I just double taped the decoder and speaker for testing purposes but need further advice:1. Extra wire management?2. The speaker placement. It's in a 2 piece box but it's too tall for the shell. Will the sound be different if I just used 1 box? It's a Supersonic mini speaker.3 And lastly the prototypical Long Island FA-1 had a double headlight. Are there double LED's? Thanks.
1. I usually just fold up the wires atop the decoder and put a piece of Scotch tape across it all, down to the sides. It might inhibit decoder cooling a bit but I have had no problems.
I presume you just plugged the decoder in so have lots of wire length. Next time perhaps consider what many do; i.e., remove the circuit boards and hard wire everything, especially if changing the lighting as well. It helps alot with space.
2. Shortening the speaker box will reduce the lower frequencies. If the speaker could be freed from the box, then construct a longer, flatter box (I use 0.040" styrene) to maintain volume and that would help. I usually mill the frame down in the cab units to maximize speaker enclosure height and volume for either 1.1" HiBass speakers or multiple minis.
3. You can add dual LEDs if you use the smaller 0603 SMD LEDs. Buy them with leads attached, warm white, for about $1 apiece. Not sure how they will appear using the same headlight lens, it that is what you have. There are even smaller (0402??) SMDs that can be used when needed. I used the 0603 for a GP9's separate lights and for some ditch lights.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
That's not a circuit board. It's just copper traces on a board.
First, Congratulations on your first install! Quite an accomplishment. Once you have done one your on your way.
I will offer suggestions on your next decoder installs or you can redo this one if you would like to. Be consistant. Always wire your decoders the same way. Right rail red, black rail left, orange motor wire bottom, gray wire top (or visa versa on the motor wires if it runs backwards and the headlight don't match the direction selected) It is easier to switch the motor wires then reprogram CV's.
I usually dispence with (get rid of ) the electronics board that comes with the model unless it is a direct plug in type and you have room for everything. When you remove the factory electrinics board that will give you more space to work with.
A few items to get if you already don't have them are: some 3/64ths heat shrink tubing from Miniatronics #HST-364-10 There's 10 feet of this so it should last a while, some Kapton tape, some 3M double sided foam tape, regular double sided tape for sticking light wires to the roof of the unit. Cover all your wire connections with this tubing. It will prevent shorts and strengthen the joints.
You CAN cut the wires. What I usually do is cut down the wires to the trucks and motors leaving enouogh play in them for the trucks to swivel. I usually leave the healight wires long in cases where the bulbs or LED's are mounted to the shell. IF I mount them to the frame (as in my FA's or DL109's) I cut these to length also. That will help with the wire management. As your is now I would just bundle them together and tape them to the decoder and run the tape down the side of the frame to help hold them.
As for your speaker, as you said it is not going to fit the way it is. There are several ways to accomplish this. One is cutting the frame out to fit it in. You will have to take apart the frame to do this as you do not want to get metal fragments into the motor or trucks. The other option is to get a different speaker. I happen to like Railmaster Hobbies speakers www.http://railmasterhobbies.com/ They have a variety of speaker/box combinations for around $12.95. I like the DS1240-Box speaker. It is great down to RS3 hood unit tight spaces. 2 watts, 8 ohm. For larger spaces DS1428-8. Good sound and since they are in a box have plenty of bass response.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Just don't cut the wires so close to the decoder that you cannot use them. The Kapton tape is great for holding down the wires and controlling them and doesn't leave a black sticky residue like black electrical tape.
Have fun with it. Bill
What I did on one of those was remove the factory board and cut off most of it, leaving just a little tail at the back where I taped the decoder to keep it out of the gears. That leaves a lot of space over the forward gear tower and motor for a lon but low speaker enclosure - share of the enclosure is to fit the space, the critical element is the total volume of the enclosure, so it doesn't have to be tall. The "iphone" speakers you can get from some supplies with the enclosure still attached may be ideal for this - they are long but very thing.
Do cut the wires shorter. Plan the decoder location FIRST, then leave a little extra than is strictly required to reach the connection point. Slight excess is easy to contain, a whole lot just makes it more likely to interfere witht he shell or worse, get into the gears. A little extra allows for a mistake in cutting the wire when you meant to strip it, there will be enough left for another try. And if it does end up too short, you can always splice in extra to lengthen it again.
For functions you aren't using - cut them back to a 1/2" to 1" from the decoder, that way you can always attach longer wires if you ever go to use those functions in the future.
To get dual headlights, you'll have to do as mentioned, get small SMD LEDs do that you can glue two of them in the headlight housing. Get the ones mentioned, with wires already attached - it takes a bit of skill to solder wires to such tiny parts.
