SoundTraxx DSD-150/DSX Owners Manual - Manual (Page 10)

10 Digital Sound Decoder Owner's Manual
marking the other cut. Be sure that neither line cuts into the speaker coil wire.
A Dremel or similar motor tool with an abrasive cutoff wheel will make the job of cutting the speaker go quickly. Be
sure to wear your safety glasses! Hold the speaker face down and make shallow cuts along each line until the frame
has been cut through. Trim the speaker cone with a sharp single edged razor blade or hobby knife.
Check the speaker’s fit into the installation site and trim the speaker frame and cone as needed until the desired fit
is attained. For best performance, the speaker should fit snugly within the tender so that the edges of the speaker
cone are as close to the tender sides as possible without actually touching. Do not allow the speaker cone to rub the
tender walls as this will produce a “scratchy” sound. Likewise, a large air gap will reduce the speaker’s bass response
but can be filled in with cardstock if needed.
Step 5. Modify the Tender Body and Floor
Depending upon your choice of tender, you will probably be mounting the speaker facing down on the tender floor or
facing up in the coal bunker. In either case, a certain amount of “body work” is usually necessary to accommodate the
speaker and decoder. This may include removing weights, mounting brackets, internal bracing and other structural
features.
You will probably need to cut an opening in the tender shell or floor for the speaker. A series of small holes can be
easily drilled and will work as well as one large hole provided the open area is at least one half the area of the
speaker cone. In either case, there should be no openings outside or larger than the speaker cone itself.
Tender Body Modifications
On tenders with low side walls, the speaker is often best mounted facing up in the coal bunker so as to provide
adequate clearance for the decoder which will be mounted against the tender floor. In some cases, it may even be
necessary to add a wooden “retaining wall” to build up height.
Figure 4 - Tender Shell Modifications
The simplest tenders have a flat deck across the coal bunker and are the easiest to deal with. Simply mark or scribe
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Styrene
in sub-deck
Cut hole diameter
to slightly less than
speaker diameter.
Perforate coal load
with #55 drill.
Cross section of plastic tender
with molded coal load.
Remove inside walls
and slope sheet if needed.
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Opening in deck
should be slightly smaller
than speaker diameter
Optional wooden
retaining boards to
build up height.
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