I asked this question a few years back, put the answer in my files and of course the last up-grade pitched all my old files! So…
Does someone make LED light kits for DCC controlled locomotives?
Kits as in purpose built? Or are you looking for dyi parts that you make fit into your Loco? Not every Loco is the same solution… David B
Like David said, there are many different variations State the locomotives, scale, etc.
Many use a 1k resistor.
Some LED’s sold now are super bright and require a higher resistance.
There is a DCC forum here also.
Rich
Light Kits, is what I’m looking for that would work with DCC. There where some very nice Constrant Lighting kits on the market several years ago for DC, I should think someone would have marketed an LCD lighting kit. Of course with all the RTR stuff with DCC, sound and lighting there are probably very few people actually converting DC equipment to DCC, anymore.
There’s a fellow named Al Mayo that has packages of made-up LEDs and includes some 1K resistors. These are handy if you don’t have the time or skills to solder your own SMD LEDs
Look for Big Al on Youtube for some of his demonstration videos.
Others have recommended Ulrich Models…
http://www.ulrichmodels.biz/servlet/the-DCC-Components-cln-LEDs-and-LED-Lighting-Kits/Categories
You will pay for convenience, of course. Learn to make them up yourself and you will save some cash and gain some skills [:)]
Model Train Software aka Evan Design also markets some handy LEDs with rectifiers and resistors built in.
http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/
Maybe others have some suggestions as well.
Have Fun! Ed
Try this guy he seems to think his products are good.
I don’t do DCC and I have not used his kits.
Ron High
You’ve got some good links on what I know is available, but I think it really depends on what you’re trying to do.
I typically use 3 and 5 mm white LEDs harvested from holiday lighting for direct bulb replacments, as they are a good fit for F unit headlites. The 5 mm will replace both lights on an Athearn two-reflector headlight packages with two of their tiny bulbs by being big enough to cover both orifices with the same light. I use .25" tubing from Evergreen to make housings to hold them. They slip right in.
When I need the small size for certain installs, I turn to the prewired SMD LEDs that Ulrich sells. No way could I do soldering leads on them, although I have NG acquaintances who do.
That, a Rat Shack resistor assortment and some tiny shrink covers most needs. I also keep fine wire on hand 30 or smaller. The wire in the lead on most mice will do nicely and give you four colors, plus a nice piece of bare twisted wire, all 4’ long or so. Hard to beat the price on that.
Black liquid electrical tape is great for saving bulk when even the shrink is too bulkly. It also comes in handy to seal light leaks.
Richmond Controls.
NP2626:
You already have your DCC ‘constant lighting kits’. All the necessary circuitry is built right into your decoder. All you need is an LED and a resistor, and some shrink tubing and glue. You can buy LEDs with the resistors already connected if you want to save a step, but you are still going to have to do some soldering to make the connections.
As has been mentioned, not all locomotives get the same treatment. For modern diesels you want the light to be brite but for older diesel locos you want a light that is dimmer, and for older steam you want a light that is even more dim and yellowish in appearance.
Mounting the LEDs can be as simple as gluing them in place of the original bulbs, or you can make modifications to the lighting system to improve performance. A perfect example is a Kato GP7 that came from the factory with a single rather dim bulb mounted in the center of the shell. Kato used clear plastic ‘light pipes’ to get the light to the headlights and number boards but the effect was pitiful. I tossed all of the light pipe parts except for the actual headlight and number board lenses and mounted individual LEDs behind each lense. Now I have decent looking lights.
As was mentioned in an earlier post, you will sometimes need to play with resistor values to control the brightness of the LEDs. In the case of my GP7, I used 1K (1000 ohms) resistors for the headlights but I went to 3.3K (3,300 ohms) for the number boards. (Note that I used twin LEDs behind each of the number boards to give more equal light distribution, with one resistor for the pair of LEDs. Had I used a single LED I would have used a higher value resistor).
I’m not trying to make this sound complicated - it isn’t. Let us know specifically what locomotives you are planning on working on and we can give you more exact ideas re LED size, colour and resistor values.
Dave
Ed, thanks for the links!
I know that the definition of the word “KIT” has changed in the last 20 years; or, so. However, I define the word as: The unassembled parts in a bag/box, needed to build; or, make something.
I guess maybe making your own kit; or, purchasing the parts separately is the best-cheapest method. My problem is not knowing what is necessary. That was the purpose of this thread, so again, thanks for the links!
After seeing what Al did to this forum (several times) and the way that he degraded those that post here, I would never give him any of my business. I would keep looking if I were you.
Thanks for this clarification trwroute! I for one, certainly will pass on doing business with these types of people!
