Who has the best Mars light effect in a basic decoder, TCS, Digitrax, ect?? I have a pair of Stewart F3's that each need to have a basic DCC decoder with Mars function. I have a TCS T1 that I was gonna try in them, using the unused reverse light function as a Mars light by changing the CV's Never seen that brand of decoders Mars light to see how realistic the flash pattern is. I have seen good Mars effect's and poor ones (MRC to name one poor effect) Soundtraxx Hyperlight is one excellent one if going the full sound route, Richmond controls for non DCC use. Anybody using the Mars feature of one of the basic decoders and can report on how well the effect looks? Thanks MIke
LHS mechanic and geniune train and antique garden tractor nut case!
If you are going to re-map a basic 2 function 'fleet' decoder, most any of them will work. I have heard good things about the MARS function of TCS decoders. One item to keep in mind is that the MARS function seems to work better with 'real' lamps. The LED's do not go through a full range of 'off-dim-bright' very well.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Mike,
I think you'd be fine with either a TCS, NCE, or Digitrax decoder. Although a little more expensive, the Lenz Silver and Gold decoders are terrific decoders, too. Their BEMF is the best, IMO. I have one in a Stewart FT and BLI Blueline Niagara and they absolutely crawl (<1 sMPH) at speed step 001.
I would assume that, if you do remap to utilize the Mars Lighting effect, your unused reverse lighting function would work for that. It's worth a try.
And, although I prefer LEDs for headlights because of their focused beam of light, lighting effects - like Mars and ditching lighting - really look best with incandescent bulbs because incandescents are better at dimming than LEDs. (An incandescent can be dimmed down to almost nothing. LEDs only dim down so far then go out.) The minus side is that incandescents generate much more heat and wear out quicker.
Lastly, Mike, you may want to consider a "dual"-mode vs. a "duel"-mode decoder. The latter one inevitably ends up fighting with itself. It would be kinda like having David and Sheldon duct-taped together and engineers in the same locomotive cab.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I put a TCS T1 in it, has a LED for both lamps right now, headlight is awsome, mars is just ok. I have heard some decoders can be programed to help an LED be a mars light by changing current instead of voltage and smooth out the flashing, but not th TCS one. I will swap out the Mars LED for a bulb this week and see how it looks compated to the LED main headlight. I am using Yeloglo LEDs from Miniatronics. The TCS decoder was a snap to install in the older Kato chassis F3. Mike
Being that most of the engines operation is on analog DC for right now, the light bulb Mars didnt work that well. But I did swap the LED to one of the 3mm T1 size Yeloglo instead of the larger version I had first used. The larger LED acted like it wanted a higher voltage before the Mars effect would stablize. With the smaller 3mm LED, the Mars is fairly stable at all but the slowest analog track speeds. In DCC mode it looks just fine and is much brighter than the larger LED and more closely matches the color and brightness of the main headlight. Hopefully Santa will bring me a DCC system for the layout this Christmas!
TCS decoders DO have an adjustment for lighting effects for using both LEDs and incandescent bulbs.
Digitrax decoders have great lighting effects, but they don;t work very will with LEDs. NCE and TCS effects work well and both have adjustments for incandescent vs LEDs. I think the TCS ones have more range to the adjustments.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Ok, thats good to know. Do you know which CV needs to be adjusted and to what value for using a LED for the Mars light? I know there is nothing I can decipher in the instructions that came with the decoder. I am off to thier website to see if I can find anything. Mike
Since you already have a T1 decoder try it with an LED and 1K 1/4 watt resistor. If you use the yellow wire then adjust CV50 =2 for forward direction of the Mars light. There are also further adjustments you can make using CV112 through 116. This is found on the TCS web site. Click on literature and under general manuals and guides you will find simple programing guide. Look at table 15 for individual adjustments.
If your T1 is a newer decoder it may have auto mars function. The Mars will come on at 36% of throttle. You can enable this with CV50=13 using the yellow wire.
Pete
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!
I have it doing its mars thing already, dont want to use the Auto Mars but the decoder does have that function. I was hoping someone here had already done the legwork and figured out any tweaks to the CV's to improve mars effect using a LED. I am using a 470ohm resistor and a Yeloglo 3mm LED from Miniatronics with good effect. Most of the local layouts use Digitrax and 14vt power on the track. I programed it over at one of these layouts. Mike
CV64, DImmed Brightness is the one you want. 2-6 for LEDs, 12-18 for incandescent. If the LED won;t dim enough for the Mars light to look good, use a 1K resistor, the 470 ohm really is too small. All my LED installs use a 1K resistor, PLENTY bright and it's about 10ma tot he LED depending on track voltage. With enough breathing room that if someone hits the scale switch and changes the track to 18 volts for O and G scale, it won;t fry the LED.