Steve,
Does that function output provide 12 volts? or a lower value for LEDs? I haven't had a chance to play with any Wow!s yet, so not sure what they provide.
If you hooked the LEDs up in series that the voltage available has to be more than the total required to drive the LEDs when the voltages are added up. Most LEDs required in the neighborhood of 3 to 3.5 volt's to light. So you could have a circuit that requires slightly more than 12 volts to light.
Another possibility is that the Function needs to be remapped so that F1 activates Output 1.
Finally, the end connected to the Blue wire needs to be the LED lead that is longer, the positive lead. If it's wired to the Green wire, then it won't light as it's a negative lead. Each LED in the series needs to be oriented this way.
Keep in mind that LEDs are much easier to work with it NOT wired in series, but in parallel. Series can work, but is trickier to wire up properly.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Thanks for the advice, I've been doing more research and found the LED have a forward voltage of 2.4, I went to the LED center on the web and found a worksheet that suggested a 180 ohm resister. I rewired everything, and finally got it working. I think part of the problem was, as you suggested, installing everything with the polarity backwards.
I've got it working now with the Digitrax DH163 decoder, but it only works when the train is going forward. I've been trying different combinations on CV51, and the last was 20. What should I use to keep the lights on going forward and backward (I assume running lights would be on prototypically no matter the direction).
Thanks,
Steve
According to the literature, the function outputs aren't resistered, so you should have full track voltage available. I first question your logic for having all four corners lit red at the same time as this would never happen on the proto-type. You should have the front pair separate from the rear pair, each on their own function.
Two reasons they are not currently working. First is that you may have the polarity of the blue (+) and green (-) reversed to the LEDs. When wiring LEDs in series you have to make certain that each LED is oriented correctly .... (+/-) - (+/-) - (+/-) - etc.
Another reason is that the four LEDs in series will develope a voltage drop of nearly 13 volts. Add a 1000 ohm resistor to that, and that would be enough resistance to not light the LEDs in the string. You would need a 100 ohm or lower resistor depending on the actual voltage output from your decoder.
I would suggest separating the front pair from the rear pair and put them each on their own function (more proto-typical). Two LEDs in series with a 1000 ohm resistor would be closer to the brightness you would want for class lights .... maybe even higher.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
I just assumed they were all lit up as position markers. I didn't realize they would only light up the front or back pair of lights seperatly.
I think the Wow should have enough outputs to allow you to have the markers separated to front and rear pairs.
Once separated, for on only in Forward, try just adding or subtracting 1 from the value you entered for the CV for the relevant lamps. Often that's all that designates something as being in either F or R.
To elaborate even further, the only time the engine would display red markers on one end is if the engine is running light (by itself) on the main line or acting as a pusher on the rear of a train. Red markers are only used to signal the rear of a train.
Those lights could also display white or green. White would have been much more common indicating the train was running as an extra with the white class lights being displayed forward.
The way model manufacturers use green forward and red reverse in those lights is purely a gimmick to use functioning lights and not at all proto-typical.
Mark, you're killing me...why couldn't you have said, "four red are fine." Now I've got to pull them all out and rewire the dang thing again! I'll never be able to sleep knowing I've got it wired wrong. :-)
I think what I'll do is leave the two red in the back in, put two white in the front, and wire them to different leads that are controlled by different functions. Thanks for the more detailed explanation.