Help Need HO Scale Steam Locomotive that steams and whistles

[Doneldon]

Martha-

Don't let the VOM meter intimidate you. The low voltage you'll be dealing with is harmless. Even 110 volts is safe as long as you're not standing in a bathtub. Heck, it will feel unfriendly if you make contact but it won't exactly hurt.

I have to relate a story from a young woman friend who went to college where I did. She had an older radio which she left in her bathroom so she could have music while she got ready for classes, dates or whatever. Anyway, she was sitting on the toilet micturating, as we all must do, and trying to adjust her radio. However, each time she began to pee she got a mild shock and her flow stopped abruptly. This is because her muscles responded to the current by clamping down. This happened several times before she realized what was going on.
                                                                                                               -- D

[Irbricksceo]

Thats actually quite fascinating! Martha, don't worry too much. As doneldon said, the voltages (and more importantly amperage's) that you will be dealing with won't hurt ya. I'll share a tale of my own. Ya know those plug for the back of many devices or power strips with the regular prongs on one end and two holes on the other? well when I was little (6 or so) I stuck my tounge in those holes... for some reason... Got a shock to the touge but was no worse for wear. While I wouldn't reccomend that of course, it is proof that you are fairly safe. At the levels you are working with, you are more liley to blow out an LED than yourself.

[Doneldon]

Ya know those plug for the back of many devices or power strips with the regular prongs on one end and two holes on the other? well when I was little (6 or so) I stuck my tounge in those holes... for some reason... Got a shock to the touge but was no worse for wear.

Brick-

We were both braver and dumber where I grew up. We put spit-on fingers into lamp sockets to see what would happen. For some reason, we thought that would change over time so we did it many times during our childhoods. (Like I said, dumber.) If I get myself buzzed now I don't even notice it right away.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        -- D

[Martha]

Thanks guys for the reassurance I won't zap myself to death! I do find it interesting how some videos do more bad than good. I guess if I was messing with 220 standing in bathtub in a lightening storm I might get hurt. As it is, I just found the definitions of the symbols I didn't know what was what. So it will take a little while to figure out how to use the VOM.

Tonight I soldered a bunch of quick disconnects to more lights. Yes almost looking like Clark Griswold's home!  Helping hands was a life saver as a lot of these have 30 gauge wire. Yikes it's like trying to connect strands of hair. I actually think I am almost done with the lights, well except for a spot light, street lights and hmmm what else? My power strip is almost looking like Clarks' in the garage scene. plug on plug on plug. There are 3 adapters, 3 110 and the train power box. I probably need to add a second power strip just so it doesn't look quite so dangerous.

D you gave me quite a compliment a while back and I hadn't thanked you for it. It really meant something. I put a LOT of hours in this each year. My choice, and I now know how much time, energy, money, thought process and enjoyment Model railroaders enjoy.

So tonight was a very productive night and my eyes, back and brain is tired out. I did enjoy the shock stories. I guess all kids have done something similar I know I have! "If I get myself buzzed now I don't even notice it right away." I had to laugh, if we were any younger I would of been presuming you meant you were getting high on drugs!

Tomorrow night...... think I will whip up a new strand of lights with my 3 mm lights I STILL have not messed with.

Later gator. oh haven't seen/heard from jbrock27 in a few days hope all is okay with him.

[Doneldon]

Helping hands was a life saver as a lot of these have 30 gauge wire. Yikes it's like trying to connect strands of hair.

"If I get myself buzzed now I don't even notice it right away." I had to laugh, if we were any younger I would of been presuming you meant you were getting high on drugs!

Martha-

I hope I won't create any anxiety here, Martha, but do you know that soldering isn't usually enough to hold things together? For connections which T off of another wire you wrap the end of the side wire around the straight-through wire before soldering. For wires connected end to end, bend a short ell on both wires' ends. "Hook" the two wires together at the bends and then wrap each end around the straight part of the opposite wire. If you have any questions about this, Google "Western Union Connection."
                                                                      -- D

[Martha]

Thanks for the tip. I normally solder them end to end and then shrink wrap it all together. I will definitely  go check out your suggestion. Thanks!

