Has anyone here installed a sound decoder in one of the newer HO Athearn RS-3 road switchers? Any recommendations? (Something other than MRC.)
Also, did you have to carve out the chassis to squeeze everything in? I plan on addressing the electrical pickup issue with this unit, too.
Thanks for the help.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Well, MRC has a drop-in one....
I really would like an RS-3 with sound, but not if I have to resort to MRC decoders. It will be hard to fit anything but the absolute tiniest speaker in there withough hacking away some of the weight somewhere. I did hit on what seems like a possible idea though, I have 4 Atlas undec ones to do, plus I have a 5th one that has a basd motor. Replacement motors are still available from Atlas, but that would cost more than I paid for the loco (which did have a working, if noisy, motor - it's 'broken' because when I disassembled it to rey and fix it I lost a brush spring). SO I thought of perhaps removing the gears and weights and making a sound dummy out of it. Not an enormous amount of room, but a long rectangular speaker enclosure should fit nicely.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I haven't attempted to add sound to an Athearn RS-3, but when I was researching the electrical pick-up issue you mentioned, I came across a tutorial on how to do just what you are looking to do, as well as fix the pick-up issue. The tutorial is on a Yahoo forum (Rick Bell Clinics) here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RPMclinics-RickBell/files/
In the "file" area you'll see the listed as a pdf -" Athearn RS3 Sound Install.pdf Athearn RS3 Sound Install Two Speakers "
It looks like he used the following in his install. 1. Mini Oval Speaker 2. Small Oval Speaker 3. Soundtraxx TSU AT 1000 #828043 Alco 244 sound decoder Skimming through the tutorial, it looks like only minor milling (1/8" or so) is necessary for the larger speaker to fit beneath the shell. The Rick Bell forum has a bunch of other useful tutorials, so I'd highly recommend it to one and all. Good luck!
1. Mini Oval Speaker
2. Small Oval Speaker
3. Soundtraxx TSU AT 1000 #828043 Alco 244 sound decoder
Skimming through the tutorial, it looks like only minor milling (1/8" or so) is necessary for the larger speaker to fit beneath the shell.
The Rick Bell forum has a bunch of other useful tutorials, so I'd highly recommend it to one and all.
Good luck!