[rampantstag]

Hi everyone

Have been having troble with getting lights to work with a decoder.

I have created a small housing out of plastic for a 6mm LED, but cannot get it to work with the decoder in the train. All other functions of the decoder seem to be working just fine.

There was not a light on this engine before.

Can anyone tell me if I need some type of circut involved to get light

I've checked that the lights work, and have checked the wires from the decoder for current and everything checks out

Any help welcome

Thanks in addvance

Kory

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (rampantstag @ 12 May 2008, 12:15) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi everyone

Have been having troble with getting lights to work with a decoder.

I have created a small housing out of plastic for a 6mm LED, but cannot get it to work with the decoder in the train. All other functions of the decoder seem to be working just fine.

There was not a light on this engine before.

Can anyone tell me if I need some type of circut involved to get light

I've checked that the lights work, and have checked the wires from the decoder for current and everything checks out

Any help welcome

Thanks in addvance

Kory

***Hi Kory

6mm LED? That seems quite large for a headlight - 3mm is usually used.

Re your problem, not much info there but I'll see what I can do to help. Wiring of LED's is simple but there are some rules to follow.

You must have a resistor in series with one lead of the decoder.... its usual to add it to the positive lead. any resistor between say 600 and 1,000 ohms will be fine - 1/4 watt is big enough power wise for the resistor.

If you already connected it with no resistor then it will almost certainly be damaged and will not work.

Also, an LED must be in circuit the right way round - if you swap positive and negative then it will not light up

The positive lead of an LED is the long lead. the BLUE wire on the decoder is the common positive for all functions, so positive LED lead to blue wire always.

If it is a headlight, then the other lead of the LED should go to the white wire of the decoder...The headlight is turned on and off with Function 0. A tail-lights other lead will go to the yellow and also be on/off via Function 0. (they will be automatically set up as directional by the decoder)

Regards

Richard
DCCconcepts