This is likely a silly question, but that’s never stopped me before…
I want to add LED headlights to my IHC old timers (DCC with TCS decoder in the tiny tender.) Most instructions say to add the resistor to a leg of the led, but that’s going to be really hard to hide/disguise. Is there any reason I can’t move the resistor closer to the decoder and locate it in the tender?
Physical location = wherever you want!
Just as long as the resistor is where it needs to be in the circuit.
[#ditto]
Electrically, the resistor has to be somewhere between the LED and either the hot or ground connection feeding that LED. For a headlight, the resistor can be anyplace that it will fit. For an LED being used as a panel indicator for a turnout, the resistor could be at the far end of the room.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Are you sure that decoder needs a resistor? Some outputs are already at the correct voltage.
And if you have less space what’s about SMD resistors?
Wolfgang
If it is an LED it needs a resistor, voltage isn’t the issue, current is. I don’t believe there are any decoders that have a current limited function output for LEDS.