Just got the Sept MR, and as it happens the "Ask MR" section has basically the same question the OP posed. It says the light hub has resistors built into it, so you don't need resistors for the LEDs you'd use.
I have been using the Woodland Scenics ''Just Plug" system for maybe a year or two so far, maybe longer, (the HO-scale ''wooden'' poles with lights at the tops) around yards and industry. I have N-scale goose neck lights on a HO-scale bridge's railings.
I have the Light Hub #JP5701 with adjustable dimmer controls with Miniatronic yeloglo white LEDs 3-4 VDC and other 1.5mm white/green/red/yellow 3VDC LEDs with no limiting resistors attached. There are (4 SMD resistors with ID #681, one each per port are built into the controls). I just need to put the correct leg of the LED to the correct side of the connector/wires. I am not a beginner in the Model Railroad hobby and I am cheap, no large budget.
More information...
The Linker Plug #JP5685 with black and gray wires (with a removable with fingers white "butterfly" clamps on the end) has a SMD Resistor #681 on the right side (gray) wire if facing the Light Hub.
The other Linker Plug #? with red and black wires (with a non fingers removable stupid red and black push down buttons on the end that came with the light poles) has a SMD Resister #681 on the right side (red) wire if facing the Light Hub.
JRPWhat I wanted to know is whether the Light Hub would accept my lamp wires using their Linking Plugs that you get when you order the Just Plug system.
I'm not sure I understand what you're asking, but what I did was take some of the Just Plug wires, cut the wire, and then solder the leads from my own LEDs onto the Just Plug wires. It worked that way.
I could not (or would not) find any plugs by themselves that I could put my own wires into.
Why did I go to all this work? I was just starting out, and I wanted a way to dim my LEDs. The Just Plug light hubs have a dimmer switch. I thought I would try it.
It turned out to be more work, more expensive, and each light hub would only take four plugs, unless I would buy a port sharing hub, etc.
If you figure a way out to do what you want with this, please let us know. Like I said, I have some Just Plug stuff sitting in a box, and I would love to use the stuff.
York1 John
The lamps I purchased all came with resistors and I have already tested them using a 9 volt battery with a resistor and also checked the resisters using my ohm tester (they each read 760 ohms). What I wanted to know is whether the Light Hub would accept my lamp wires using their Linking Plugs that you get when you order the Just Plug system. I don't think they do as they want you to purchase their system which, I agree, is not cheap. I'm going to install my lamps the old fashion way by soldering and using resistors for each lamp.
Is there any reason you can't just stick a couple of multimeter probes in the Just Plug sockets on the hub and read the voltage they supply? Then assemble a resistance proportional to the string you want to plug in and try that in series, to see if the voltage drops substantially enough?
If you have access to, or can make or kludge something that works as, the Just Plug plugs, it may simplify wiring somewhat to use a Just Plug hub for multiple strings. Very slight knowledge of electricity would be needed to determine what resistors your LED devices need to keep them from converting to smokeless DEDs; you can always err on the side of safety and start by over-resistoring and then carefully reducing until the brightness of the (safe as houses tested this way!) string is where you want it to be when plugged in. (Note that a simple variable resistor or pot would let you do this dynamically... and you could then read the permanent resistance off the device's terminals if you didn't want to leave it inline as a poor man's dimmer control.
I see these products as expensive ways to do simple things. They're meant for beginners and people with large budgets. They are just ways to get users to buy expensive connectors and wires. Often, the wires provided won't reach to where you need them. Unless this is for a Christmas tree layout that will be dismantled in a few weeks and reassembled next year, there are better ways to do this.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thank you both for your replies. I too think the light hub is expensive, but more important I believe that one has to buy their LED lamps, etc. as the lamps I already purchased from another source will not work with the light hub. That's fine as I will wire and solder them the old fashion way along with my resistors.
JRPHave any of you used the Walthers Light Hub "plug n play" system for lighting? I can't find out if my lamps will work with the Light Hub sockets. I've already purchased LED lighting and don't want to have to buy their lamps.
Yes, I tried to hook up some of my own LEDs with a Just Plug hub. I burned out my LEDs before I realized I needed resistors. I assumed the Just Plug LEDS were run with resistors in the hub.
Don't take what I tell you as accurate. I am basically a beginner with much of this, and it's possible I had some other things wrong that caused the issue.
Regardless, I would try some circuits with various resistors.
I decided not to use the Just Plug. It was expensive, and I had plenty of other circuits to work on. The Just Plug pieces I have are sitting in a box until I can have time to try out some things.
Good luck!
"Plug and Play" is an old DCC term, meaning (usually) that the engine has a eight or nine-pin receptacle for plugging in a decoder.
I'm guessing you're referring to Woodland Scenics "Just Plug" lighting system?
https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/JustPlugLightingSystem
I didn't see anything on a very quick check, but I imagine somewhere you could find out what the output of their system is. That would tell if you are going to need resistors or not to use their system with your LEDs; of course, you'd also have to get plugs to connect your LEDs to the plug-in receptacles for their system.
Have any of you used the Walthers Light Hub "plug n play" system for lighting? I can't find out if my lamps will work with the Light Hub sockets. I've already purchased LED lighting and don't want to have to buy their lamps. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks.
JRP