Questions About Installing Digitrax SDH104K1 Decoder for Kato Dash 9

[joe1965]

I'm in the process of installing the Digitrax SDH104K1 decoder w/ light board in my Kato Dash 9. I have a question about how/where to attach the motor contact strips to the new decoder board. The old light board I removed from the unit had two slots for each motor contact strip. The other issue is that my unit doesn't have a speaker grill/place for the speaker under the fuel tank, just a solid metal plate.

[cacole]

The decoder you have was not made for that Kato locomotive, so it's not going to be a simple board replacement.  The loco you have is an older model, so you must now find somewhere other than the fuel tank area to put a speaker and enclosure.

I have two of those older Kato C44-9W models and have not even attempted to put sound into them because of the speaker issue.

[joe1965]

I'm going to keep the decoder. Worst case I will just remove the interior cab insert and will squeeze it in there.

[Stevert]

davidmbedard

 Not to mention that you have to find a 32ohm speaker for that decoder....

 

Not necessarily.  Some folks think the Digitrax sound decoders are too quiet, and an easy way to increase the volume is to use an 8-ohm speaker.  And Digitrax says that's okay:  http://tsd.digitrax.com/index.php?a=857

Steve