Have a SF F3 MTH with command module and sound. Wish to add cab light and the number boards. I want to have the cab light work off the smoke plug, since I don't have smoke, and can turn my cab light off and on. Can the number boards we wire directly with the headlight wires?
Recommendation for LEDs for this. Thanks ahead.
I did try a search, but couldn't find anything.
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Any suggestions as to LEDs I could use for cab and board. At present there are no lights except headlights.
Can I wire the number board to headlight? Use the smoke on module for cab lighting control??
RailKing or Premier? What specific MTH model is this?
The headlights are 6V bulbs, and you can use white LED's, each with a 220 ohm resistor in series with it. The purple wire to the headlight is the positive side. You can also parallel a couple more bulbs, the headlight output will support three standard MTH 6V bulbs, many factory models come with them.
I'd probably look to see what other controls are available like the mars lights, ditch lights, etc. Many of the sound files have ditch lights enabled, and you can set them to always on and control them for the cab light. It would be a 6V incandescent or you could use the white LED with the 220 ohm resistor I mentioned.
Another option is to find a Premier F3 sound file that already has the interior light controls enabled and wire the cab lights to the proper place.
RailKing or Premier? What specific MTH model is this?
The headlights are 6V bulbs, and you can use white LED's, each with a 220 ohm resistor in series with it. The purple wire to the headlight is the positive side. You can also parallel a couple more bulbs, the headlight output will support three standard MTH 6V bulbs, many factory models come with them.
I'd probably look to see what other controls are available like the mars lights, ditch lights, etc. Many of the sound files have ditch lights enabled, and you can set them to always on and control them for the cab light. It would be a 6V incandescent or you could use the white LED with the 220 ohm resistor I mentioned.
Another option is to find a Premier F3 sound file that already has the interior light controls enabled and wire the cab lights to the proper place.
Its MTH EMD F3 A-A SF, model #MT2151LP. Converted to Command control and a F3 sound module. The only light is a headlight presently, but has the 2 headlight, lower one with only a lense. I'm going to add a MARS light to top lense (I wrote you about this and taking your advise). But want to add cab light and number board lights. Would like to use the smoke connector to control cab light as a switch on/off since I won't have smoke added to this engine. I'm trying to do a project with my artritis on an engine I don't have much outlay. Any help appreciatted.
As I said, you can find sound files for the F3 that have a number of the lights enabled.
You can try the smoke fan connection for the cab lights, but I've never tried that. I'd use an LED with a 470 ohm resistor and see how it lights.
Guess before we should go any farther, is the command upgrade a TMCC or PS2 one? That makes a big difference.
Guess before we should go any farther, is the command upgrade a TMCC or PS2 one? That makes a big difference.
TMCC
That changes things, since you said MTH, I assumed you were talking about PS/2. I suggest being more specific in the future.
TMCC is a whole different situation.
The cab light can be a plain 12V incandescent bulb, or you can use an LED with a 470 ohm resistor if that works for you. If this is not the ERR Cruise Commander, you'll also need a .01uf capacitor directly across the smoke output to trigger the triac, incandescent bulbs don't need the capacitor.
The number boards can be paralleled from the headlight, or driven directly from track power. A diode, resistor, and two LED's in series will drive them from track power.
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