It took me a while but I finally figured out how to light a caboose which actually was a lot easier than I thought. I used an LED strip to light the caboose and when using DC power it is fine but when I use DCC it flickers. How do I stop the flickering? Thanks,
Kev
Can't stop working on the railroad!
Search the DCC forum. That has been discuused here a lot and links provided.
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.
Kev,
Three basic ways to do this.
1. Switch to using battery power, but it can be a pain to replace the battery.
2. Install a Function-only decoder. These don't require the load of a motor to function and are usually cheaper than a standard decoder because of that. This will give you full control over any lighting, depending on what you have going on, as most have 4 or more functions.
3. If you don't mind the lights being on all the time, you can use a "half-wave" circuit. It's a tiny parasitic drain on the DCC system, but for a handful of cabooses or other cars, not usually significant. Basically it uses diodes set up to pull power off the DCC on both rails. You can also install a switch if you want to trun the power off some times but leave it on the rails.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
RRaddictIt took me a while but I finally figured out how to light a caboose which actually was a lot easier than I thought. I used an LED strip to light the caboose and when using DC power it is fine but when I use DCC it flickers. How do I stop the flickering?
Battery power is the cheapest and easiest. I bought a bunch of rechargable batteries online,along with a small charger. I picked up several small battery holders at RadioShack. Then I put in the Tomar marker lights and a single 1 1/2 volt bulb in the caboose. I took a dremel and filed off the locking tabs on the caboose body, so the shell just lifts off easily. When I want the lights on, I just lift off the shell and put in a fresh battery. Just remember when picking up the caboose, that the locking tabs are gone, and pick it up by the frame.
I have found using TCS decoders with their keep alive adder to be the best overall solution in DCC to keep car lighting alive. Most cabeese only pick up on one side of the truck, so 4 out of 8 wheels, 8 wound be better and there are solutions to make that happen.
Richard
hobo9941Battery power is the cheapest and easiest. I bought a bunch of rechargable batteries online,along with a small charger. I picked up several small battery holders at RadioShack. Then I put in the Tomar marker lights and a single 1 1/2 volt bulb in the caboose. I took a dremel and filed off the locking tabs on the caboose body, so the shell just lifts off easily. When I want the lights on, I just lift off the shell and put in a fresh battery. Just remember when picking up the caboose, that the locking tabs are gone, and pick it up by the frame.
too bad you couldn't just charge the battery directly from the track, or leave it parked on a charging track overnight. The charging track could be left powered at the appropriate voltage. I think a diode (LED) and resistor might be all you would need. Maybe something like this, without the 20 ohm resistor.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
I've used this circuit in my DCC cabooses for years ....
The resistor is 1000 ohms and the capacitor is a super cap with a rating of 0.1 farads (not micro-farads) and a voltage rating of 5 volts. I can get away with the 5 volt rating on the capacitor because the resistor is in the line BEFORE the capacitor lowering the voltage to acceptable levels for both the capacitor and the LEDs at the same time.
The physical size of this capacitor is about the same as four dimes stacked together. Be sure to observe the plarities of all the components.
My cabooses will stay lit for a good three minutes after removing power.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
And now a question, Are you lighting your caboose like a passenger car? If so, why?
When cabins were in regular service the only interior light would be a single low-wattage lamp over the conductor's desk, so he could see to read paperwork. The rear-end brakeman needed to preserve his night vision in order to do his job - observing from the cupola or bay windows. If the car even had full interior lighting, it would only be turned on when cleaning or servicing was required - in a terminal yard, before or after a run.
What I would like to see in a, "DCC friendly," caboose, would be markers displaying the correct by the rulebook colors while running and while in sidings. I'm not holding my breath.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with dark brake vans carrying red-only markers)
I use yellow LEDs in my cabooses so the light is very muted. Actually you don't even notice it until night time running, then all you see is the faint yellow glow in the windows.
For mine, most of the cabooses (if any) hadn't yet been converted to electric lights, so I intend to put a decoder in and use the lighting effects to make an oil lamp flicker. Subtle, but I don't know if I will ever be able to do ALL the cabooses I will need, that's a lot of pickups, decoders, and marker lights to install. Maybe 1 or 2 of the nicer ones will get the full treatment.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
The 1 1/2 volt lamps I use in my cabeese, just gives a dim glow from the middle windows of the caboose, like an oil lamp over the desk. Actually, we had Aladdin lamps with the silk mantles, which I don't recall flickering.
I suppose I could use a charging track. But then I would need power pickups on the trucks, and might as well just skip the batterys. I'm just keepin it simple.
I could think of many uses for these lil guys , the blinking amber LED is press fit no solder ,the switch is crude but effective ,I left this on in a building for three days and still good , mech could easily fit in caboose, I could go on with the ideas. when we got these they were a buck
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af92/JNWELTER/Mobile%20Uploads/photo1_zps6d3ff9f5.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af92/JNWELTER/Mobile%20Uploads/photo2_zps0bfdff09.jpg
WOW THEY CHANGE THE PICT LINK TOO. jW
Naa, they didn;t change the pic link, you copy the DIRECT link from Photobucket and paste that
In the box in the "Insert Picture" icon.
BTW if anyone is worried about a small editor window - you can make it bigger by grabbing the lower right corner (under where it says the word count) and making it bigger - that's why no "Preview", the new editor is WYSIWYG.
rrinkerIn the box in the "Insert Picture" icon
thats what is gone on my screen ,just cut,copy,paste.preview,& imoticons no pict or media icons
BIG JERR I could think of many uses for these lil guys , the blinking amber LED is press fit no solder ,the switch is crude but effective ,I left this on in a building for three days and still good , mech could easily fit in caboose, I could go on with the ideas. when we got these they were a buck http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af92/JNWELTER/Mobile%20Uploads/photo1_zps6d3ff9f5.jpg http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af92/JNWELTER/Mobile%20Uploads/photo2_zps0bfdff09.jpg WOW THEY CHANGE THE PICT LINK TOO. jW I get these at the Dollar Tree at 2 or 3 for a buck. I use them in a 55gal barrel for very effective fire flicker. -Bob
I get these at the Dollar Tree at 2 or 3 for a buck. I use them in a 55gal barrel for very effective fire flicker.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!