Getting power to distribution board

Trainlover9943 posted:

I have a small board that I was to use for lighting on a subway car. I can't seem to get power to it though. 

Just solder wires to it

Sid's Trains posted:

Trainlover9943 posted:

I have a small board that I was to use for lighting on a subway car. I can't seem to get power to it though. 

Just solder wires to it

I tried. I can't get power to it. I tried with an LED I had hooked up. 

Trainlover9943 posted:

Sid's Trains posted:

Trainlover9943 posted:

I have a small board that I was to use for lighting on a subway car. I can't seem to get power to it though. 

Just solder wires to it

I tried. I can't get power to it. I tried with an LED I had hooked up. 

Interesting. I would try an led using wires just hooked up to a battery for a test.

Trainlover9943 posted:

Sid's Trains posted:

Trainlover9943 posted:

I have a small board that I was to use for lighting on a subway car. I can't seem to get power to it though. 

Just solder wires to it

I tried. I can't get power to it. I tried with an LED I had hooked up. 

Testing continuity would also help. It would make sure there is a good connection.

That board is about as simple as they get. One wire is common to the receptacles. The other wire on each goes to your decoder function in or out.

Are you hooking up to PS3? (opposite polarity of PS2) & No resistor with PS3

Do you have the polarity correct? Did you short it out?

 Test directly at the decoder output.

I  would desolder  all the connections and flux the board when you re solder  so you get perfect solder joints should be shiny and not dull or its a cold solder joint at leads to the bottom of the board where you cut  wires off. and then check continuity between wire end to end at connectors, don't forget there is a polarity to led's if your bias incorrectly they won't light!

Engineer-Joe posted:

That board is about as simple as they get. One wire is common to the receptacles. The other wire on each goes to your decoder function in or out.

Are you hooking up to PS3? (opposite polarity of PS2) & No resistor with PS3

Do you have the polarity correct? Did you short it out?

 Test directly at the decoder output.

I think I figured out what the issue was. When checking an LED with a battery I got the light to work. My trouble now is how to connect it to track power. I'll figure that out next. 

I got to work with just an LED connected to a battery. What I'm trying to do now is power an incandescent bulb. I have the power leads hooked up (white connector) and the blub is the blue connector. The power is on in this photo. This board will be going in a non powered subway car. 

Whoa. You really have to say that first!

One thing to consider with direct track power is that it maybe higher than expected. It will probably be AC power. It may need something to help over dead spots so the lights don't flicker.

All of this has been dealt with so many times here. Just look at posts for lighting pass cars. GRJ's lighting boards might be easiest for you.

Engineer-Joe posted:

Whoa. You really have to say that first!

One thing to consider with direct track power is that it maybe higher than expected. It will probably be AC power. It may need something to help over dead spots so the lights don't flicker.

All of this has been dealt with so many times here. Just look at posts for lighting pass cars. GRJ's lighting boards might be easiest for you.

It's not for the interior lights. Also, I've got the LEDs installed already, I want to remove the factory board because it's too large.  It's for the end car lighting. Link for reference. 

Trainlover9943 posted:

Engineer-Joe posted:

Whoa. You really have to say that first!

One thing to consider with direct track power is that it maybe higher than expected. It will probably be AC power. It may need something to help over dead spots so the lights don't flicker.

All of this has been dealt with so many times here. Just look at posts for lighting pass cars. GRJ's lighting boards might be easiest for you.

It's not for the interior lights. Also, I've got the LEDs installed already, I want to remove the factory board because it's too large.  It's for the end car lighting. Link for reference. 

Are you sure that incandescent bulb is good? Also, why can't you just use an led for the end car?

I already am using LEDs for the end lights. What I'm trying to do it get rid of that ugly board in the last part of the car so I can have more of an interior. I could just not use a board at all but should a LED need to be replaced, it would be a pain to undo a tie of about 8 wires. 

Using track power you will have to rectify the AC to DC and use current limiting resistors, unless you are using prewired LEDs with them included. You could try putting the board on the roof.

John H posted:

Using track power you will have to rectify the AC to DC and use current limiting resistors, unless you are using prewired LEDs with them included. You could try putting the board on the roof.

I will add a rectifier. I'm going to put the board on the end cap of the car (where the light are).