jdcolombo you've inspired me!

[peteski]

Rob, I did build a .156" high enclosure for the speaker. That's about what will fit in that area. While it helps a little bit, I will be left with a problem up front. Those black pieces front and back are there to make sure the Red/Green LEDs don't "bleed" into the white headlight LED (and vice versa). If I pull either one I wind up with an off color white headlight; I'd have to replace it with something else. The difference with such a short height box was there but pretty small (IMO). With the body shell over the speaker it winds up creating a bit of a resonant cavity anyway.

For my second H16 if I were to try something different I might go with John's suggestion of putting the speaker in the channeled out midsection (which was my original plan) and then doing the LED replacement with SMDs like you said. If I do that I think the decoder board will fit over the long hood PCB.

The red/green marker lights are just a cute gimmick.  Not very realistic unless the train is an extra and uses marker lights (green), or running light (red end of train markers).  What I'm saying here is that those LEDs add unneeded complexity to this model. 

[wcfn100]

The red/green marker lights are just a cute gimmick.  Not very realistic unless the train is an extra and uses marker lights (green), or running light (red end of train markers).

Or used in push-pull commuter service like the RI did.

Jason

[peteski]

Or used in push-pull commuter service like the RI did.

Jason

They had green markers on those? 

[tony22]

Not much interest in this one I guess. In any event I posted a slightly better video if anyone wants to look.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/121313115@N07/13487561024/

I'm planning the conversion of my second H16. Yes I did order SMD LEDs (Richmond Control and some bi-color models), but I'm still going to try to keep the marker lights. I'm looking at whether I could use the other function outputs so they could be lit independent of the main headlight. That way I could say I'm closer to prototype and still have them when I want to use them.

And yes I will try and use a speaker enclosure this time. Considering the first one was my first N Scale sound install I didn't think it turned out so bad.

[jdcolombo]

Not much interest in this one I guess. In any event I posted a slightly better video if anyone wants to look.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/121313115@N07/13487561024/

I'm planning the conversion of my second H16. Yes I did order SMD LEDs (Richmond Control and some bi-color models), but I'm still going to try to keep the marker lights. I'm looking at whether I could use the other function outputs so they could be lit independent of the main headlight. That way I could say I'm closer to prototype and still have them when I want to use them.

And yes I will try and use a speaker enclosure this time. Considering the first one was my first N Scale sound install I didn't think it turned out so bad.

Hi Tony.

That turned out VERY nice, given the complexity.  Though an enclosure takes valuable space, you will get a somewhat "fuller" sound using an enclosure.  And that ESU motor control is superb.  Great job!  And now we can add yet another loco type to the sound installation list!

John

[tony22]

Thanks John. As soon as I get the LEDs (especially the bi-color jobs) I'll know if I can keep the existing light shields or create my own. Even if I can keep the originals they'll have to be cut down to make room for the speaker and the decoder. Right now from the looks of it, I can fit the speaker with a .188" high enclosure where the cab end light board would have been. The decoder is a bit more interesting. I'd rather not mill out the frame for the decoder like I did on the first one. I may be able to mill out just enough of the frame toward the long hood so the decoder could fit up there. Not sure yet.

Although to be honest I'd rather have the speaker at the long hood end; seems more appropriate. But I'll take what I can get.