I am using a 1156 tailight bulb for short management with good results, but on several occasions I,ve had my back turned and not noticed the bulb lit up. My question, is it possible to have an audible device hooked up inconjuction with the tail light bulb, and if possible,how would it be connected. Thanks
Track voltage passes through the 1156 bulb all the time but causes it to light up only when excessive current is drawn by a short circuit. An audible device such as a Sonalert would sound all the time in such a circuit.
If your DCC system's internal circuit breaker is not cutting off power to the track when you have a short, there's something wrong with your wiring that needs to be corrected instead of relying on the light bulb.
Some DCC systems such as the EasyDCC and NCE have provisions for adding a Sonalert buzzer to their power boosters, so you need to check your system's technical documentation to see if it can be done; but if so, it will be added to the booster and not in place of the 1156 light bulb.
Thank you all for helping me out.I went down town(Victoria) and purchased a Bridge Rectifier 6A 400V $3.85 Piezo Buzzer 4-28VDC $6.50. I looked on the internet on how to hook up the Bridge rectifier and then hooked up the Buzzer in parallel with the 1156 tailight bulb and it works like a hot Damm!I am using a NCE system with a SB3A smart Booster which does work properly,but now I can see and hear when their is a short. Dale
You still haven't solved the problem of why your SB3A is not shutting down the power when you have a short. This could ultimately cause it to burn out from the overloads, even though you think the light bulb and buzzer are solving the problem.
cacole You still haven't solved the problem of why your SB3A is not shutting down the power when you have a short. This could ultimately cause it to burn out from the overloads, even though you think the light bulb and buzzer are solving the problem.
Notice the OP's first message. The SB3 not shutting down is not an issue. He just wants an audible indication of a short somewhere on the layout.
With the light bulb, the other districts will not shut own and those locos will keep running. That is the point of circuit breakers or light bulbs for short management. CB's stop current flow and bulbs limit current flow. Yes, there can be instances that even limited current flow could be an issue with a loco.
Apparently you have to read about DCC power districts as used in layouts.
We use light bulbs for power districts on our club layout. We run the NCE Power Pro 5 amp system.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.