Kato EMD SD80MAC

Scale:
HO Scale


WOWKit used in this installation

WDK-ATL-3

Which includes the following items:

Decoder
Motherboard

AK-MB1

Speaker Kit


DXI Installation

This was performed by our friends from DCC Xpress installations. 
They offer high quality WOWSound installations for a flat rate complete with free return shipping! 
You can find them at: www.dxinstalls.com

HO-Scale Kato SD80MAC shown prior to installation.
To start off this install, we must first remove the front and rear coupler screws highlighted above and their housings. With the couplers removed, while gently pulling outwards at each end and along each side of the frame, lift the shell off of the frame. Take care to release the handrails as you lift off the shell so they don't break.
The Kato SD80MAC shown with the shell off. Remove the two screws on top of the original lighting board, remove the wires and lift it from the chassis. Save these screws for further use.
With the original lighting board removed, trim, tin or lengthen the wire leads as needed and using small lengths of TCS 3/32" and 3/64" shrink tubing, insulate these solder leads.
Trim the original motor connections to a 'flat' point and solder new motor leads to them. Insulate them with shrink tubing to prevent wear and shorts as shown.
Using the saved screws, attach the AK-MB1to the frame and solder the motor and track pickup wires according to the included wiring diagram.
Using the rear LED removed from the original board, bend the ends slightly to properly reach the appropriate pad and solder the leads directly to the new motherboard as shown.
Remove the rear light tube from the interior of the shell and trim it to approximately 3/8" long. Using the front LED removed from the original lighting board, solder new wire leads to it and mount this assembly to the trimmed rear light tube as shown with a small dab of hot melt glue. Reset this back into the shell. We have found that LED light output is brightest when shinning directly into the end of the light tube, but in some circumstances they may be placed along the length of the tube as well with satisfactory results. TCS motherboards include on board current limit resistors for LED use. There is no need to apply external resistors for LED use.
With the 25mm x 16mm WOWSound speaker mounted into the UNIV-SH1-C, set this assembly face down onto the frame as shown. Then using a small amount of hot melt glue, secure this into place. We added a length of Kapton tape to further secure it. NOTE: You must be very careful to avoid getting glue on the speaker cone. Glue on the speaker will ultimately cause it to produce no sound and fail. If your speaker enclosure installation covers the portholes on the enclosure, we recommend adding new port hole(s) similar to the original porting. Be sure that the new portholes are the same size and amount of the original and are vented freely into the locomotive We have found introducing a port of the correct size greatly increases the volume and sound quality of the installation. Too much or too little porting decreases the sound quality.
Carefully, remove the two piece fan section from the top interior of the shell as shown. It is removed from the inside of the shell. This photo is showing the shell assembled with this part removed to indicate the amount of space needed to clear the speaker housing.
Trim the top fan interior, removing the material as indicated above with the gold marker, using a small saw or similar.
Show trimmed and ready for reassembly. If needed, this piece can be glued in place back into the shell interior.
You can now plug in your WOW121 decoder. Lastly, in order to keep the wires neat and prevent possible shorts, lace the wires into a bundle using lacing cord, which is a wax impregnated string  used for wire bundling and making harnesses. There are many choices of lacing cord available from Digikey www.digikey.com. We use part number 802534B BK032-ND Now you can close up the locomotive and reinstall the coupler assemblies. Be sure to be mindful of wire routing and reassembly of the shell as to not damage  or foul the installation. Your EMD SD80MAC is now WOWSound equipped and ready to roll!

Important Soldering Tip

Please do not use any flux either liquid or paste on the mother board. Over time, the acidic properties of liquid or paste flux will begin eating away at the fiberglass PCB and will damage it. Use only Rosin-core solder or no-clean flux approved for electronics use.

TCS recommends the use of Kester "44" Sn63 Pb37, .015" diameter Rosin-core solder. Kester part number 24-6337-0007.

You can order this solder from the following retailers:
Digikey - PN:KE1110-ND
Techni-Tool - PN:488SO6775

Other solder tips

When stripping wire, only strip a tiny little bit of the insulation. Strip no more than a 1/32 of an inch. When the wire gets tinned with solder, the insulation will shrink back more. Try to not expose any more wire than half the length of the solder pad at most. In no case should solder or exposed wire wire ever be outside the boundary of the the solder pad you are attaching a wire to.
Click here for important information on properly Stripping and Tinning wire