughts? Ron

Solved!
I put a decoder with sound in when I purchased the loco. The heavy mountain was jamming from new. Today I thought I should mute it as I really couldn't hear the motor good. When I did I could hear the sound of gears turning but no movement when it was stuck. It seems that the 2 screw at the bottom of the motor were loose. Tighten them and it seems fixed. It could have been loose from the factory. Don't know if there is a way to adjust the motor or gears properly but if you know soomething let me know. Ron

This seems to go fine in forward but jams when put in reverse. I than have to put it in forward and give it throttle, move, than place in reverse again and continue or repeat procedure over and over. Did Bachmann have a problem with the heavy mountain? If I give a lot of throttle it sometimes helps. Thought maybe the wheel rods were jamming but have trouble seeing what going on as it happens. Any thoughts? Thanks Ron

WOW! Good one! Thanks Ron

Quote from: r0bert on February 09, 2011, 05:00:44 AM
step by step with pics
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,1182.0.html

Thanks for this info! Do you know the speaker diameter they want to use with this? Maybe 15mm?
The Heavy Mountain decoder install came out good. Would like more volume but its not a Y3. Thanks for your help! Maybe I should use the Tsunami 750 on the Articulated 2-6-6-2 1397 instead of the N&W. Ron

Quote from: skipgear on February 08, 2011, 09:57:42 PM
It will go just the same as your Heavy Mountain except you don't need to remove an existing decoder. There is also a spot in the tender for the speaker under the lightboard built into the tender floor. No plug in decoders in Bachmann N scale loco's.

As far as minimum radius, it will run on 11.25" R by its self fine. I would reccomend 12.5" R or more to pull a long load.

I am gonna install a Tsunami 750 in the Class J Norfolk & Western N Scale. Does anyone remember if it has a plug for the decoder or a place in the tender to wire the decoder in. I really didn't want to do wiring in the loco. I rather it be in a tender. Also does any one know the smallest turn radius a N&W will do?

Sounds good. Ron

Quote from: skipgear on February 07, 2011, 11:57:56 PM
It is really a personal preference. I set mine up so that they can be heard plainly from about 3-4 ft. I don't like the loco to be heard around the entire layout just when the loco is in view, jus as the real thing. I can hear the rumble of a real train up to 3 miles away but to hear distinctive sounds it needs to be within a half mile or so. Watch some video's of real trains and adjust it to fit your taste.

Now that I'm getting the decoder to work and have it installed does anyone know how loud the decoder sound should be at maybe a distance to let me know if the baffle is working properly. This is the Spectrum Heavy mountain and the Digitrax SDN144SP decoder.

Do you save the old factory decoders? You would have to label it to wire colors. Ron

Quote from: darticus on February 06, 2011, 05:50:52 PM
Thanks for the help. These old eyes have to study this better and try what you said. I guess I can drill through the base and use a dremmel tool to grind it. You don't think the speaker will fit up top with some holes drilled in the top of the tender? Ron

Quote from: skipgear on February 06, 2011, 05:22:14 PM
You have to have the decoder installed to truely hear what it will sound like. Without the motor hooked up, the BEMF can't detect the load and change the sound of the chuff.

I unsolder the factory decoder from the light board and simply reinstall the sound decoder in the same solder points.  You may be able to vent the speaker out the bottom of the tender, below the lightboard. That would save space and use the entire tender as the enclosure. Be warned that the tender frame is metal though, it will take some work to get though it. You should remove the lightboard and the plastic insulator plate under it from the frame before cutting.

Thanks for the help. These old eyes have to study this better and try what you said. I guess I can drill through the base and use a dremmel tool to grind it. You don't think the speaker will fit up top with some holes drilled in the top of the tender? Ron

Quote from: skipgear on February 06, 2011, 05:22:14 PM
You have to have the decoder installed to truely hear what it will sound like. Without the motor hooked up, the BEMF can't detect the load and change the sound of the chuff.

I unsolder the factory decoder from the light board and simply reinstall the sound decoder in the same solder points.  You may be able to vent the speaker out the bottom of the tender, below the lightboard. That would save space and use the entire tender as the enclosure. Be warned that the tender frame is metal though, it will take some work to get though it. You should remove the lightboard and the plastic insulator plate under it from the frame before cutting.

Me saying shoving a speaker in was just a funny way, I thought, of saying install a speaker properly.  I'm sure you have said to someone buying speakers, will just shove some great speakers in there and it will sound great, same thing.
I thought the speaker part was the easy part. Checking things out today I found the baffle makes a night and day difference with this. It almost triples the volume.
  What I was saying about connecting the decoder is that I wanted to just test the sound I would get from each decoder  before deciding on which decoder to install and I was able to do that. All I had to do it hook the speaker up to either decoder and connect the decoder red wire to the proper rail and the decoder black wire to the proper rail. Putting the controller on Loco 3 let me hear what each decoder sounded like ,even the scuff at speeds, without the train moving.
Now I have to get the nerve to remove the original decoder and wire this in. Do you cut the wires on the board or do you unsolder them? Do you remove the board to work on it? Is this the board you called the light board? Do you know the best way to remove the factory decoder? Thanks Again Ron

Quote from: skipgear on February 06, 2011, 03:39:47 PM
I believe you are confused. Both sound decoders you say you have will control the motor and lighting also. There is no need to keep the factory decoders in the system. You remove the factory decoder and then install the sound decoder.

You won't be able to program the decoders until they are installed. The deocder needs a motor and or headlight load hooked up for the programing system to function. It needs the load so that the system knows that decoder got the signal. If not, it won't take.

Also, a loose speaker, no matter what the size and shape will sound terrible. Speakers need at minimum a baffle, preferably an enclosure to work right. Take it from somebody that did competition car stereo for a couple years, take your time and do it right. Just slaping it in there will not be worth the time and effort.

What I did to try and test decoder sounds is hook a speaker to each decoder and run the red and black wires from the decoder to the proper rails. This should give me sound and than I can switch them and hear the difference. Does this sound ok to you? I gave it a try and the digitrax decoder is super low in volume. I can't hardly hear it.  CV 58 =CV 15. I programed the master volume to 15 but still very low. Any suggestions. 
I think I have to program the loco and this decoder with sound at the same time on the program track so they both get the same ID. Ron

Quote from: skipgear on February 05, 2011, 02:53:39 PM
That's pretty much it. Just "Shoving a speaker" in the tender will lead to some pretty bad sound though.

Is the black thing with wires floating above the board the decoder and the board the light board? Wow! I thought I was gonna hook up Two wires to the wheels and Two wires to the speaker and use the factory decoder for the motor and all this would fit and done. Would I be better trying a Light Mountain that I have or same big job? I guess I'm choking as its my first change over.
After studying this thing it looks like I remove the factory decoder by desoldering the original decoder and solder in the new decoder which ever one I decide on and shove a speaker somewhere and wire it in. Does this sound right? Ron

Have the board as in the pic. The Digitrax sdn144ps has a plug does this make it easier? The Tsunami heavy steam has just wires. Ron

FANTASTIC! Got the coal part out. Have the body apart. So far so good. Ron

Quote from: skipgear on February 05, 2011, 12:24:51 PM