Example 1: MX658

Kit: Zimo MX658N18 (Next18 DCC) with YouChoos 15x11mm Sticky Gasket SugarCube speaker

Dapol are getting really good with their diesels, with the appearance of the Class 68 diesel, with DCC Next18 socket, and some provision for a speaker, makes it relatively easy - not as simple as the recent Farish 40, but a great leap forward for Dapol nonetheless.

Easy to pop the body off, revealing the Next18 blanking plate and a space designated for a speaker.

The provided speaker enclosure is only a few mm deep, but good enough. It is only held down by the model's PCB and a sticky-sided piece of foam, and to remove the foam it is easiest to temporarily unscrew the PCB and peel it out. We'll use the foam later to stop the speaker from bouncing about!

It is a good idea to use the provided enclosure rather than a ready made SugarCube with box, because the provided enclosure has a moulding recess over the drive shaft - a standard SugarCube might foul the drive shaft unless you raise the sides a little.

So peel off the speaker's backing and stick firmly onto the enclosure. Add a couple of short lengths of wire (YouChoos will do this for you if you ask when you order!).

The speaker will then simply drop neatly into the aperture in the PCB. Solder on the wires to the SPK pads of the PCB, and use the foam to pad on top so it doesn't bounce about when the body goes back on.

Remember to check the switches are in the appropriate positions for a 4-function decoder (which is what the MX658N18 is), and pop the body back on.

Example 2: MS581

Kit: MS581, StickyGasket 15x11mm speaker

Simple revisit this time with the new MS581. Not really room for the 'G' variant with GoldCaps for stay-alive, so just the standard MS581.

Please note that these guides are provided as useful resources for you, as-is. YouChoos cannot be held responsible for errors in the information, or for any damage caused to your models or equipment if you choose to follow any of the steps detailed here.