How To Install DCC & Sound Athearn N Scale SD70 John's Models
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
- #trains #Athearn #ESU #LokSound #NScale
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In this video, I demonstrate how I add DCC and sound to an Athearn N Scale SD70. This is a regular SD70, not a wide body SD70, so I had to use a very narrow decoder. Wide body N scale trains offer more space, which provides a lot of space for bigger decoders, but not this one!
I also used a 10mm round PC speaker which sounds OK but could be better. In a future episode I'll show you a way to include a speaker with a legitimate enclosure that improves the sound.
Parts list:
N Scale Athearn SD70
ESU LokSound Select Direct Micro (73100)
10mm 4 ohm PC speaker
Materials
Sheet styrene
Kapton tape
Solder
36 gauge stranded wire
Soldering flux
Tools
Micro brush
Soldering iron
Helping hands
Wire cutters
Wire strippers
Magnifying visor
Rotary tool with cutting blade
File
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Hey John,
A couple quick ideas when dismantling Loco's. Or most any model rail vehicle or device. I have used these tips for years.
First, when dismantling N, OO, HO, or Z scales have a Zip Lock styled food storage bag available. I have 6 in my tool box always. Place your model in the bag. With one hand also in the bag to do the separation & the other outside the bag supporting the loco. To keep it steady. When the carcass comes apart any spring loaded or parts under tension will pop off & stay in the bag. Quick and easy way to find them when needed.
I have used this technique on O and S Gauge vehicles BUT I use those plastic shopping bag you get at the market or the dollar store. No clue on Garden Gauge.
Second, is both a critique & a solution. I also have a number of plastic boxes for storing parts while I work. Kudos. HOWEVER, you all will find that a few mini fishing tackle boxes or woodworking parts boxes, with dividers, offer a better option than a single open box. Each part is separated, compartmentalized, & easy to find.
Thanks for a great demo.
I,ll keep watching and SEE YA' DOWN THE LINE,
~Jim
I LOVE this idea! Luckily, I haven't had any problems with losing parts YET but this is probably worth it just for safety's sake!
Nice installation video John.
Good job John, didn't see a mushroom cloud to the west this time...lol. Backroads Bob
If you have the Passion for Model Railroading Keep into it.
Nice install, thanks for the tutorial. Seems pretty easy and straight forward
a lot like a KATO frame.. nice job
WOW!nice job you give me a lot of advice and hope that I might be able to do it too....thanks for sharing....Jack 🙂
You can do it. It just takes time, patience, and a willingness to try. :)
Great job. Just a comment: Put tape around the board to insulate it from the speaker. Flip the speaker over and form a speaker enclosure by gluing styrene to the frame to form a box around the speaker for better sound. Just a suggestion.
A word of caution to all. I have one of these and fried two, yes, two, of these decoders because the front right chassis frame touched the little black resistor to the right of the front LED. It then blew the bridge rectifier. This happens even if you try to use a digital multimeter to make sure the frame is properly isolated from the LEDs and the motor. This happens if you squeeze the frame halves together too tight. Instead, remove about a 1/4" of the rear part of the front chassis pickups to avoid that and use the rear chassis pickups. TRUST ME.
Hi John, nice install. A couple of Soundtrax mini cube speakers wired in series may have fitted in the rear, they would’ve sounded much better. The N scale model is still nice, I love the sound in model trains. Regards Gary
Thanks, Gary! I have a better plan for sound than what I did in this video. It involves one 8x12mm 4 ohm speaker with a pretty decent enclosure. I plan to do a video on it when I get around to it!
I'm glad to be a H0 Model Railroader! This is to small for me. Well done!
Haha yeah! I'll be switching at some point. Something about N really seems good to me, though. Maybe the space needed to make a pretty good size layout... I can't put my finger on it, but I have always liked N scale for some reason.
@GRUBEDGAM1 don't let scale detract you. These techniques work in most scale. I model HO, O30n, O, N, & Z. Everything in this video can be utilized in other scales, with slight modifications.
you could just buy an ESU decoder with sound next time. they already have a speaker with sound capsule and fit nicely in those americans. already did it and its basically a perfect fit from the width department
Awesome install and video John! Nicely done. Any plans for another HO scale install soon?