Also do get some Kapton tape, some hobby suppliers sell part rolls becase a) a full roll is relatively expensive and b) a full roll will be enough to install thousands of decoders. Don't use black electrical tape or clear tape. One leaves a mess and the other will become unstuck. Fold the excess wires neatly and hold them in place with a piece of the tape.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker Also do get some Kapton tape, some hobby suppliers sell part rolls becase a) a full roll is relatively expensive and b) a full roll will be enough to install thousands of decoders. Don't use black electrical tape or clear tape. One leaves a mess and the other will become unstuck. Fold the excess wires neatly and hold them in place with a piece of the tape. --Randy
Rob,
Ditto on Randy's recommendation of the Kapton tape. It's strong, holds well, has a low-profile (important for tight installs), and won't leave a gooy residue. I bought my 1/2" wide roll from Micro-Mark years ago. It was a few bucks but it's been a great investment for DCC installs.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Hi, if you decide to mill a frame, you can use even larger speaker, like this Visaton 32 mm on te picture below. Only the sound will not go out upwards as on my locomotive, but between trucks, so it will be somewhat muffled. Therefore for your locomotive it is better to find a speaker position either above front or rear truck. I placed it exactly below roof openings.
Anyway, there is a lot of space in any F7, you only need to use your imagination:)
Regards,
Hrvoje
robkoz:
robkozThat's not a circuit board. It's just copper traces on a board.
That is in fact a circuit board, just a very simple one. It really doesn't matter what it's called. The problem with it is that it takes up a lot of space and it really isn't necessary at all.
I would suggest going back to the beginning by removing the decoder and speaker, then removing the OE 'board', and then seeing how much space is then available. In other words, hardwire the decoder.
I doubt that your speaker arrangement with the double enclosure will fit even with the board removed, so the first thing to do is rebuild the speaker enclosure. If the speaker will fit with just one of the two enclosures in place then that makes things really simple. The loss in sound quality will be negligable.
If the speaker still won't fit then you have two choices - one is to mill the frame, and the other is to build a custom enclosure. Milling the frame is a lot of work. You have to strip the locomotive completely down to the bare frame so that the filings can't get into anything. The loss of weight will affect the pulling power but whether or not that matters depends on how you plan to use the locomotive.
Building a custom enclosure is far easier. You need to get some .040" styrene sheet and some CA adhesive (crazy glue). Styrene sheet is available from Evergreen Scale Models. Virtually every hobby outlet carries their stuff or you can order direct:
http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/
Just to be clear, the enclosure goes on the side of the speaker that moves, and it must absolutely be air tight!
I have a little trick for making it easier to cut square shapes and even strips for making the enclosures. I order sheets that are scribed on one side. If you order a sheet with .040" or .060" spacing all you need to do is follow the scribed lines to cut even pieces.
The really neat thing about the 'sugar cube' speakers is that they work great even with very small enclosures, but there is a trick. Instead of mounting the speaker on the frame, glue the enclosure directly and firmly to the locomotive shell. The shell will resonate the sound just fine. The sound is not muffled. Quite the contrary!
As far as getting all the loose wires under control, I use Kapton tape and double sided tape together. I put the double sided tape down on the top of the decoder or the locomotive frame (or both) and then line the individual wires up beside each other. Once the wires are lined up, I put Kapton tape overtop to keep the wires in place.
Many people suggest trimming the wires shorter, but I suggest being very conservative when doing so. (That's coming from a hard core Liberal! Oops, Steven is going to be mad! Please, nobody take the bait!!) When I did my first few decoder installations I cut the wires as short as I could. That made correcting any mistakes very difficult. How long the wires are doesn't matter as long as they don't get pinched or caught up in the running mechanism.
If you haven't already seen these websites, its worth a look:
http://www.sbs4dcc.com/tutorialstipstricks/sugarcubespeakernotes.html
http://www.sbs4dcc.com/tutorialstipstricks/wiringmultispeakers.html
By the way, congratulations on your first decoder installation!!!!
All the best,
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thanks for all your replies. This is how I want the lights:https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d7/55/7b/d7557b38a8787bfa739fb364557dbd3a.jpg
robkozThis is how I want the lights: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d7/55/7b/d7557b38a8787bfa739fb364557dbd3a.jpg
Did your locomotive come with the twin beam headlight? If not, you can get one from Cal Scale:
https://www.walthers.com/pyle-headlight-for-diesels-brass-casting-dual-sealed-beam-type
Here is a plastic one from Detail Associates. It would be easier to file down if need be to fit inside the headlight bezel:
https://www.walthers.com/products/accessories/headlights-diesels-pyle-dual-seal-beam-conversion-for-14-1-2-quot-lights-pkg-2
The inserts can be used with the beams horizontal or vertical.
Alternately you could make one out of styrene, paint it black to stop light bleeding through it, and then paint it whatever colour suits.
The best effect would be achieved by using two 0402 SMD LEDs, one for each beam. Buy them with the leads attached (this is a Canadian listing. eBay USA will have the same stuff. Search for"0402 warm white LED"):
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/C0402WM-20pcs-Pre-soldered-micro-0-1mm-Copper-Wired-WARM-WHITE-SMD-Led-0402-NEW-/222324801543?hash=item33c3974007:g:aNIAAOSwP~tW4EOH
Getting them lined up will be tricky. It would be easiest to glue the LEDs to the twin beam face and then install the face in the locomotive. If the face is already installed and can't be removed, then I suggest gluing the LED backs to a small strip of styrene so you can get the right spacing, and then glue the assembly to the back of the headlight. Proper alignment will be critical. I suggest having the LEDs lit while you are positioning them. Use quick setting epoxy to mount them. Make sure they work first. Other glues can be used (not CA) but they take forever to set and there is a greater risk of the LEDs going out of alignment.