Can you provide the list of parts used and a dwg of how you wired them?
If I want to add lighting to Kato N scale passenger cars how would I do that?
Any info is greatly appreciated.

Vic

? ... my experience is that a simple bridge rectifier is more than sufficient for all DCC
? ? ? powered lighting?using LEDs.? And they are dead simple to install and cheap
? ? ? enough and small enough.? I use a 50amp bridge.? ?For "flicker free" LED
? ? ? lighting I like to add a simple resistor plus cap - but only do that for lights
? ? ? such as passenger interiors or building ... for loco lights of any kind I use
? ? ? the straight power out of the decoder function outputs - with a resistor to
? ? ? tone down how bright the LEDs are.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- Jim in the PNW

Just using the low cost 1N4148 will greatly improve the frequency performance relative to the 1N400X diodes that would be more frequently used. Since only mAmperes of current are used the 1N4148s are more than sufficient.

Ken Harstine
413-250-8298

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Don Weigt
Connecticut

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Dan Lee, San Jose, CA

Yes, as a matter of of fact I have a number of Athearn passenger cars that came with that installed, they stay lit for several seconds after you take them off the track.? You would want to use only LED lights as a small power pack wouldn't have the umph to power incandescent.

Good luck, John Moonan

One commonly-used diode array is called a 'bridge rectifier'. ?A bridge rectifier rated at 50V, 1 Amp would be appropriate. Track voltage is applied to the two terminals designated 'AC', and the other terminals will give you +V and -V out. The capacitor is connected across the plus (+) and minus (-) terminals of the bridge rectifier. Good luck!

Yes… replacing the incandescent lamps with LED is a good start to reduce the current requirement, but still needs a diode array to convert track power to DC. Then one can install resistor(s) to limit LED current and a capacitor to handle momentary interruption of power pickup.

Be aware that lamp power must be converted to DC to use polarity sensitive capacitors big enough to the needed cary over capacitance. Several 100 to 1000 uFD.

DonV

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What I have done is replace the incandescence with LED strips from Golden gate which solves the flickering problem and also drives a lot less amps

Hi Greg,

I will be covering exactly this topic in my December DCC Currents column in Model Railroader.

Allan?
Wiring for DCC

I run with an NCE Procab system. ?I have some old passenger cars with lights that work on my layout, but of course they flicker. ?Without going to the expense of putting a decoder in each passenger car, can I install a capacitor and diode in the circuit of each car to stop the flickering? ?If this would work, can you also advise what values I would need for these components? ? I could install a 'neverdie' or 'keep alive' in each car, but of course would still need a diode for polarity (I Think!). ?
Thanks for your help!
Greg Harter

Bill, you captured the topic in a concise and well-written manner. Thanks! Jerry Michels

"I posted a question as a novice for confirmation of what I’d read, and learned a great deal from the helpful responses. The responses from advanced users did more than simply answer my specific question; they helped improve my understanding of DCC concepts and principles. Yes there is a textbook; but teachers, like those helpful commenters on this blog, can illuminate and encourage."

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Hi all,

? First - thanks to everyone for their shared wisdom.

? Second - my suggestion is for the answers to these repeating questions to not be in the messages but
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?rather in the FILES area.? (I think most of them already exist).? If these are already somewhere
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?else (the wiringfordcc website) that is fine.? Those answers should, dare I say must, include
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?drawings.

? Third - having 'canned answers' is only good when the people answering a question refer to those
canned answers ... instead of trying to answer in the? messages area.

? Most of the 'long repeating threads' are due to the lack of drawings ... from the person asking and
from the person answering.? This is a visual kind of knowledge!
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? - Jim in the PNW

I was also wondering, what would be the determining factor to designate a topic as worthy of posting. Should every member first search through messages for the last five years, and search for files before making a post? How could this requirement be implemented? I take it the moderators don't have time to screen every post to see if it is redundant. The suggestion that a monthly post be made directing people to the files and messages section is a good idea. It could be very helpful.

Jerry Michels

I posted a question as a novice for confirmation of what I’d read, and learned a great deal from the helpful responses. The responses from advanced users did more than simply answer my specific question; they helped improve my understanding of DCC concepts and principles. Yes there is a textbook; but teachers, like those helpful commenters on this blog, can illuminate and encourage.

The high-tech stuff still goes right over my head. But I quickly realized that, for what I needed to get started in DCC, I didn’t need a degree in Electrical Engineering and could ignore that stuff.

So, thank you again to those advanced users whose helpful answers to my own questions, and to those of many other novices, for helping to make this hobby more approachable to newbies.

And as to the high-tech back-and-forth between ego-driven know-it-alls, the “noise” is just that; but worth sifting through for the occasional insightful nugget of information that I do grasp and can actually use to improve my own layout or address an issue I didn’t realize I had and avoid a problem. It’s a bit like immersion learning of a foreign language you don’t know; over time some sinks in and you start to become familiar and maybe even comfortable with the subject before becoming fluent. Without that EE degree, one might never become fluent in DCC, but we don’t need to be Shakespeare to read and write.

It’s all good guys. Enjoy yourselves at whatever your level of expertise, Be courteous and respectful. We all enjoy this hobby at different levels.

Bill D
N&W Steam Only

P.S. Advanced users probably don’t realize (or have forgotten) the feeling that a novice gets when a question (or request for confirmation of a proposed plan of action) is answered (or confirmed) by someone (like Allan) who you know to be an expert from his writings but from whom you never expect to receive advice. I will tell you, it is just terrific and so reaffirming.

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