Yes! I have an Athearn F59PHI that I need to put a Soundtraxx Tsunami 2 decoder in. I also have an Atlas NJ Transit complete passenger train set that I have ESU decoders for. I just have to make the time for them... Making a video about either one will require about twice as much time as simply installing them because of the video production process. I have to light everything and explain everything, so that makes the time required pretty prohibitive. I WILL get to them at some point, though.
Cool love it! Wish i have a locomotive with sound too. Nice vids.
Okay. You just need to stop. Now I wanna add sound to all of my N Scale locos. You're a bad influence! lol
It's easy!
Nice vid. Have you had any occasion to consider whether any sugar cube speaker would fit in the available space?
It will fit if you use a very small enclosure. It would be best to cut out a piece of the frame and add a larger enclosure.
Excellent work! Is this installation and hard wiring well suited for Kato locomotives as well? I love the sound file too
Great tutorial. What size wire gauge is that? Sounds and runs great. Thanks for sharing
The wire I used out of my tool box is 36 gauge stranded wire from ESU.
Nice video, makes me think I can do that. What gauge wire did you use for this? Thank you in advance.
That was 36 gauge stranded wire from ESU.
Think you’ll ever try adding ditch lights?
Yes, but probably not on one of these N scale SD70s. I'm sure it can be done with 0402 surface mount LEDs and the proper ditch light castings but I simply don't have the time to do it right now! The next time you see one of these models, I'll be showing you how to get better sound compared to the 10mm round speaker I used here.
Well, throw me a hand-grenade! John, I always thought you were just "the camera dude" but you can model too! I gave up on N-Scale when my eyes got old (way before the rest of me did) so I commend your modeling skills! That's a really small area to work in. Maybe we should call you Doctor John... Micro-Surgeon. Now if you could only get paid like a doctor... (and here's hoping you do). I know Kapton tape is non-conductive, but is regular masking tape a problem? Or is it just for visibility?
Thanks for another helpful episode.
Ghost of SP
I like tinkering with DCC installations. I had intended to try my hand at weathering this past Winter, too, but ran out of time. I'll get to it at some point. For now, I continue to refine my small electronics techniques.
I dropped mine all over the floor . Where in the uk can I get parts
Nice work, John. I am present, reassembling a EMD 45 Athearn. Tsunami sound works, but trucks are dirty, and it won't go. Need to figure out how to take apart the trucks for cleaning. And, I lost one electrical bushing, and Athearn charges too much shipping for that tiny piece of plastic.....:(
Hi Dwight. Have you checked ebay or even shapeways for replacement bushings? You could even fashion your own using styrene if you want to avoid expensive replacement parts.
So I fashioned one from a plastic nut, seems to work. Then, accidentally broke a wire on the speaker LOL :) Cleaned trucks without dissasembly, seems okay. More work to do, but time will tell, thanks for your help. eBay was of no help...@@tsgmultimedia
You mention worrying about shorting the 2 frame halves. By removing the copper truck wipers and installing descrete wires, haven't you 'deelectrified' the frame? As long as you make sure you insulate the board and speaker from the frame, it should never present a problem and the power should be more reliable. Of course, I suspect the spacers also provide clearance for the moving parts, so they shouldn't be removed.
You're right. The point is to never cross contact frame halves (I do it this way just to be safe). The power is definitely more reliable with the trucks hard wired.
Electrical isolation bushing
That's the ticket!
I have an N scale Athearn SD70M but the motor on it looks a bit different from yours in regards to the motor power pickup contacts. It has left me puzzled on how I am going to manage to make the decoder install due to that. Any advice on what I should do in this situation would be greatly appreciated.
The only advice worth having is this: make sure the motor is isolated and always be sure there are no short circuits by using a multimeter. Hard wiring the electrical pickup to the trucks is always a good idea if you can manage that.
@@tsgmultimedia Thank you.
Did you service the loco while you had it apart?
Yes. I usually wash the truck gears and get the buildup of thick gunk off the worms then lubricate them with light oil instead (Labelle 108).
Did you end up using a different speaker in this install?
No, not yet. I might get around to that sometime this Summer if we continue to be told to stay home, though!
What did you use to mill the frame?
I thought I mentioned that on the video. I used a hacksaw, rotary tool, and bench grinder.
Why do all that work? The decoder is meant to slip in like the factory light board. You shouldn’t have had to modify the frame that way.
th-cam.com/video/lu1txi79UFc/w-d-xo.html