Adding sound to FT-A/B units that already have DCC On Board

[BlueFox]

I have 2 each FT-A and FT-B units w/factory installed DCC On Board in all units but no sound.  Can sound be added to these engines?  If so, what brand/model.

[ACY]

This locomotives are very poor candidates for adding sound due to a lack of space. The only way to do it would be if you converted one to a dummy and put the sound in there, otherwise it would be extremely difficult to do.

[r0bert]

The MRC sounder with a 15mm round speaker is an easy fit in the B unit, the 28mm would fit with a little creative "adjustments" to factory decoder mounting location.
(remove mounting screws and studs, and remount board all the way foreward using foam tape to open space in the rear.
Since the A and B units generall run as a set, sound in the Bs only works out well
The A unit is a tougher fit, but again the sounder and 15mm would work with the speaker/enclosure mounted in front of the motor under the factory board while clearing the driveshaft.
Another option would be to remove the factory decoder, and replace it with a full sound motor decoder, which would be much smaller than the factory board, allowing more room for a bigger speaker.

[ACY]

The A unit is a tougher fit, but again the sounder and 15mm would work with the speaker/enclosure mounted in front of the motor under the factory board while clearing the driveshaft.

I don't know about that, have you actually performed this installation, if so do you have pictures. But even if you can, your speaker is still so small that your sound quality in the lower ranges would be very poor at best.

[richg]

Below is a link to suggested sound and speakers for a few Bachmann diesels. The decoder size is shown.
If you remove the PC board, make sure to add a 1k resistor if the lights are LED's.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/choose/step3.php?t=ho&s=Bachmann

Look at the Bachmann diagrams page to see what those locos are like inside. They may be similar to yours. A guess.

28mm speakers  are used in a lot of HO steamers and diesels. I have some with 28mm speakers. My Atlas GP40-2 has two 28mm speakers facing eaxh other in a A frame arraingment. Many diesel shells make a good baffle but do not know with the ones you have.

Litchfield Station can advise you with an email. They have helped me.
http://www.litchfieldstation.com/

The below fellow has tons of good info about DCC and the Tsunami.

http://www.mrdccu.com/

Rich


Rich

[ACY]

28mm speakers  are used in a lot of HO steamers and diesels. I have some with 28mm speakers. My Atlas GP40-2 has two 28mm speakers facing eaxh other in a A frame arraingment. Many diesel shells make a good baffle but do not know with the ones you have.

Rich, do you think you can get good bass sound with 15 mm speakers?
At any rate I still think it is much easier and you get much better sound if you take everything out of a B unit, but leave the pickups in place and put a sound decoder in there and you can use 2 large speakers with excellent sound quality.

[richg]

28mm speakers  are used in a lot of HO steamers and diesels. I have some with 28mm speakers. My Atlas GP40-2 has two 28mm speakers facing eaxh other in a A frame arraingment. Many diesel shells make a good baffle but do not know with the ones you have.

Rich, do you think you can get good bass sound with 15 mm speakers?
At any rate I still think it is much easier and you get much better sound if you take everything out of a B unit, but leave the pickups in place and put a sound decoder in there and you can use 2 large speakers with excellent sound quality.

I do not use 15mm speakers but I doubt much base from that size. The baffle would be important.
My 44 ton and 70 ton use 16mm x 35mm speakers and sound quite nice.
The same out of my VO-1000 diesels that have 16mm x 35mm speakers.

Rich

[richg]

No sure if the OP or anyone else has looked at the diagrams but it looks like a 16mm x 35mm speaker or 28mm speaker would fit in the end of the A unit or either end of the B unit with a styrene baffle. A cardboard tube from a old core for a fax machine would work. Those may not be plentiful anymore. Sometimes you have to use your imagination.
I made my own for 28mm speakers out of old toilet cardboard cores and coated them with five minute expoxy to make them rigid. Made them to 28mm size.

PIctures below of both baffles.









Rich

[Doneldon]

ACY-

The thing is, there are way more than one way to skin a cat. Or do model railroading. It's okay if various people have different ideas about how to do things or solve problems. That's one of the great things about this board: we can learn from one another. And it's not an insult or a challenge when  someone has found a different way to do things; so we don't have to defend ourselves.

The very large majority of the folks who use this Board respect one another and are friendly and pleasant. There are a few old curmudgeons (and at least one guy who is far too rude to have the gruff but lovable bear characteristic of a curmudgeon) and they are all we need. So don't add to their ranks, and REALLY don't get like that one guy! Post your ideas and try to learn from others rather than feeling challenged and becoming defensive. You, and the rest of us, will then enjoy your participation even more than we do already.
                                                                                        -- D
P.S. I'm not just referring to this thread.

[r0bert]

The A unit is a tougher fit, but again the sounder and 15mm would work with the speaker/enclosure mounted in front of the motor under the factory board while clearing the driveshaft.

I don't know about that, have you actually performed this installation, if so do you have pictures. But even if you can, your speaker is still so small that your sound quality in the lower ranges would be very poor at best.

I posted the wrong size, the speaker that fits in the A unit is the 18mm round with enclosure MRC#1519. The clear opening under the board is 19mm W x 25mm L x 12mm D.
The speaker/enclosure is 18mm x 10mm.  Have I done this exact install, no, I replaced the factory decoder with much smaller all in one  sound decoder, allowing use of a 28mm speaker, but I do have a Bachmann FT A  here in front of me to measure and test fit the components into.
Since the OP asked about adding sound to their DCC equipped locos, I suggested an add on sound option as asked for, several methods for installation, and suggested adding sound to the B only without resorting to such drastic measures as gutting a powered loco.
If the OP wants still another better option than gutting his loco, pickups can be added to a metal wheeled boxcar in around five minutes for around 50 cents, and a soundboard with any size speaker they wanted installed as a one evening project.

[BlueFox]

Thanks, guys, for all the suggestions.  My next question is should I remove the factory decoder board (it's hard wired on both ends to the pair of wires coming up from the trucks) and replace it with a duel function motor and sound decoder?

Frank

[r0bert]

For me it depends on the loco, it's assignment in the fleet, my current budget, and what I have in stock or overstocked on.
Fleet daily drivers and club layout locos generally keep their factory decoders and just some have sound added.
My flagship locos generally get premium all in one aftermarket sound decoders, and I recycle the original decoder to convert another loco for fleet service.
My customers choices, however, run the full spectrum, for them I have installed $120 decoders in $20 locos, and $20 decoders in $1000 locos, whatever they wanted are happy with.
Ultimately, the decision is up to you.