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Directional lighting, Digitrax.

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  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 8:30 AM

OK Randy, Thanks.  I just have to learn to slow down, and hook things up with aligator clips, and test, before I solder!

Have a great day !

Mike.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 7:50 AM

 Doesn't matter which lead the resistor goes on. What DOES matter is which side of the LED/resistor combo connects to the blue wire and which connects tot he function wire (white, yellow, purple, green, etc). Blue is always positive. The resistor can be between the blue wire and the LED, or between the white wire and the LED, doesn't matter. Resistors don't care. Only LEDs.

               --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 11:10 PM

Thanks Randy, I'll take the hood off in the morning and see what I did.

Mike.

EDIT:  It's Wed. am.  I've decided I'll give up shoveling snow for Lent. 

I just had to switch the bulb around.  Works fine.  I should have tested it before I soldered it the first time.  That'll teach me to follow instructions.  No one's instructions are clear has to which lead on the LED the resistor goes on.  You'd think it would go on the long (positive) wire, but that's not always true.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 10:11 PM

 Any 'directional lighting' you did for DC you'll want to remove. One LED to the white and blue wires, with a 1K resistor. One LED to the yellow and blue wires, with a 1K resistor. Default in the decoder is for directional lighting, turned on and off with F0. Any other lighting will need CV changes. Blue is +

                   --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Directional lighting, Digitrax.
Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 7:48 PM

An Athearn BB GP9, I did the hardwire thing a few years ago, set it up with directional lighting, leds, working fine  A few months ago, I re-did the wiring again, this time isolating the motor and adding a Digitrax wire harness, and a dummy plug, I didn't change anything with the light wiring, and my lighting went from directional to constant, on both ends. I lived with it, thinking, "ok, it's a switcher, no problem".  A week ago, I added the decoder, now I have only the head light, no reverse light.  I can turn the light on and off with the DT400, but I have lost the reverse light.

Do I need to re-program something?  Maybe switch the wires around?  I guess first I should make sure the bulb isn't burned out, but it was working until I added the decoder.

Thanks for any suggestions. Oh, and I haven't searched through the manuals yet, just thought I'd ask here while I searched around.

Mike.

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