Fitting a Sound Chip

[drewn]

As someone who has never fitted a sound chip to a loco, could I please ask a really basic question - please try not to laugh!!

 

When a sound chip is fitted, does it replace the existing on-board dcc decoder or does it plug into the decoder, effectively sitting piggy -back on it?

 

Told you it was A BASIC QUESTION!!!

 

Drew

[Nigelcliffe]

In general, the sound chip is a complete replacement of motor/light control and sound output. There are a few rare exceptions to this.

 

- Nigel

[newbryford]

Hi Drew,

If it's a typical UK loco, then all you do is replace the non-sound decoder with a sound decoder.

I believe you can buy "sound-only" decoders to run in parallel with a motor only decoder, but that's not the done thing here in the UK.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Multiple identity account 2]

Hi Drew. Thanks for asking as I wast just about to ask the same. I've got a new Hornby Class 60 and I want to know if I should buy a Hornby 8-pin decoder and a loksound kit (from HOWES MODELS) or does the decoder come along with the speakers as well? For a first timer like me is it better I try installing my own or just send my loco to professionals like oliviastrains?

[newbryford]

Hi Drew. Thanks for asking as I wast just about to ask the same. I've got a new Hornby Class 60 and I want to know if I should buy a Hornby 8-pin decoder and a loksound kit (from HOWES MODELS) or does the decoder come along with the speakers as well? For a first timer like me is it better I try installing my own or just send my loco to professionals like oliviastrains?

 

Decoders are usually sold with speakers. Loksound v3.5's used to be sold with 23mm round as standard, but I'm sure if you talk to the suppliers - Howes/SWD/Olivia's/DC Kits etc etc, they'll probably sort out the best speaker for you.

 

Speaker installation in earlier DCC ready (but not "sound-ready") locos can sometimes need a bit more ingenuity when locating speakers. For example, I have a couple of Bachy 37's with two 23mm rounds in the fuel tank, that takes a bit of dismantling and hacking to fit.

 

A 52x18mm bass reflex can easily be fitted into an original non-sound Hornby 60 by cutting away part of the plastic cab bulkhead.

 

Other sound installers wil have their own preferences.

 

There are many speaker installation guides around the web.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[drewn]

Guys,

 

Thanks for the replies! My intention is to fit a SWD Loksound v4 into a Bachmann Class 37 . It looks like I'll have a spare decoder for future use then!

 

Drew

[Multiple identity account 2]

Thanks from my side as well. Does anyone know what speaker Hornby uses on the Class 60?

[ruston165]

if your loco already has a DCC chip fitted, all you do is simply pop that off and put the sound chip in its place, if its an 8 pin make sure that the orange wire always goes to Number 1, it will be marked on the socket, then find a place for the speaker to live. i find that fuel tanks on the locos are normally a good place with holes drilled in the bottom so the sound escapes, this may need you to unsolder the speaker to feed the wires down intot it, but apart from that its a fairly simple process.

 

 

Lee