Let me first preface this with the fact that I DID try to keep the issue of MR with that article handy in anticipation of this project. However, I left it in a place I shouldn’t have and a cetain someone was doing some housecleaning and threw it out without looking at what it was.
Anyhow, I am installing a MRC Brilliance decoder and was curious about two things. First off, does the orange wire from the decoder connect to the motor’s lower lead, and what size resistor do I need to use for the lights. I did a test shot using a 1K resistor, and I get no light. Otherwise, it is coming along good.
It connects to the (+) motor lead. Whether that is top or bottom I don’t know on the Genesis units. The motor might be labled.
Are you certain you turned the headlamps on with F0, and put the locomotive into forward direction, and give it at least one knotch of throttle? As I recall those are 30ma 1.5V lamps. So the exact ohms for the resistor would depend on the voltage your DCC unit is putting to the rails. On my system with 14.5V to the track, I want to give the bulb 1.2V (so it will last a long time) so I need the resistor to suck up 13.3V so a 443 ohm resistor is the ticket. R = E/I Since they don’t make 443 ohms I use a 333 ohm and a 10 ohm in series.
Here is a chart I put together for the folks at my club: http://www.walkersquawker.net/LightBulbs.htm
Obviously the “calculator” at the top doesn’t work as it does in the real spreadsheet.
I really appriciate the help. I guess I should have included that I am using a NCE Power Cab system, which I just purchased yesterday along with a few decoders. I installed the NCE decoders I purchased for my P2K GP7 and Genesis F7B with no problems (silent decoders). Boy what a blast this DCC is. I am totally new to DCC and have made it to page 4 in the NCE book (assigning long address), so I haven’t gotten that far.
Don’t make me have to drive up there for some OJT!!![;)][:o)] Seriously though, I will figure this out just fine.