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I have someone's older Bachmann HO passenger car set.  I installed a sound decoder in his engine and he wants more light in his 3 passenger cars.

With the roof removed there is a single incandescent light in a well in the center of an acrylic light diffuser that runs the length of the roof.  There is room in the well for a 3mm LED as well.  The 3mm LED has a resistor and rectifier already on the leads.

Short of not having a keep alive is there any downside to running them both on DCC in parallel?  It will be a simpler job than a complete LED conversion.

Thanks,

John

Last edited by Craftech
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LEDS are directional but if they have a rectifier attached, that solves the issue.    The rectifier should insure the polarity is correct if it is wired correctly.

You want to increase the light, so that is why you want the LED in parallel.    You might have to try a couple.   I suggest "warm-white" as the color that will sort of match the incandescent.

@prrjim posted:

LEDS are directional but if they have a rectifier attached, that solves the issue.    The rectifier should insure the polarity is correct if it is wired correctly.

You want to increase the light, so that is why you want the LED in parallel.    You might have to try a couple.   I suggest "warm-white" as the color that will sort of match the incandescent.

Yes, warm white is what I am using, but by "directional" I mean that if the LED bulb lays flat in the diffuser well next to the incandescent bulb which type of LED light will emit more light from the SIDES of the bulb rather than the front so that maximum light is spread across the diffuser?

John

OK, I understand what  you are asking about now.     I don't have a clue on the answer to that.    some of the round head ones give off some light sideways, but primarily they shine forward.     Maybe there is someone on the forum who knows more about LEDs will chime in.

Here are two suppliers of LEDS, perhaps they can give some advice:

https://led-switch.com/ (LED Switch)

https://evandesigns.com/index.html   (Evan Designs)

I have purchased products from both companies and they have been very helpful

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