I have recently purchased a 10 Amp NCE DCC system to go with my garden railroad. Most of my Aristocraft and USA Trains engines and cars have interior lights. I am now wondering if I have to do any conversion to get the lights to function with DCC. I also have an AML Pacific with LED lights. I understand that the DCC system puts a steady voltage on the tracks of around 18 volts so I am hoping all will work ok.
Tom
You will have to install decoders into all of your locomotives, and they can be connected to the lights so you have DCC control over them.
I use the AirWire900 wireless DCC system for all of my G-scale locomotives and can use the AirWire transmitter to turn lights and other functions on and off.
When you install decoders into your locomotives there will be instructions that come with them telling you how to wire all of the light functions.
Sorry for not being clear. I know about the need for decoders and I am in the process of installing them in the locos. The real question is will the lights in the cars such as my Aristocraft heavyweight passenger cars work without modifications?
Depends on if you want to control them via DCC or not. Out of the box, the cars will light up if there's a sufficient voltage to the rails. Since DCC provides a constant voltage to the rails, the lights will be on as long as there's power to the rails. I've done this in locomotives where I want certain lights to always be "on" as a kind of power indicator. (e.g., if the loco has power, the firebox is lit.)
It's only if you want to individually control the lights in the cars that you'd need a decoder for each car. You'd just wires going from the track pick-ups to the lights, and insert the decoder; track pick-ups going into the decoder, and the wires going to the lights on the output side of the decoder. How you address the decoder is up to you, but I'd be tempted to have a single address set for all the passenger cars, so all the decoders respond to the same on/off command.
You could also use a single decoder for a string of cars, but that requires cutting the pick-up leads in each car, running them forward to the head-end car with the decoder, then running a second set back to each individual car. May be more trouble than its worth. The lighting function decoders aren't terribly expensive ($15 or so?) and you'd spend at least half that in 4-pin connectors to go between each car. On the other hand, you'd need worry about only one decoder.
If it were me, and I wanted to be able to turn the lights on and off in each car, a SPST switch is pretty cheap. Mount it inconspicuously on the floor. If you don't need the lights, flip the switch off.
Later,
K
Be careful about assuming 18 volts for DCC. Some systems are 24 volts and 18 volt bulbs will have a much shorter life.
My zimo system has 22 volts on the rails and 18 volt bulbs are bright. Good news for me is the Zimo system has a voltage control in the central station and I can lower the track to 18 volts.
You might want to try the Digitrax TL1 single function DCC decoder -- if you will be running DCC. This is compatible with all NMRA compliant DCC systems. Since Digitrax markets a 20+ volt power supply (G Scale setting is, I believe, 23v) the TL1 should not self destruct at that power. It is relatively cheap and you just insert it in between the track power leads and the car lighting circuit. By the way, this same decoder can do FRED light simulations (strobe / blink) and other cool stuff. However, if you take your passenger car to a show or someplace running DC (or PWC) it may not come on. I think that if you have the default value on, it might be on for DC as well.
The AML Pacific needs some extensive rewiring for running on DCC.
Fortunately, I have done this and have very detailed information.
Start here: http://www.elmassian.com/trains-mainmenu-27/motive-power-mods-aamp-tips-mainmenu-35/aml-accucraft-mainmenu-242/k4-mainmenu-243/k4-qsi-rewire-aamp-install-mainmenu-277
Notice there is also a page on disassembly.
Regards, Greg
Visit my site: http://www.elmassian.com - lots of tips on locos, rolling stock and more.
Click here for Greg's web site
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