Lighting up with DCC

[Anonymous]

I have an Atlas Master DCC about two years old that didn't come with ditch lights (it only has the two function decoder) It has the lenses for the bulbs, its just empty behind them. Is there any special type of light it takes to work with DCC? There is still one empty function on the decoder. I also have an Athearn SD40-2 that I would like to detail with lights, it will be converted to DCC when I'm done. Will the Accurate Lighting kits work on this?

[jhugart]

I don't use DCC (yet), but I've read the Digitrax Big Book.

A light just converts power into photons you can see. An LED does it using one technology, an incandescent lamp uses another, fluorescent lamps a third.

If you want to add lighting by using an available function on your decoder, you need to know how much power that function contact can put out. Then you need to determine how much light source you need, and its power requirements.

You may find that you get too much power from the function contact...so you may have to use a resistor with an LED, for example. Keep in mind that resistors can get hot.

In conclusion, there isn't any special type of light you need so much as you need a light that will work with the power provided by the decoder, and won't melt the shell or draw so much current you start a fire.

Good luck!