Application Notes: Sugar Cube Speaker install in a Athearn Blue Box GP9
Here is an install I did on an Athearn Blue Box GP9. The square vent on top seemed the perfect size for my 11x15mm sugar cube speaker. Step one was to remove the original molded-in vent. I used a small drill to punch a bunch of holes within the vent, then finished it off with a hobby knife. Nice square hole was the result, and the sugar cube speaker fit perfectly (lucky). I used home window screen material (from the local hardware store), cut twice the size and folded in half to create twice as many grate holes. Lay the screen in place, glue the speaker in behind it, and voila!
A couple more notes: I wanted to listen to the speaker before I buttoned things up and heard an undesireable sound that I identified as the sound waves getting into the shell. I used some hot-melt glue to seal a gap on one side, and the sound was greatly improved. This goes along with my conclusion that you should try to seal the speaker from the shell (see Speakers Inside Locomotive Shells: Best Practices).
A couple more notes: I wanted to listen to the speaker before I buttoned things up and heard an undesireable sound that I identified as the sound waves getting into the shell. I used some hot-melt glue to seal a gap on one side, and the sound was greatly improved. This goes along with my conclusion that you should try to seal the speaker from the shell (see Speakers Inside Locomotive Shells: Best Practices).
