ESU LokSound Micro Select Direct install in Atlas GP40-2

[conrad]

Steve,

I'm up for caps as I am using the onboard leds.  Had fun figuring out function map to make aux 1 and 2 work.  Interestingly the front led is on top of the board but does not provide much light to the headlight and number boards.  The rear led (underside of the board) really illuminates the back light and number boards.

Sound test with my 2" test speaker was a success.  Still pondering how to seal CUI speaker.

Conrad

[jdcolombo]

Re: speaker sealing.

While I just use thick CA cement around the edge of the speaker before pushing it into place in the enclosure, several other folks have used Bondic, which is a UV-cured plastic "cement."  The advantage of Bondic is that you put it on, then cure the seal with a small UV light, so you don't have to worry about getting everything in place before the glue sets.

Rick Brodzinsky uses Bondic, and maybe he'll chime in if we call: @RBrodzinsky

John C.

[RBrodzinsky]

@jdcolombo , well that is one way to get my attention LOL

Yes, I like using Bondic for speakers. It makes a nice seal around the lip of the speaker and enclosure, and, if you miss a spot, it is easy to go back and fix.  Plus, it is also very easy to remove and start over if things aren’t right.

I also use it for affixing LEDs in place.

[peteski]

Bondic is a good adhesive/sealant for speakers.  So is 5-minute epoxy. Possible problem with Bondic is that unless the UV light can get to all the glue, it will not harden it.  Also, with the supplied UV LED, bondic does not fully set - the surface remains tacky.  Only exposure to a full-range UV light (sunlight) sets Bondic hard with the surface also fully hardened.  I was told that light sources with shorter wavelength UV light (like UV light nail-polish "dryers") will also fully harden Bondic, but I have not tried them yet.

With 5-minute epoxy, you have ample time to apply it, then it sets by chemical reaction, without UV light needed.

I have one of those aprons that I put on to catch parts I drop, and every time I'm lazy and not put it on, I drop a part. But when I wear it, I very seldom drop anything.   

[Steveruger45]

The UV nail polish dryer is something I never considered That’s good to know Peteski, thanks for that little gem. Brilliant.
I don’t know if I could bring myself to shop for one personally but I could send my wife. 😀

I, like John, tend to use gel CA but then I’m making my own enclosures around the speaker out of 0.020” styrene.
On the few pre-made enclosures I’ve used, I sealed the speakers on those by rolling on some silicone with a toothpick

[conrad]

Peteski,

per your "I have one of those aprons that I put on to catch parts I drop, and every time I'm lazy and not put it on, I drop a part. But when I wear it, I very seldom drop anything.   "

Good point, so I'm thinking of just making the apron website my screen background.  Then when I work I'll turn on computer and probably never drop a part

Conrad

[peteski]

Good point, so I'm thinking of just making the apron website my screen background.  Then when I work I'll turn on computer and probably never drop a part

Excellent idea!   

[conrad]

Another progress report:

I don't have Bondic nor epoxy so I used super glue gel.  Used speaker magnet as clamp to tweezer's flat handle, ran gel around perimeter of speaker and guided into the enclosure.  Using safety pin I pushed and prodded gel into all crevices.  On to mounting on loco, and here's where things get tricky.

In a previous post I said that I lightly sanded the sides of the enclosure for a "slide" fit into the shell.  Well, looking at the shell now I spotted the rear lens.  Guess what, it interferes with the speaker.  While the decoder does not extend far enough aft to hit the lens, the speaker enclosure is back there and is too tall.  I measure 12mm from the base of the frame (and bottom of shell) to the underside of the rear lens.  Without the lens (and for the rest of the hood) the clearance is 19/20mm, plenty of room.  This is a problem as the bottom of the lens is right at speaker level, kinda at the level of the motor saddle tabs.

Below are loco photos  and the offending rear lens.  Note that I used excess speaker wires as a "spacer" between decoder and speaker to prevent any shorts.

Very nice speaker fit.


Even nicer shell fit.  No problems with "slide" in speaker enclosure.


Here's a side view to the lens.  Have to figure how to mod it to fit.  I'm thinking I may sacrifice lighted number boards and just led the rear lite.  I could just chop off each board and mount them.


In closing, I'm planning on a video to show the wonderful sounds this loco makes.  Right now I just don't look at the missing rear lens.

Conrad

[RBrodzinsky]

Well, there should have been a way to turn the speaker around so the wires aren't right there at the lens.  Also, that enclosure should have had holes in it to allow the speaker wires to be fed internally.  Also, the Soberton speakers don't have the spring contacts, just small solder bumps, for wire connection, which helps keep the wires inside the enclosure

[peteski]

Yes Conrad, you can just chop off the number boards and the headlight "nipples" and glue them into the shell from the inside. 5-minute epoxy is again a good adhesive for these.  You should really consider getting some.  I prefer the one which comes in 2 small squeeze-tubes (like the old toothpaste tubes), but the double-syringe will be ok too.  Also, if the inside of the shell is not painted with black or sliver paint around the headlight/number-board area, do so before gluing them in.

[conrad]

For Rick,

If you look at your GP38-2 install you will see that the ShapeWays enclosure does not extend all the way back.  It ends just in front of the frame screw.  This leaves room for the rear lens.  My GP40-2 is shorter.  The same enclosure goes all the way back.  With regards to the CUI speaker, the spring contacts are not the problem.  The problem is that the bottom of the lens is at the same level as the midpoint of the speaker's height.  Thus both the speaker and the enclosure significantly interfere.

As an aside, the Soberton's were on backorder so I went for CUI's.  I did consider cutting off the spring contacts.  And I bought 4 of them and of course the enclosure was a two pack.  I have stock to play with but the real problem is the "shortness" of my loco.

For Peteski,

Yes, I'll order epoxy and take the razor saw to the lens.

For both of you:  Your posts have been invaluable.  Not to lay it on too thick, I would have never attempted this without the GP38-2 build photos, the 73100 photos with dimensions and circuit layout.   This ESU decoder far surpasses any on my other sound locos, both in volume and quality of sound.

Conrad

[RBrodzinsky]

Well, actually significant differences. That was a styrene enclosure, not Shapeways (my design was used for the Shapeways one), and I used an 8x12 speaker, not 9x16.

[peteski]

For both of you:  Your posts have been invaluable.  Not to lay it on too thick, I would have never attempted this without the GP38-2 build photos, the 73100 photos with dimensions and circuit layout.   This ESU decoder far surpasses any on my other sound locos, both in volume and quality of sound.

Conrad

I'm glad to know that you found my suggestions useful.  This is what the Railwore is all about: sharing knowledge and helping each other (plus having fun too).  And I agree that ESU (and also ZIMO) decoders are superior to any other decoders out there, in both sound and motor control. QSI also produced excellent sound decoders (with a manual the size of a small phone book), but unfortunately they never made N-scale-sized decoder, and they sort of faded away from the market.

[conrad]

Rick says "... I used an 8x12 speaker, not 9x16."

Conrad says: OOPS!  Back to the drawing board.

No wonder the loco is so loud, 50% larger speaker.

Conrad

[Steveruger45]

Hi Conrad,  Just FWIW And to my ear the sweet spot for an 8x12 speaker is an enclosure of +/- 500mm3
And for a 9x16 speaker it’s 750 - 800mm3.
Also a 8x12 in its sweet spot volume enclosure sounds better than a 9x16 speaker that is in a smaller volume than sweet spot enclosure.  You can and I have done larger volume enclosures for each size speaker when space was available and it doesn’t make the sound much better.