Hello all, First time posting here. I searched the forum a little bit but didn’t find much of what I was looking for. My questions are about lights for ditch lights. I recently installed the new Digitrax sound decoder in my AC4400CW. It does supprot ditch light opperation, however the bulbs I used are very dim and not much to be desired. What kind of bulb? What size? Where did you get them? I am looking for a white light not a yellow, and a brightness close to the headlight. thanks in advance…Any help is appreciated…
[#welcome]
What scale do you model and what manufacture is the locomotive? Are the ditch lights bulbs or fiber optics and a LED? What is the maximum miliamps for the ditch lights supported by the decoder? (There should be info for that in the decoder manual). What type of light is used for the headlight, LED or bulb?
You came looking for an answer and I ask you a bunch of questions. Sorry!
Maybe I can help if I knew a little more about what you have. If it’s fiber optics or light piping, you could replace the lamp with a brighter lamp IF the decoder can handle the power requirement (15ma vs. 30ma). If it’s a yellow LED, it can be easily replaced with a white LED.
If the ditch lights are bulbs, and most likely they’re 1.5 volt, 15 ma, you have to measure the size of the bulb and measure their draw with a multi-tester in order to determine the correct size resistor. Or assume they are 15ma. You might be able to just change the resistor to a lesser value.
i can’t help you on this one, but it seems like a useful thread going to waste.
James.
bump
I used these LED’s from Tony’s on my SD40-2
http://www.tonystrains.com/products/mini_leds-yeloglo.htm
Here’s video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mp4Pn1tqy8
Ken.
Ok I have the same question. I bought some details west Ditch Lights and I am going to install them soon what size lds do I need to use? This ould be in HO scale. going with NCE decoders.
I used Details west mounting too, with 3mm LED’s behind them. I made the holes thru a little bigger to maximise the light output. The hardest part was making room for the wires along the top of the chassis ( BLI loco )
Ken.
NZRMac thanks for the information. I am using Spectrums and Athearn so it shouldnt be to hard.
If you are useing Digitrax Decoders, you should you be able to use 1.2mm 1.5V 30 millamp light bulbs.
I have 5 Athearn RTR series locos and they all used 1.5V 15 millamp lights. They have a bad habit of burning out after awhile. I bumped to the 30 millamp and they have proved much more durable. The 1.2mm is the size that I have found replaces the original size the best and were a direct fit for my ditch lights on my SD Genesis. I have had some bubls in there for over 1.5 years. Good luck, hope that is what you were lookign for.
My SD70 equppied with the 1.2MM 1.5V 30 millamp on a Digi Trax Decoder in all 4 spots
LED’s are too large for HO scale ditch lights. They should have came with bulbs. If not, order Miniatronics 1.5V 1.2MM Diameter, 15mA micro bulb.
Since the bulbs are 1.5 volt a resistor is needed. To calculate the correct value, subtract the voltage of the bulb from the voltage output of the decoder. Divide that value by the amperage rating if the bulb (V supply - V bulb / amps).
For example, 12volts minus 1.5volts = 10.5 volts, divided by.015amps = 700 ohms.
Hey Big John, who makes the 1.2 mm bulbs in 30ma? They’re kind of hard to find because not all manufacturers of bulbs give the size or miliamp rating for their bulbs.
Thanks!
Wouldnt the decoder manufacture have a drop resistor installed already? Figuring people would be using smaller bulbs for the ditch lights.
They are from a larger outfit. Good thing I saved the package. [:D]
Here’s the info:
Miniatronics Corp. I think the part number for 10 count bag is 18-C03-10 I paid aroudn 11 bucks. They come with some pretty long leads too and they are all pre-tested. They carry all different sizes, colors, and power rateings… I get from my LHS here in Mesa, Roy’s Train World. They have a prety good selection. But I am sure there has to be some godo online stores avaviable.
The Details West mounting units didn’t come with lights, the 3mm LEDs aren’t to big if they sit behind the mounting units and have a 1.5mm hole drilled thru for the light to shine.[:D]
Ken.
Hey Ken,
You must have the ditch lights that are mounted in the pilot. I take it that they fit without any clearence problems. That’s a good solution.
The ditch lights I was thinking of mount on top of the anti-climber or foot plate. And I do believe it’s Detail Associates that come with bulbs.
I didn’t know they existed in white, but I just found some surface mount LED’s in white. They’re so small you need a microscope to be able to solder wires to them. And be easy to loose too.
Those surface mounts are tiny, they are used on the washing machines we service, good luck soldering those babies!! LOL
I used the pilot front mounted lights, no bulbs, so maybe the top mounted ones come with bulbs too.
I think the ones I used are actually just for show, I drilled them thru for the lights to work.
Ken.
Sorry Guys, Went on vacation and just now remembered I posted here. Where to begin, I have a Kato HO scale AC4400CW. I have put in the sound decoder and have wired the ditch lights up to the green and violet leads and used the common blue. Now I have the miniatronics bulbs now and they seem very dim with no resistors. I have now switched out those bulbs with some LEDs and they are great. I am running a 560 ohme resistor as suggested by miniatronics. They are what I want. I used some shrink tubing around them and the light pipe then shrink tubed the exposed solderd connecttions. My problem now is that when I hit the horn at the grade crossing (F2) they don’t really dim that much. Should I use bigger resistors or what? I am gonna stop by the Train shop and see what other bulbs he has. Knowing me I probably grabbed the wrong ones on the right peg.
LEDs behave differently when dimmed than incandescent bulbs. NCE decoders use a different setting for LEDs.