I use 3mm flat and rounded LEDs and 1K resistors often when I want to include lighting in a car or diesel. I buy bulk (100 items) of all three of these on Ebay, where there is usually free shipping. One order of 100 LEDS will last a while, same goes for resistors. I had to also go online to find smaller diameter heat shrink tubing, as the stuff at Harbor Freight and Home Depot (forget Radio Slack) was a bit too large (or not enough of the small diameters in the assortment pack). The Xmas 5mm flat LEDs that MLehman refers to (from holiday light strings) I usually use in structures. Shielding the stray side light can be done with flat black paint, permanent black marker, or shrink tubing- don’t use regular electrical tape- it will not hold well over time.
Buy some plain wood toothpicks for applying liquid electrical tape, if using that method of sealing connections- the toothpick will get the stuff to cover the desired wiring or solder joint connection adequately (and throwing away a used toothpick is cheaper than any other method of application). I also “harvest” scrap ribbon cable wiring from computers to add to the LED+resistor leads- it is 26-30 AWG in size and you can just color one black or red to differentiate them. That small wiring fits well into most diesel shells.
Recently, I bought some 1.5 mm fiber optic cable, to fit small light apertures in diesels and to use for small lighting outputs- they can “lead/ guide” LED light output and can also be covered to limit side lighting leakage. Save clear styrene plastic from structure project- you can easily make light-conducting “tubes” from an LED to the larger front lights on a steam locomotive.
Cedarwoodron
NP 2626:
Here are some 3mm LEDs listed on eBay which are probably the easiest way to start. They are pre-wired and have resistors already built in. I have no idea how high the price will go but often eBay offers some real bargains. Note that the offering is for 10 LEDs only, not what is shown in the picture:
Here is a listing for 3mm LEDs, not pre-wired, but dirt cheap:
I buy my resistors from Digi-Key in the US. They are relatively cheap and delivery is super fast even to Canada. This is just one example for a 1K 1/4watt resistor but they have pretty much every value you could want. I use 1/4 watt. Some people are OK with 1/8 watt but they can get hot. I also use carbon film. You can get resistors cheaper on eBay but I use Digi-Key because the product is guaranteed to be good quality. No fires to put out as it were:
Here is some 3mm heat shrink tubing which can be used to cover the LED
I’ve seen nothing like a plug-and-play product that just replaces factory lighting, as the wide variation would make stocking such a product a nightmare.
Lighting is an area where personal taste and the wide variations in models make the idea of a kit as, at best, an approximation. In the end, I enjoy designing my install and find that simply having a variety of materials and products in hand when I start lets me choose what will work best as I go. Basically, that’s all a kit would do for you anyway, bring those parts together. Those materials are cheaper in quanity anyway.
I guess I was unaware of any dissention… I’ve been here 11 years and I must have missed all the fireworks!
I wouldn’t knowingly direct someone to a person of licentious character…[:$] Ed
Al is a changed man. He is now a firefighter and this has grounded him quite a bit. I was one that he personally attacked on these forums, but as a modeler he is top notch…I’d give him another shake. David B
…oh…I should add that Fatherhood has a role to play in it as well…
Somehow I stumbled onto Al’s wildly entertaining videos… with the sound kept at a “moderate” level [A] and I checked out what he had to say about LEDs and keep alive caps and converting some of the modern Athearn diesels. You have to admit he sure is enthusiastic about his layout (and his son)!
I bought some of his LEDs on Ebay and they were a pretty good value for what you get and MY time involved in making up those assemblies was better spent elsewhere.
I swore I would never buy from Mike Wolf and MTH… but [:-^] his 1938 Century and '41 Empire State Express cars are excellent models, lights, keep alive caps, nicely done interiors, great rolling qualities AND I would die of old age before BLI ever offered anything to run behind their streamlined Hudson. I didn’t want to… but I HAD to [:D] Ed
Most newer locos (except athearn) come with LEDs.
Since you are doing DCC, some decoders already come with the resistors. At first I bought a 100-pack of warm white LEDs that came with resistors that I had to solder together. I started using these cause the price is almost the same, and I don’t have to solder (I hate soldering wires, but I actually like soldering brass handrails together; go figure)
I actually can’t seem to find the non-prewired anymore…
For athearn locos, I copied another fellow in my MRR club on what he did.
I use some plastruct 1/16" clear acrylic rod cut into 3/8" lengths. I file the cut ends flat, then using my a cloth wheel in my dremel with some really fine abrasive polish (car polish) polish out the ends until they are smooth. Holding the cut end to a candle or soldering iron works, but is harder to control for me. Then I take some 3/16" aluminum tubing and use a small file to open up the ends of the tube (wish I could find some tubing with thinner walls) and another to file a flat spot the length of the tube. The 1/16 acrylic rod fits in really nicely into athearn locos without needing glue. The aluminum tube goes around the rods, then the led goes into the back of the tube. The flat spot is where I glue them to the cab ceiling of athearn SD40-2s.
I’m probably going to do a few athearn locos tomorrow (including an RS3), if I can find my remaining aluminum tube.