[daveb]

I see some very irresponsible statements in this thread. 110v is NOT safe, it can kill without any water involved. Any voltage over about 50v should be considered unsafe depending on the circumstances.

Dave

[Jerrys HO]

I see some very irresponsible statements in this thread. 110v is NOT safe, it can kill without any water involved. Any voltage over about 50v should be considered unsafe depending on the circumstances.

Dave

Truer words ever spoken!
110v is a killer, lost a friend to it and he was an electrician. Drilling in the attic and sweat dripped down and zapped him.

[Martha]

Anyone have a quick tip how to scratch off the varnish on magnet wire Quick and Easy? I making my own light strands for a tree and gosh scratching to get a good connection is taking forever. I am using 3 mm leds and I think it is 30 gauge magnet wire. ALSO quick tip how to quick and easily remove the outer skin of 30 gauge wire? Wanting to do the same thing.



Thanks.

[Jerrys HO]

Martha,
I usually scratch off with an xacto blade or use a low flame and melt it then using gloves slide the melted part back.
Read on for more suggestions...
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/best-method-to-strip-enamel-off-magnet-wire.29861/

Jerry

[jbrock27]

M, you may want to check Home Depot or LOWES for a stripping tool that will strip the insulation off that small a guage wire.  I bought one at LOWES for about $9.00 but it strips down to 26 guage wire, both stranded and solid.  I don't use as small as 30 guage, at least not yet. Having a good tool like this makes the job easy and saves a lot of headache.  It is an investment, like a good soldering tool....

[Martha]

I think Jamestown has got it in for me! I spent Friday night and most of Saturday wiring up this and that. They worked great at my work table. Took them over to Jamestown and some worked, some didn't! I am scratching my head wondering what the heck is going on. Is it possible that I am tying in too many lights on the one 3 v adapter and the power is just not getting to all of the connections? The adapter I am using (have 2) are Lemax 3.0 volts. They have 4 spliced wires on each adapter. Meaning there is one main wire then it breaks off to 4 separate wires. they have plug ins that are meant to plug into one Lemax something or other, say a strand of lights or a lighted tree. I have numerous splices off each of the 4 wires. In all I have at least 14 lights or flickering campfire or reindeer or...... you get the idea, stuff that need power. Not to include the street lamps. They are going to be on one adapter by it's self (well maybe!). I got so frustrated I just gave up on it and walked away. Haven't touched it since Saturday. I know I probably need to check what I am drawing with my meter but I don't know how to do that. I am afraid to hook up a 9 volt adapter I have and see if that works. and to be honest that means more wiring to make it work with all I have, I don't mind doing that if that will make everything work. I don't want to over power the leds and burn them out. So I am at a stalemate. Sorry to be so electrically challenged! and can't seem to figure this out. I was thinking maybe the 4 spliced wires off the main one I need to eliminate and just hook up directly to the main line to the adapter? Does that make sense? Well any who that is where I am at with Jamestown. NO WHERES.

Later gator

[Martha]

You know that saying "sleep on it" well I did just that and I am not sure if it was a dream or one of those wake up and the little light bulb goes on over your head, either way it had me check (later in the day) what adapter I was using. It appears I have three (not sure where the 3rd one came from) doesn't matter, 2 of the 3 are 3.0 volt with 500 mA the 3rd one is 3.0 volt 1000 mA. I recall Doneldon mentioning the 1000 mA would power a lot of LED's. Sure enough when I checked, I had most of my connections going to the 500 mA adapters. I just had too much on one. I wondered why it was so hot to touch. So tonight with refreshed confidence, I rewired a larger majority of the lights/accessories to the 1000 mA. I had great success in doing that. I am still using the 500 mA's for some of them. I also did a little research on some of lights/accessories I have that actually wanted the 4.5 v to work, they worked okay on the 3 volt but the 4.5 definitely has them working brighter or as I figured they should be working. I would of done more tonight but spent 3 hours with the company accountant going over our books. I am not a bookkeeper per say but I have learned a lot working with the accountant. So my brain is pretty much mush. I stopped while the getting was good on my wiring. Tomorrow is another day! I am almost ready to get to the street lights!

Night all.

