Soo Line fan Thats exactly the point. They (p2k later walthers ) supplied parts . Why doesn't Athearn send out a fix
Thats exactly the point. They (p2k later walthers ) supplied parts . Why doesn't Athearn send out a fix
And then step up to the plate and join the rest of the manufacturers and use LEDs.
Its saddens my heart to say Bachmann has a better headlight that doesn't burn out in a short time..
Another wonder is why modelers say P2K or Walthers P2K instead of saying Life Like P2K and later Walthers P2K?
Or is that one of life's great mysteries?
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Speaking (once again) of Monster Railroad's videos, he interviewed (at the sales table) an Athearn guy and asked him why Athearn still uses incandescents and he replied something to the effect that it would take too much re-tooling! That doesn't make much sense to me and I'm an electrical/electronics idiot.
Jim
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
I think that's the point. They get slammed for what ends up being a simple fix for a problem that affected some but not anywhere near all of their models, while there is definitely some pushback on giving Athearn a red mark for using these horrible light bulbs long after everyone else has switched to LEDs, and they use them in EVERY model. Athearn is no longer the maker of $1.29 BB kits and $4.95 Hustler locos with a 300 smph top speed, these are serious models with fine detailing and much improved motors and drive lines selling for 'real' prices - but still use light bulbs barely a step above the 'fire in the cab' of the old BB locos. No pass here.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Soo Line fanFunny how p2k and now Walthers gets slammed for a 5 minute gear replacement
But they fixed the problem!
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
richhotrain BRAKIE Soo Line fan And what is Athearns response to this issue? None that I'm aware of since this issue is a long running problem. Why should they when everybody seems willing to fix what Athearn should have years ago? Without a doubt Athearn is aware of this problem but,fails to fix it while jacking up the prices with each Genesis release. Got to agree with Larry on this one. Athearn is well aware of the issue, yet chooses to ignore it. It is probably the biggest issue with the Genesis line of diesel locomotives. I still buy Genesis passenger diesels because they make models of the road names that I need for my layout. Otherwise, I would avoid the Genesis line due to the lamp issue. But, since I feel that I have no choice but to continue to purchase the Genesis line, I also purchase SMD LED's at the same time and resign myself to replacing the lamps. Shame on Athearn. Rich
BRAKIE Soo Line fan And what is Athearns response to this issue? None that I'm aware of since this issue is a long running problem. Why should they when everybody seems willing to fix what Athearn should have years ago? Without a doubt Athearn is aware of this problem but,fails to fix it while jacking up the prices with each Genesis release.
Soo Line fan And what is Athearns response to this issue?
And what is Athearns response to this issue?
None that I'm aware of since this issue is a long running problem.
Why should they when everybody seems willing to fix what Athearn should have years ago?
Without a doubt Athearn is aware of this problem but,fails to fix it while jacking up the prices with each Genesis release.
Got to agree with Larry on this one. Athearn is well aware of the issue, yet chooses to ignore it. It is probably the biggest issue with the Genesis line of diesel locomotives.
I still buy Genesis passenger diesels because they make models of the road names that I need for my layout. Otherwise, I would avoid the Genesis line due to the lamp issue.
But, since I feel that I have no choice but to continue to purchase the Genesis line, I also purchase SMD LED's at the same time and resign myself to replacing the lamps.
Shame on Athearn.
Rich
Funny how p2k and now Walthers gets slammed for a 5 minute gear replacement
oh, forgot to mention...the incandescent bulbs are not a total loss. I cut the bulbs off and use the wires for my decoder installs
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
Ed,
Yep, most who have purchased Athearn's are well aware of the issue. I have come to terms with their inferior bulbs and know that I'm going to change them out quickly after acquiring the loco.
Some have already mentioned Evans Designs. I like these and use them, along with 1.5mm fiber optic tubing for my headlights and rear lights. A few months ago, I discovered (thru this forum) HDA Modelworx. They have supper small surface mount LEDs that are pre-wired and have a built-in resistor that I use for my ditch lights, and they cost about $1 each.
Here's a few videos that I did on my swapping out incandescent for LED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-GB9Qt6ibo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcXRnVkpnHU
Thanks, Terry
Alton Junction
Or try the clear Aleene's Tacky Glue. Stays clear and will transmit light with little loss... and you get some working time so if you illuminate the LED while you work you can position it for the best light output through the fiber optic.
http://www.michaels.com/aleene%27s-clear-gel-tacky-glue/10312185.html
And you won't glue the LED to your finger!
