Athearn Pacific Digital Sound Decoder Installation Notes

Transcription

1 New Dimensions in Digital Sound Technology TM APPLICATION NOTE Overview This application note describes how to install a DSD-100LC Digital Sound Decoder into the Athearn Pacific Locomotive. All of the sound components will be installed inside the tender. No major mechanical modifications are needed and the entire installation can be completed within a couple of hours. Bill of Materials Stock No. Description Athearn Pacific Digital Sound Decoder Installation Notes DSD-100LC Digital Sound Decoder Speaker Speaker Gasket (Pack of 4) Heat-Shrink Tubing Two-pin Microconnector Rosin Core Solder 1-1/2 x 3 x Styrene Sheet Double-sided Foam Tape Photo 1 Tools You Will Need X-acto Knife with #11 Blade 25W Solder Iron Miniature Screwdriver Set Pin Vise or Electric Drill Motor #65 Drill Bit 7/8 Forstner Bit or Spade Bit Miniature Files Wire Cutters Wire Strippers Heat gun Installation 1. Remove the tender shell by prying the sides of the shell outward and pulling up on the shell (Photo 1). Photo 2 2. With a #65 drill bit, create a random series of 80 to 100 holes in the coal load, spaced about 1/8 apart (Photo 2). 3. Create a speaker mounting plate from styrene using the template provided. Gluing the template to the sheet styrene first makes the measuring and cutting easier. Use the Spade bit to drill the large 7/8 hole (Photo 3). If you do not have access to a Forstner or spade bit, you can drill several smaller holes and trim the excess away with a hobby knife. Cut and trim the outer edges. Test fit the plate in the tender. You may need to file the sides or Photo 3

2 enlarge the slots in the plate for a perfect fit. Your finished mounting plate should look like the one in Photo 3A. 6. Trim the yellow heat shrink tubing of the SoundTraxx DSD-100LC back about 1/8 with your X-acto knife to expose the end of the wire harness. (Photo 6) Photo 3A 4. Cut the four support strips from the styrene using the same template. Glue the support strips, one long and one short, along each side of the tender shell and flush with the ledge as shown in Photo 4. Let dry. Photo 6 Hold the end of the decoder and firmly grasp the harness close to the connector with your thumb and forefinger. Rock the harness from side to side until it comes out of the socket (Photo 6A). Photo 6A Photo 4 5. Glue the speaker mounting plate in the tender shell, resting it on the ledge and support strips (Photo 5). Seal all around the sides and ends of the plate with RTV silicone adhesive. 7. Cut one of the purple wires from the DSD-100LC harness into two 1 pieces and one 2 piece (this harness will not be used). Strip approximately 1/8 of the insulation from the wires. Tin the ends of the wires (Photo 7). Photo 5 Photo 7 8. Trim the leads of the 33 uf, 16V bipolar capacitor to 1/4 (Photo 8). Solder one of the 1 purple wires you cut in Step 7 to one of the capacitor leads. Solder the other 1 wire to the other capacitor lead. Slide heat shrink tubing over each of the wires to cover the connections and leads of the capacitor. (Photo 8A).

3 assembly should resemble that in Photo 9A. Photo 9A Photo Peel the backing off of one side of the selfadhesive speaker gasket with a pair of tweezers. Line up the gasket with the rim of the speaker and press into place (Photo 10). Photo 8A Shrink the tubing with the heat gun. Solder one free end of the 1 wire to one of the speaker pads. Solder one end of the 2 wire to the opposite speaker pad. Slide heat shrink tubing over the remaining free ends (Photo 8B). Photo 10 Peel off the remaining backing from the gasket. Line the speaker up with the hole cut in the center of the speaker plate and press into place as shown in Photo 10A. Photo 8B 9. Solder one speaker wire to the solder terminal of the male Microconnector (Photo 9). Solder the other speaker wire to the remaining Microconnector terminal. Photo 10A 11. Unplug the small PC board attached to the end of the wire harness that comes out from the back of the locomotive (Photo 11). Photo 9 Slide heat shrink tubing over both connections and shrink with the heat gun. Your speaker Photo The green and purple wires in the Athearn harness will become the speaker wires for the installation. Gently pull these wires out from

4 under the black plastic sleeve (Photo 12). Connect the 2-pin Micro Connector speaker leads as shown in Photo 14A. Photo 12 Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on each of these wires. Strip the wires 1/8 and tin. Solder one wire to the solder terminal of the female Micro Connector. Solder the other wire to the remaining Micro Connector terminal. Slide the heat shrink tubing over both connections and shrink with the heat gun (Photo 12A). Figure 14A 15. Attach the DSD-100LC to the tender floor with Velcro or foam tape (Photo15). Photo 15 Photo 12A 13. Plug the Athearn nine-pin plug into the SoundTraxx DSD-100LC socket Photo 13). 16. Before you reassemble the locomotive, inspect your work for mis-wires, shorts, broken or nicked wires. We highly recommend you have a friend take a second look as well. Replace the tender shell. Photo Slide the DSD-100LC decoder into the tender shell through the large slot below the coal doors as shown in Photo 14. Photo 14 Photo CV Programming Most of the sounds from the DSD-100LC will not need to be changed. You may wish to change the address of the decoder by changing CV1 (see your command station manual for instructions). You may wish to make adjustments to the Auto Exhaust Chuff Rate. The DSD-100LC uses our Auto-Exhaust synchronization to automatically generate an exhaust chuff rate proportional to the throttle setting. Since every locomotive is different, CV 116 is used to match up the Auto Exhaust rate to the locomotive speed and may be loaded with any value between 0 and 127.

5 Higher values will yield higher chuff rates for a given throttle setting. A typical synchronization rate may be computed as: SPD CV Value = X DIA where SPD is the locomotive s top speed in scale miles-per-hour at full throttle and DIA is the locomotive s driver wheel diameter in scale inches. If you don t know your locomotive s top speed, you can also estimate it and still get pretty good results. A good rule of thumb is to use 45 MPH for freight locomotives and 70 MPH for passenger engines. The LC Series Owner s Manual Software Release 2.00 is available for download at our web site ( docs.html). This manual will give you additional information regarding CV set up and customizing the decoder for your operations. 2.50" 0.17" 0.14" 0.88" Dia. 0.17" 1.18" 1.81" Speaker Plate " Styrene 0.20" 0.20" 1.48" 0.42" Speaker Plate Support Strips (2 each) " Styrene