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Mars Lighting Options

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Posted by locoi1sa on Monday, January 17, 2011 5:32 PM

H.

 Is that an LED or a surface mount LED? I have set them up using a 3mm LED but I have never seen a surface mount used for one. I didn't use a red LED for it. It was a sunny white that was sanded and polished flat and touched with a red magic marker for color. It looks great.

       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!

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Posted by Hamltnblue on Monday, January 17, 2011 6:57 AM

That's basically it. It's the way it pulses that gives it the effect.  Close enough for HO scale.

Springfield PA

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Posted by wabash2800 on Sunday, January 16, 2011 10:10 PM

Actually, I don't think you can get anything in HO that will do the Mars figure eight. You can get it to pulsate but not a figure eight.

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Posted by wabash2800 on Sunday, January 16, 2011 10:08 PM

The twin beamed headlight under the housing is a standard headlight.

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Posted by Hamltnblue on Sunday, January 16, 2011 9:13 PM

Here's what you can get out of a single LED for mars light.  The mars is on top of course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSCCBgR6McQ

Springfield PA

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Posted by locoi1sa on Sunday, January 16, 2011 7:52 PM

The SMLEDs would work. What diameter is the lenses? A 3mm LED can be sanded and polished to look like a light. I think you would get a better figure 8 effect with a larger LED then a SMLED.  I also see more headlights under the housing. Are they going to be lit also?

     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!

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • 776 posts
Mars Lighting Options
Posted by wabash2800 on Sunday, January 16, 2011 6:03 PM

I am modeling a Wabash GP7 with a double oscilating Mars light in a housing mounted on the end of the short hood, See here at the top of the short hood. I am using a Details Associates plastic Mars part and a Tsunmai decoder. No problem so far.

i was planning on Mounting MV lenses in the housing (one clear and one red) and gluing (one each) Richmond Controls surface mount LEDs on the back side of the lenses after I scratch off the foil.

Well, you know how the interent is. I am being told of several other options that suposedly will be better. One is to use two LEDs ground down to fit in the housing. The other is to use real mini bulbs.

Has anyone done something like this. Is there one of the three methods that is more realistic?

Incidentally, yes I know that the red Mars light usually only turned on when the train went into a emergency brake application but I plan on operating it with a seperate function for a twist in an operating session.

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