I have the wiring all finished, feeders soldered directly to the bus, trains running. I am in the process of making seperate blocks with short warning lights using the 1156 auto bulbs as suggested on Joe Fugate (sp) web site. I seperated one block out, cut through rails (have not glued plastic in yet). Hooked one bulb up, and layed a quarter on the rail, and it didn't light the digitrax controller beeped as if a short and shut down. I have 3 feeders in this area, so I un hooded one, and introduced another bulb, same thing. Lights are good, tried them on power pack and they lit up.
What am I missing? these are the 1156LL bulbs from walmart, will the LL (long life) not work for this installation?
Does the digitrax signal jump the gap cut by the dremel cut off wheel, meaning I have to glue in the plastic gap materal before things will work?
Any help is appreciated!!!
thanks
chuck
bunker45 wrote: Does the digitrax signal jump the gap cut by the dremel cut off wheel, meaning I have to glue in the plastic gap materal before things will work?
No, not a chance it'l jump unless theres about 5000 volts in there!!
Ensure you only have 1 sub bus linking your main power bus to the power district you are trying to protect. If there is more than one dropper, it'l just ignore the light and use the easiest route with no resistance. You only need to gap 1 rail aswel, not both. IN SHORT, just make sure you only have the 1 supply dropper with bulb in between for 1 power district and you should be away.
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
thanks, I'll try it with only 1 feeder.
this is a 5a super chief.
You can use multiple feeders, but they have to separate AFTER the bulb. All of the current to the section has to go through the bulb, and there should only be one bulb per section.
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
bunker45 wrote:I have the wiring all finished, feeders soldered directly to the bus, trains running. I am in the process of making seperate blocks with short warning lights using the 1156 auto bulbs as suggested on Joe Fugate (sp) web site. I seperated one block out, cut through rails (have not glued plastic in yet). Hooked one bulb up, and layed a quarter on the rail, and it didn't light the digitrax controller beeped as if a short and shut down. I have 3 feeders in this area, so I un hooded one, and introduced another bulb, same thing. Lights are good, tried them on power pack and they lit up.What am I missing? these are the 1156LL bulbs from walmart, will the LL (long life) not work for this installation?Does the digitrax signal jump the gap cut by the dremel cut off wheel, meaning I have to glue in the plastic gap materal before things will work?Any help is appreciated!!!thankschuck
If you can afford it forget the bulbs. I use Digital Specealty's PSX's from Tony's Train Exchange. They are solid state, no mechanical relay, They work without lighting up the floor. That drove me nuts! You can daisy chaim em or get the PSX alone or the 1,2,3,4 for as many power districs or subs. The PSX handles high inrush current with out problems from sound loco's. You don't suffer from cascading short detection between command stations and relay based setups. It does the same thing as tailights but without lighting up except for a tiny led.
Jules
JulesB wrote: bunker45 wrote: I have the wiring all finished, feeders soldered directly to the bus, trains running. I am in the process of making seperate blocks with short warning lights using the 1156 auto bulbs as suggested on Joe Fugate (sp) web site. I seperated one block out, cut through rails (have not glued plastic in yet). Hooked one bulb up, and layed a quarter on the rail, and it didn't light the digitrax controller beeped as if a short and shut down. I have 3 feeders in this area, so I un hooded one, and introduced another bulb, same thing. Lights are good, tried them on power pack and they lit up.What am I missing? these are the 1156LL bulbs from walmart, will the LL (long life) not work for this installation?Does the digitrax signal jump the gap cut by the dremel cut off wheel, meaning I have to glue in the plastic gap materal before things will work?Any help is appreciated!!!thankschuckIf you can afford it forget the bulbs. I use Digital Specealty's PSX's from Tony's Train Exchange. They are solid state, no mechanical relay, They work without lighting up the floor. That drove me nuts! You can daisy chaim em or get the PSX alone or the 1,2,3,4 for as many power districs or subs. The PSX handles high inrush current with out problems from sound loco's. You don't suffer from cascading short detection between command stations and relay based setups. It does the same thing as tailights but without lighting up except for a tiny led.Jules
bunker45 wrote: I have the wiring all finished, feeders soldered directly to the bus, trains running. I am in the process of making seperate blocks with short warning lights using the 1156 auto bulbs as suggested on Joe Fugate (sp) web site. I seperated one block out, cut through rails (have not glued plastic in yet). Hooked one bulb up, and layed a quarter on the rail, and it didn't light the digitrax controller beeped as if a short and shut down. I have 3 feeders in this area, so I un hooded one, and introduced another bulb, same thing. Lights are good, tried them on power pack and they lit up.What am I missing? these are the 1156LL bulbs from walmart, will the LL (long life) not work for this installation?Does the digitrax signal jump the gap cut by the dremel cut off wheel, meaning I have to glue in the plastic gap materal before things will work?Any help is appreciated!!!thankschuck
Yea, I got the same thing. It works very very good. I'm sold.
JulesB wrote: They work without lighting up the floor. That drove me nuts!
If you are lighting up the floor you are doing someting wrong. When hooked up properly, the bulbs only light when you have a short, and then the light helps you know were.