Loksound install Atlas SD50

[Steveruger45]

Just installed a select micro in another SD50.
With some close measuring etc I was able not to remove or interfere with the original dc board mounting slots.
12x8mm speaker up front in roll-your-own enclosure, 2 x220uF keep alive caps in front of the speaker with a home made light shield around.  Leds and resistors mounted on copper clad pcb at front and back.  Decoder at back mounted on an angle so it will fit.
No shell adjustments at all.
Frame filed down at back level with the worm gear spring plates and a little of the frame removed up forward similarly.
Just waiting on paint to dry on the speaker and light shield.  Test runs and sounds great, but I need to change the horn. The default horn on the sound file 73450 is too muffled. [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[reinhardtjh]

Nice work.

Is there ever a problem with the decoder overheating when it's wrapped in Kapton tape like that?

[RBrodzinsky]

I've never covered any of mine quite so much, but at least it isn't totally sealed.

[Steveruger45]

Its only one wrap around where you have to cut the factory wrap to solder on the pads and one more loop on top to hold the decoder at an angle.  Kapton tape is much thinner than the factory wrap too.
I have never had a problem with overheating either on about 12 installs to date.
More important to seal from possible short circuits.

[Steveruger45]

/>Here’s a video

[peteski]

Looks (and sounds) good Stave. But if this is a new install, why not use one of the new skinny ESU decoders?  The are also cheaper than the standard LokSound micro.

[tehachapifan]

Sounds great!

I'm also curious as to why you went with a standard Select Micro vs. the new Direct board. Also, I notice the file you used has what I think is the best sounding compressor sound ESU has. I haven't heard that particular compressor sound in any of my post Full Throttle, Select installs. Glad to see (hear) that it still exists in at least one file (assuming that's both a Full Throttle and Select sound file).

[Steveruger45]

Hi Pete and Russ.
Thanks.  I got a good deal on the select micro ($83) for one and on this install I did not want to destroy the ability to fit back the original dc light board. With either the 73100 or 73199 I would have to loose either the fwd or aft dc light board slots. Most likely the aft set.  I have no intentions to convert back to dc but I thought others might want to know and this install had just, and I mean just, enough room to leave that ability intact.
Also, I don’t know where to attach the less than 1000uF keep alive caps on the 73100.  Which would be a better fit on this than the 73199.  Pete, will you be publishing your findings on this soon?

[peteski]

Also, I don’t know where to attach the less than 1000uF keep alive caps on the 73100.  Which would be a better fit on this than the 73199.  Pete, will you be publishing your findings on this soon?

Yes, I will.  It was supposed to happen several days ago, but I was busy spending too much time in online forums. 
Funny that this decoder's electronic circuitry is different from the 73199. Go figure, they changed things around.  Actually, it is less complex (at least from the keep-alive standpoint).

[Steveruger45]

Thanks Pete. I have a similar SD60 to do and wanted to try the 73100 on that one.  I just rechecked the sd60 and my notes, if using the 73100 you can get a 16x9 speaker in the rear but caps would have to go up front in the light shield area. Would have to chop the frame at rear from just behind the loco cradle and lose the rear board slots for sure.

[Steveruger45]

Thanks Pete. I have a similar SD60 to do and wanted to try the 73100 on that one.  I just rechecked the sd60 and my notes, if using the 73100 you can get a 16x9 speaker in the rear but caps would have to go up front in the light shield area. Would have to chop the frame at rear from just behind the loco cradle and lose the rear board slots for sure.

Have got my milling machine, I mean file and hacksaw, and vernier out on the SD60. I was going to put a 73100 in this but after weighing up, measuring etc it would need a few more frame mods to get clearance to run motor wires to the decoder due to the relative positions of decoder motor pads and the motor on this long frame Atlas. You would also lose one set of board slots so one end would float a bit, although this could be overcome. So all in all I think it simpler to install a hard wired select micro in these.
Oh well I have other locos I can use the 73100 on in the near future

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Does anyone know if the upcoming SD60s with Loksound will include a new board or are they going to use the introduced by IM?

I really hope ESU will add new boards to their line.

[mu26aeh]

Does anyone know if the upcoming SD60s with Loksound will include a new board or are they going to use the introduced by IM?

I really hope ESU will add new boards to their line.

When questioning IMRC about the FP9's etc, they had said that the frame will use the existing boards.  Unless then design one up for switchers (which they have one for S2) I don't think there are going to be any more boards released.

[reinhardtjh]

Does anyone know if the upcoming SD60s with Loksound will include a new board or are they going to use the introduced by IM?

I really hope ESU will add new boards to their line.

I wouldn't hold my breath on that.  Unless @Atlas Paul cares to comment we should know once the first of the Gold locos hits the stores.  Announcement wise that would be the ALCo C-628/C-630 but the GP38-2's, SD35, GP39-2, GP30, SD60E, SD50/SD60 are all also in the "2nd Quarter 2018" arrival timeframe.  Which reeks of IM"s scheduled due dates as I doubt even Atlas can deliver 7 locomotive models in a 3 month span.

But I would assume since they have been re-designing frames for a sound decoder they would be designed for one board.  ESU hasn't talked about any new boards, but I wouldn't expect them to, but after the several years' work taken to make the 73100 and 73199 I'm betting there won't design another.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

If that is the case, I hope the old bits fit the new frames. It would be nice to grab a Loksound board from MBK and then frames from the parts department and retrofit my older units.