Just an idea... Ed
Bob
Maybe your CA is getting a little long in the tooth. I usually use epoxy to mount LEDs.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I bought the SMD's on Ebay with wire and resistor already installed for about $1.00 each, so all I had to do is glue the fiber optic filament (1.5mm or .060") to the surface of the SMD and then cover with the shrink tube. The hardest part was gluing the fimament to the SMD and I don't know why it was such a problem (the glue took forever to dry and I even tried an excellerator?).
As you said, once you try one or two it isn't that hard to do, just having the time. I don't plan to EVER solder the leads to an SMD?? I am just discovering how good they are and where you can fit them!
hon30critterSomething to keep in mind when you do the front lens is that the outside piece of glass was actually flat. American Model Builders (LASERkit) have a glazing kit for the Athearn Fs that includes a headlight outer lens, or at least it used to. When I read the description today I don't see any mention of a headlight lens.
I sent LASERkit an e-mail and they responded that they no longer include headlight lenses in their kits. They recommended MV Products. Here is the Walthers listing:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?manu=516&split=30
Hi, Jim
I've watched some of Monster Big Al's videos and they are entertaining and he certainly shares his enthusiasm with his son. I think he will help encourage lots of folks in the hobby.
Evan Designs has some handy SMD LED assemblies and you can get them with built in resistors and rectifiers to run off multiple input voltages.
http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/ledlights1.html
As far as value goes, you have to balance your time against the cost. The LEDs seem to be put together well and at the time he had what I needed and shipped quickly at a fair cost. I have since mastered soldering the tiny SMD chips and I bought enough material to make hundreds at probably 50 cents each... all I need is the time to do it!
I bought several sets of the 1.5 mm warm white LEDs (the custom package he mentions on ebay) since I didn't need the ditch light option. His "product" is simply 2 wires with an LED at the end, with or without the "light pipe" and shrink wrap, like Bob shows what he made in the earlier post.
I had acquired about a dozen Genesis Fs about a year ago and needed the headlight LEDs right away so his were my choice at the time. Al has dozens of instructional videos so you have to sort through the information and apply your own skill levels as well.
Until you jump in and do a few conversions yourself, you will never know...
Give it a go... Ed
gmpullman Ed, I've watched Big Al Mayo's installation video and his most recent sales demo video on youtube. (Monster Railroading). Have you found his instructions and product to be easy for a lst timer? For a non-electrical guy are his packages a "no brainer" and a good all in one value?
For those not familiar with Big Al, he can be an aquired taste and you have to be accepting of background rap music, but hey, the guy is a professional firefighter so aside from his not for everyone's taste, videos he gets my respect on that front alone.
I would recommend checking out his earlier how to install (his soon to become a product) video for anyone who has NO idea how this is done. (Like me!)
Thanks, Jim
gmpullman hon30critter Something to keep in mind when you do the front lens is that the outside piece of glass was actually flat. Nice work, Bob! One other gripe (OK, two) on the Genesis Fs is that on a few of mine I started realizing that the windshields were getting "lost"! Since they are actually Highliner shells I was able to locate some sprues like these: https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/328-4001 (out of stock) I may have bought them directly from Paul Lubliner at Highliner? Don't remember. Another thing that I would have liked to see on a "premium" priced locomotive is lighted numberboards (Proto 2000 has some of the best, IMHO). Dave, here in northern Ohio I have been waiting for warmer weather as well to order some ModelFlex paints. -10° F expected low tomorrow! Ed
hon30critter Something to keep in mind when you do the front lens is that the outside piece of glass was actually flat.
Nice work, Bob! One other gripe (OK, two) on the Genesis Fs is that on a few of mine I started realizing that the windshields were getting "lost"! Since they are actually Highliner shells I was able to locate some sprues like these:
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/328-4001 (out of stock)
I may have bought them directly from Paul Lubliner at Highliner? Don't remember.
Another thing that I would have liked to see on a "premium" priced locomotive is lighted numberboards (Proto 2000 has some of the best, IMHO).
Dave, here in northern Ohio I have been waiting for warmer weather as well to order some ModelFlex paints. -10° F expected low tomorrow!
Ed
I agree on the lighted number boards, I have several of the Proto's and they look great. For what the Genesis line is supposed to represent, it should have LED's and the number boards, especially at their price!
