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Working Ditch Lights for Kato Dash9

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  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Cleveland, OH
  • 60 posts
Working Ditch Lights for Kato Dash9
Posted by joe1965 on Sunday, March 7, 2010 8:32 AM
I picked up a Kato Dash9 unit recently. I want to know if there is infomation on how to install/convert working ditch lights on this unit. This Kato unit uses LEDS with fiber optics to project light both to the headlights and ditch lights.
  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Cleveland, OH
  • 60 posts
Posted by joe1965 on Sunday, March 7, 2010 9:04 AM
Thanks Dave. It's HO. I ordered a decoder board with sound for this unit and assume that the board has connections for adding ditch lights.
  • Member since
    May 2008
  • 4,612 posts
Posted by Hamltnblue on Sunday, March 7, 2010 9:38 AM

 Which sound decoder did you order?

 

Springfield PA

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Sunday, March 7, 2010 10:20 AM

It's very wrong to assume that every sound decoder supports ditch lights.  Which decoder did you order?  If MRC, then you're likely to be very sadly disappointed.

  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: Gahanna, Ohio
  • 1,987 posts
Posted by jbinkley60 on Sunday, March 7, 2010 8:14 PM

davidmbedard

1.  If you are ok with the factory brightness of the ditchlights, just cut the light pipes short and heat shrink 2 3mm LEDs on the ends of them.

2.  If you are NOT ok with the factory brightness, then you will have to fabricate your own ditch lights using 1.5v bulbs or surface mount LEDs.  Either way you will have to do the same to the headlights as well.

I am assuming HO here....but if you are in N scale, it is a much more difficult proposition.  You would have to work with very small grain of sand SMT LEDs and wire them in.  

David B

I've used option 1 with both a QSI U and a Digitrax DH165K0 & Soundbug combination.

 

 

Engineer Jeff NS Nut
Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/

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