[Doneldon]

Martha-

Great work. Your story demonstrates that you understand the principles. That's an important accomplishment.

You can light most bulbs, even LEDs, with undervoltage as long as it isn't too severe. One good thing is that bulbs which are fed even a little below their design spec last much, much longer than bulbs run at full speed. (There's a good message for your car. Run the dash lights just a bit below full and you'll never have to deal with the frustrating and tres expensive business of replacing dashboard light bulbs.) And overvoltage will burn bulbs out in a hurry so make sure you don't over feed your bulbs.

LEDs last, effectively, forever under the intermittent demands of model railroading so there's not much to gain by under feeding them. But remain vigilant to overvoltage with LEDs. It will blow them just like overvoltage blows conventional incandescent light bulbs.
                                                                                                                                                            -- D

[Martha]

Hey fellows just wanted you to know I didn't toss Jamestown out on the curb! I got to a frustrating point and stopped and walked away from it for a week or so. I am back at it again. I have only managed to do 2 street lamps seems I get wrapped up doing something else on it. Friday is Nevada Day and it's a paid holiday for me so I will have a nice 3 day weekend to work on it.

I do have three questions

Question 1- one of my 3.0 volt adapter (has the four legs running off from it) gets extremely hot when plugged in. I mean can't touch it hot. I had it plugged into a power strip with other adapters. What is causing only that one to over heat? It's not supplying power to more lights than others. And I noticed I had it plugged directly into the wall outlet and it didn't over heat. Should I be concerned about it heating up like it does? There is no wall outlet close to where the layout goes so I have to use the power strips for power.

Question 2 -  now that I have my multi meter how do I measure how many volts a small string of lights are using or how to measure the volts used for any of the dc things I have on Jamestown? I can't seem to find any help on youtube about it, just how to check a batteries voltage. and I never understood why do they show videos showing you how to check the battery, why not just look on the side of the battery and read what volts it is?

Question 3 -  Here's my scenario and then the question. I have 22-24 things that need power, strings of lights, tiny lamppost, flickering bonfires,skating rink, spot lights, lighted trees, hedges and bushes oh and Santa's sleigh and reindeer. they are either 3.0 or 4.5 volts. I have three 3 volt adapters each of the adapter has 4 wires running off from them and 1- 4.5 volt adapter with the 4 wires running off from it. I have wires running everyplace. They are all connected by quick disconnect connections so when I break this down the only thing left on the platform is the track. My question is, is there some way I can reduce all the adapters, still supply the power needed for each thing and not burn out anything? I have a 9 volt wall wart, can I hook numerous 3.0 and 4.5 volt things up to it or will it over power and burn out all of the stuff?

I know this is not a typical situation MR's might run into or I assume you wouldn't run into this type of problem. I am all about the lights never too many as far as I see it but the logistics of connecting all of them neatly, efficiently and with out breaking the bank is overwhelming me.

Lastly I will share this little story. I have one lighted tree that part of the 1 mm led's  burned out, not sure why anyhow I added another string of lights. Not wanting two connections I spliced the string of lights to the existing ones. working with wire the size of hair is a real b. After several minutes of matching wires to wires to get them both working I was successful and soldered the connections. After much trial and error I have learned not to shrink wrap or tape wrap the connections until I know for sure they are going to work. So once they were working I tape wrapped them, careful not to disturb the welds or cross wire them. Finished that and I was a happy camper. I took that tree over to Jamestown to place it and run the wire under the platform and connected it to one of the adapter connections and nothing!!!! I stood there looking at in disbelief! I checked to be sure it was connected tightly, those little quick disconnects don't always snap together, yep it was correct. I took it back to my work table, undid the tape, checked the connections and using the adapter I keep at the work table it worked fine and dandy. Now I am getting pee owed. wire back together put it back in place hook it up and nothing! The vision of Clark Griswold came to mind when he so proudly put those two plugs together and nothing worked. He stood there jiggling those plugs cursing under his breath, he drop kicked Santa and his happy reindeer to kingdom come and ........ then Ellen flips the switch in the garage! Yep I proudly admit I didn't flip the power strip on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh what a dork!

Later gator