Digitrax and K-27 Marker Lights

[Ihranune]

Greetings.

I finally took the plunge and moved up to DCC for my loco.  Based on a review I purchased a Digitrax Zephyr starter set and the DG 383 AR board for my K-27 and so far everything seems to work just fine with the exception of the marker lights and cab light which do not turn on.  In some ways I am surprised that things are going as well as they are as the Zephyr is a tad underpowered.   The reviewer felt the Zephyr was great for G Gauge so who was I to argue. 

Since I am new at the whole DCC thing I am not sure what information I can provide that can shed some light on the marker lights problem.  The only thing I can say for sure is that the Digitrax board does not use pin 5 but looking at the schematics sheet is seems that is actually for the smoke unit and should not be involved in this case.  If it turns out that the smoke unit is not working I will address that another time.

It also looks as if the marker lights are wired to the second bus so I am guessing that it is just a mater of programming but honestly the manual is not the easiest thing I have ever tried to read.

Does any one have any idea how I can get the market lights to turn on in this set up?

Many thanks!   

[NarrowMinded]

If the K27 markers are LED.s make sure the polarity is right, the "Common" Blue is +positive, when I started into Dcc i saw common and assumed it was NEG. like 99.9% of every other electronic device I had ever worked on.

also did you install the proper resistors in-line with the lights if needed? as mentioned in the instructions?

Have you Metered the wires connected to the lights to see if you have power when you switch the function on?

Nm-JEff

[glennk28]

while you're at it, take out the horrible orange led's and replace them eith "Golden Whites"  --3mm in the class lamps, 5mm in the headlights and cab lights.   access by taking ouit the smokebox front.  gj

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Glenn, what is your source for the golden whites??  I don't like those harsher bluish hue bright white ones.

Thanks, Bill

[Kevin Strong]

I get mine from strands of Christmas lights. The GE "warm white" LEDs are 3mm LEDs, and have a very nice glow to them. They work in the headlights, too. I just put a slice of 1/8" styrene tube in the headlight to narrow the opening for the smaller LED.

Of course, it's February, so you're probably going to have to search long and hard for a strand of Christmas lights. (On the other hand, Easter is right around the corner, so the Christmas stuff will be out soon enough. )

Later,

K

[glennk28]

Last I bought some was when the K-27's came out--I think I got both sizes from Miniatronics--  I think I also got some from Mudhen Models (Paul Richardson MMR)in the St. Louis area--  [email protected]  As I recall they came with resistors.  Some have a yellower color than others00these are good gor the wall lamps in the Rio Grande "long" cabooses.  I don't know why Bachmann uses those dark orange LED
s--thsy only look lioke a coal fire burning out.  generally look for ones with a clear case.  gj

[glennk28]

A bit further on re-reading the thread--Since the Bachmann lamps alrerady have LED's with resistors--I just unsolder the LEDs from their connections and solder the new ones in their places.  Just check the polarity-- 

The first one I did was a 453 thatr I bought when they first came ou, using the factory wiring.  The second was the review sample from Rodel Railoroad News--Editor John made me a good offer as it had clearance problems on his 1:23 layout.  This one also has a QSI decoder/sound unit installed--snd Ichanged the LED'd the same way  as the first one.  gj

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Kevin,

I do use the warm white  christmas lights on all my steam loco's and passenger cars.  The last 100 I got even had resistors on each individual LED for less than $3 bucks.  I asked because I am  hoping to find a brighter "warm white" for headlights on my early diesels.  Diesels with what I call blue hue bright white Led's and flashers look gaudy to me, when compared with the color tones on prototype units.   Cordless Renovations had lots of flashing goodies and headlights etc at our local winter Train meet this weekend, but the bright blue color was very evident and does not look right to me and several of my fellow G scalers. Very nice products, but I would like a whiter white. Many manufacturers are going to Led's which is great considering the pain it is on some models to change out a burned out headlight, but I am hoping they will come up with a brighter whiter white without that blue tint.  In the end I may just go ahead and use the christmas Leds on my GP-9's anyway.

BTW your articles on Leds were great. 

Glenn, thanks, I will check  out Miniatronics and Paul.

Bill

[Kevin Strong]

Coincidentally, I was dissecting a strand of LED lights today to replace the lights in a USA PA-1, and found a few of the LEDs I pulled out had resistors attached, while others didn't. This was a different brand than the GE ones I typically use, but at $3 for 50, I couldn't pass it up! I'm not sure why they'd have them in the "bulbs" themselves, but I guess I'll run with it. (Ironically, I forgot to put a resistor in line with the LEDs when I did hook them up. Oops. Good thing I hadn't hot-glued anything in place yet.)

If you can, try a few different brands of "warm white" LEDs. I'm finding a fair amount of variation not only from one brand to another, but from one year to another. The GE warm white LEDs I bought last year are bluer than the ones I bought the year before that. Still very reasonable in terms of color, but noticeably not as "warm." The off brand LEDs are a just a touch yellower than the warmer of the two GE LEDs.

Later,

K

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Kevin,
I wish I could remember the brand of the ones I got which have the resistor on each led, but I foolishly dumped the packaging without noting what the brand was.  Did the GE ones you bought have resistors on all the LED's?? 

I am an idiot on resistor values and what to use, so I kike the idea of resistors already attached. 

thanks,

Bill

[Kevin Strong]

The "trouble" with having resistors already attached is that the value of the resistor is dependent on the supply voltage. Too much resistance, and the LED barely lights. Too little, and it lights up for a brief moment. If the ones with resistors already attached work for you at the voltages you're running, who's to argue with success? Run with it and be happy. I generally use a 1000 ohm resistor when I'm working with battery power (15 volts), and 2200 ohms if I'm working with DCC or analog DC (which can be upwards of 24 volts)

Later,

K

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Kevin,
What a good point. I only tested my resistor equipped led's at 9 volts, and they seemed ok. I will definitely do further testing, before putting them in my GP-9s.  If in doubt I will use the 1000 ohm resistors you suggest.

Thanks,
Bill

[glennk28]

I referred to resistors included with the Miniatronics LED's--not attached.  I used the resistors that Bachmann installed in the K-27's--just changed the LED's.

BTW--a pair of Rio Grande "Radius" classificzgion lamps of the type depicted on the K-27 recentlo sold at auction for $7827.00  --
GlennK28

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Thank God the led's are much cheaper

[Young one]

I had LEDs from Radio Shack that burned 'blueish-white' & I learned that I had too much voltage to them.  If I remember right,they wanted 3.3 volts & I had 3.6.  I cut them back to 2.9 volts & they burned white.  Bright, but white.  On one of them I put a small dab of brown paint on the tip to tone it down a bit & I like it just fine.