Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Ditch Light Help

439 views
2 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    August 2010
  • 115 posts
Ditch Light Help
Posted by UPTeen23 on Monday, June 13, 2011 11:18 AM

If  I get two ditch lights can I splice the wires to make it "one function" I dont need flashing, just light. Will this work?

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Metro East St. Louis
  • 5,743 posts
Posted by simon1966 on Monday, June 13, 2011 1:38 PM

Sure will they will just go on and off together

Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Monday, June 13, 2011 7:50 PM

 Just a caution, particularly if the lights are incadescent and not LEDs. Check the current rating of the bulbs, and the current rating for an individual function output on your decoder. You can always connect more than one light to a single function, but you have to watch the current rating. Ditch light bulbs are small and shouldn;t be a problem, but if you had two bulbs rated at 30ma, and the decoder's function output was limited to 50ma, the pair in parallel would draw 60ma and overlaod the decoder. In this particular example it would probably work - for a while, since it's just over the limit.

 A pair of 15ma bulbs, running on a decoder that can handle 50ma, is perfectly fine, since the paid of 15ma bulbs totals 30ma, well below the decoder limit.

                    --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!