I recently purchased a kato EMD GP35 Phase 1C w/DB ho scale locomotive and was wondering how hard it would be to install DCC with sound? Anyone done this yet? It is an eight pin DCC plug in equipped, but I'd like to install DCC with sound in this locomotive. If anyone has had success, how tough is it to do? Just getting into the DCC and I have a MRC radio throttle. Also... whats some good reliable decoders to use? I haven't opened this locomotive yet, but I'm told there's not much room inside.
Thanks
Harold
Look at the bottom of the fuel tank -- if there are holes in it, that's where the speaker fits. I have two of these locomotives and both were "Sound Ready" with the holes in the fuel tank bottom.
I used a QSI Revolution sound decoder, which replaced the Kato constant lighting board.
I don't know if there was more than one production run of this engine, but there may have been one that was not sound ready.
What scale is the Loco? Most kato is N scale which brings a completely different answer than HO.
Springfield PA
HO Scale
There are no holes in the bottom of the fuel tank. there is a metal Waite there.
You should be able to fit a tsunami in the area where they intended to put a decoder. There may even be a light board or similar that you can remove and install the decoder. As far as a speaker I would first look at a couple of speakers about an inch in diameter and get an idea of the thickness. This will give you an idea of what to look for when finding a speaker location. A dremel can be used to mill out a place in the fuel tank for a speaker. It's a very common location.
Here's a link to digitrax notes on installing a standard decoder. It's not sound but it will give you a few things to look for. One of the biggies is motor isolation.
http://www.digitrax.com/appnote_gp3035ho.php
Edit:
Also here's a link to the soundtraxx site. They have a decoder made for Kato. Just pick the closest one. They also recommend a speaker/baffle for it.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/choose/step3.php?t=ho&s=Kato
Thanks for your help
There is one other problem you are faced with. The GP-35 units had a Prime mover (diesel engine) that was a EMD567 D3A. This is a turbocharged engine. Tsunami does not have a decoder that is correct for this locomotive. Don't know what decoder you are working with. Tsunami does make a TSU-1000 part number (828041) which is for a EMD645 turbocharged unit. Not the correct prime mover but it will have the turbo sound. You will have to mount a speaker, face down over the rear truck . I would keep away from mounting the speaker in the fuel tank- They will pick up any and all debris from the road bed and after awhile you will loose the sound or it will become very distorted. You can clean it but it is a maintenance problem.
There is one other problem you are faced with. The GP-35 units had a Prime mover (diesel engine) that was a EMD567 D3A. This is a turbocharged engine. Tsunami does not have a decoder that is correct for this locomotive. Don't know what decoder you are working with.
Tsunami does make a TSU-1000 part number (828041) which is for a EMD645 turbocharged unit.
Not the correct prime mover but it will have the turbo sound.
You will have to mount a speaker, face down over the rear truck . I would keep away from mounting the speaker in the fuel tank- They will pick up any and all debris from the road bed and after awhile you will loose the sound or it will become very distorted.
You can clean it but it is a maintenance problem.
tHANK YOU
Any and info will help in what I decide to do.
Many manufacturers have the speaker facing down. It seems to disperse the sound better than other locoations. I have several loco's with the speaker facing down and the only one I ever had an issue with picking up metal particles was a Blueline AC6000. The others have been fine. A quick run around the layout with a magnet helps in the department as well.