I installed a digitrax DH165AO in a atlas classic loco runs fine forward and reverse. turn on lights, no lights double checked wiring, hit 0 nolights hit light button on nce controller no lights. did a reset still no lights am i missing something?
If your loco has LEDs and you didn't use a resistor you probably burned out the lights.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
stated in the instructions (no-resistor install of LEDS and lamps) it was a circuit board replacement take the old one out put the new one in.
The old board probably had resistors for an LED headlight but the replacement decoder doesn't. You have most likely burned out the LED. Another possibility is that you have the headlight's polarity backwards if it is an LED.
Here's some information I found about the DH165AO light problem as it applies to an Athearn locomotive -- perhaps this information also applies to the Atlas loco:
http://tsd.digitrax.com/index.php?a=1156
polarity would make a difference with a light?
KHM60 polarity would make a difference with a light?
With an LED, yes -- they are polarity sensitive and will not work if the wires are reversed. You must also put a resistor into one of the leads -- usually 1,000 Ohms.
The DH165A0 does NOT need resistors for LEDs on the forward and reverse lights, it's already limited to 15ma.
Polarity does matter though.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
would i burn out the lights if i reverse the wires to check
Nope. If you look at the picture in the DH165A0 instructions it shows which terminal is + and which is - on each end of the board. If you can actually see the LEDs (they aren't buried in some shrink tube or anything), you might be able to see the two metal bits inside it. One is significantly larger thant he other. The larger side goes to the - terminal.
i believe i got it right red hooked to the + and black to the - still no lights
i believe i need a volt meter to see if the decoder is putting out
Definitely on the volt meter. Harbor Frieght, usually under $3.
There was a recent thread heare installing a decoder in an Atlas loco and it turned out the color code for the LED wires was wrong, so it might be worth flipping them. Also, make sure there is NOT a resistor in the line from those read and black wires tot he LED, the already reduced output ont eh decoder PLUS a dropping resistor may very well result in too low a current to light the LED.