Red MARS-Light for Athern-Gas Turbine?

[winnetou]

Hello,inspiring of the new MR article about Athearns new Gas Turbine,I want to install the red MARS light .Does anyone know,how must I install this and how is wiring? I have the QSI Revolutionsound for Gas Turbine.

Steffen

[cmarchan]

Steffen,

There are several options: 

First, if you want to use the existing light board to control a RED Mars (Function 4 is available) please read the following link to resolve the issue of F0_Front and Function 4 tied together:

http://qsisolutions.com/news/09/adding-sound-turbine-072809.html

Observe the board photographs to locate the function wires. You can use a red 1.5v 1.2 mm lamp or a clear version dipped in Tamiya X-27 Clear Red Acrylic Paint. You will have to remove the false red lens.

You can also use upgrade all lamps to LEDs; this will result in a more pleasing lighting effect as you'll see as listed at the linked site, the lamp output is not as bright as one would expect.

For the LED install, I would use micro or nano LEDs in place of the lamps; you can replace all lamps and the red fake lamp with new lenses made from fiber optic cable. You can attach the very small LEDs to the inside end of the fiber similar to the method I used here:

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/156747/1728928.aspx#1728928

You can remove the wires that control lights from the Athearn light board at the wire ends of the JST plug harness (BLUE, WHITE, YELLOW, VIOLET or GREEN) and hard wire the LEDs; the ANODE of each LED is attached to the BLUE wire. The CATHODE end of the LED is placed in series with a current limiting resistor (1K to  2.2K ohms works well) and the colored control lead:

BLUE -                                    CONTROL COMMON
WHITE -                                   FRONT HEADLIGHT
YELLOW -                               REAR HEADLIGHT
GREEN or VIOLET -                 RED MARS

GREEN/WHITE STRIPED -       CLEAR MARS (see below)

I noted VIOLET or GREEN because the main MARS light (the clear one) should be controlled by the GREEN/WHITE striped function wire on the other end of the decoder.

You will need a QSI programmer or have access to one to reprogram the F4 function to REAR MARS by reconfiguring the sound scheme file (note RED Mars lights were mainly used during a backup move, station stop, or for an emergency situation, i.e., stalled locomotive on the main line). You will have to flash the decoder with the updated scheme before it will work.

  I have setup several of these units using the owner's preference LEDs, or lamps. There are other options for the lamps to improve their brightness. I can go into more detail if necessary.

 

 

 

[winnetou]

Thank you,cmarchan for the link-I have also read and print for me the QSI-link,your information for changing bulbs into LED´s is interesting-I will do it,in the next time!

Steffen