LED headlights

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I need some help.

I recently installed a clear LED to an Athearn loco headlight using an NCE decoder. The wiring was done according to the instructions both in Model Railroader and several articles. I also included a resister, and I got the light to work fine, but when I run the engine in reverse, the light illuminates brighter than it does going forward on my DCC system.

I like the brighter light but would rather have it in the forward motion than in reverse. Any ideas on what causes this and how to change it?

Thanks. JRP

2

Flip the LED’s leads. Are you sure you’re using the blue and white leads from the decoder?

3

Sounds like a simple case of swapping the something. Check your CV’s and see if you have the direction of travel matched to the LED installation.

Lee

4

Some decoders support Rule-whatever about running the forward headlight full brightness and the rear headlight half-brightness. It may be that your decoder does that. If so, you need to reverse the white and yellow leads.

Is this an F-unit, by any chance, or another engine with no rear light? If so, then connect the light up to the other wire (white or yellow) and it should work correctly.