I'm OK with the headlight lens as it is; always liked how the headlight looked when lit up.
I live in Knoxville, tn and we are having one of the worst winters since I moved here from Connecticut in 1978! Of course it is like most of winters we had up there! Best thing about it is that I can stay inside and work on my trains!
- Bob
Ah Rich!
Banned from the forums eh!?! I can see a lot of people sharing your opinion! I will admit that it has been too cold to use the hot tub much since December. Most winters we are in it every two or three days.
Mercifully, we live close enough to Lake Simcoe that the lake effect saves us from a lot of the snow that the areas just north of us like Barrie get. They get clobbered, we get two inches.
hon30critter Ed Aint winter fun! We are experiencing the coldest February on record. Twice in the past 10 days or so the wind chill has been -36 C! That's -32.8 F. Stupid thing is that I don't mind it! Dave
Aint winter fun!
We are experiencing the coldest February on record. Twice in the past 10 days or so the wind chill has been -36 C! That's -32.8 F. Stupid thing is that I don't mind it!
Maybe you don't mind it, but it is killing me, man.
Three inches of snow overnight, 4 to 6 inches more on Sunday, another 3 inches on Tuesday, and sub zero temps. I wanna play golf.
hon30critterSomething to keep in mind when you do the front lens is that the outside piece of glass was actually flat.
It looks really good.
Something to keep in mind when you do the front lens is that the outside piece of glass was actually flat. American Model Builders (LASERkit) have a glazing kit for the Athearn Fs that includes a headlight outer lens, or at least it used to. When I read the description today I don't see any mention of a headlight lens. The set I bought a few years ago for an E7 had the lens. Might be worth a call first before you spend the money.
Their stuff is incredibly accurate in size. Most glazing is a press fit and doesn't require glue. I just installed their glazing in a fleet of eight Athearn cabooses and every fitted piece was dead on.
Note that there are two F series glazing kits. One apparently requires modifying the window openings and the other fits the existing shell.
http://www.laserkit.com/laserkit.htm
Some photos: I glued a 1.5mm fiberoptic filament to the SMD and covered it with shrink tube. The photos show the assembled LED unlit and lit and installed in the Genesis F3 shell from inside and finally the outside view (upside down?). Just thought these might clarify any of my 'descriptions' in my earlier posts.
Dave,
I would hesitate to order online now too. I have 2 Hobby Lobby stores within 7 miles of me so I would go to the store; I had only gone online to see if they carried it.
Since I put the shrink tube on the only light coming out now is within the headlight shell, so I want to paint the area around the headlight shell just in front of the LED. That should keep light from shining down into the body above the front truck. I haven't installed the LED in an operational unit yet, just a spare shell I had.
I am reluctant to order the paint online because of the possibility of it getting frozen during delivery. Canada eh! We have group post boxes which we have to walk to to pick up the mail so if the stuff was to sit out in the cold for very long it likely wouldn't do it much good.
One other small point about masking the light. If you are going paint the LED after you install it make sure you paint the inside of the shell in the area around the light first before you put the light in. Otherwise you could end up with gaps that will cause the shell to glow in spots.
hon30critter Ed Thanks for the link to the fabric paint. It looks like it is worth a try. I like the idea of a re-sealable top too. I'll give the local Michaels a try. Dave
Thanks for the link to the fabric paint. It looks like it is worth a try. I like the idea of a re-sealable top too. I'll give the local Michaels a try.
Yes, thanks, this looks very promising as there is some light shine through the body. I found it at Hobby Lobby online for $3.99 ( http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/tulip-black-slick-3d-fashion-paint-82727/ ). They also have a smaller bottle.
BTW: I tried the shrink tube today and it work great. I made four of them and now just have to wait for a 'push' to install them
Right - so unless you push over 50V (typical minimum PIV for small silicon diodes) through the, the lamps should never even see 1.5V. OK, it's .1V less than the rating, but the point is - running 1.5V bulbs at 1.4V, they should last a pretty long time.
Most incandecent bulbs in locos are 1.5V for two reasons:
1. You want them to light on DC when only running 2V on the track
2. You don't want the excess heat of 12 and 14V lamps.This is accomplished by bridging the lamp across two .7V forward bias Diodes (.7 + .7 = 1.4V) followed by a resistor of some sort. (Sometimes the motor) So DCC/DC makes 0 difference. it's 1.4V no matter what your input voltage (unless you reach the breakdown voltage)
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!