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I would like to use John's CL2 circuit to drive a 5 segment light strip in a 2 rail DCC environment (16v AC on the rails).  I've bread boarded the circuit and it works nicely but I'm concerned about flicker.  A friend recommended using a 1F Power Store super cap.  I have one but it is rated only at 5.5v.  Comments please.

You probably don't need anything like a 1f capacitor.  Just get a 4700uf 25V capacitor and put it on the output of the CL2.  It should deal with most track flicker.

 

I use one of those 1f SuperCaps in my Wienermobile conversion for the audio player, when I turn off track power, the song plays for about a minute and a half, and I'm sure the drain for audio is more than these lights!  That's overkill to handle flicker.

 

Here's a typical example of the 4700uf cap: ECA-1EM472

John  - the DCC track voltage is a steady 15.6 (I think it is a square wave form) AC. If I rectify the input to the CL2 with a bridge rectifier I think the cap would see only about 14vDC so the 25v electrolytic cap should work fine.  Should I put any resistance in he circuit to minimize any charging surge that a fast acting DCC circuit breaker might interpret as a short. 

'

 

Ed  

I'd probably consider a 35V one just to be safe, but I don't know what the waveform looks like.  This is probably one I'd measure in the lab.

 

Since this is DCC, you may need a choke to keep the capacitor from degrading the track signal.  Your idea of a resistor is probably sufficient, I'd put it in front of the bridge rectifier to isolate the whole shooting match.  Since we're talking LED's here, I'd make it about 100 ohms, that should be sufficient.

Just curious. Working on re-painting and decaling up 8 passenger cars. Taking out the stock MTH light boards and have a roll of the LED peel and stick lights for 12 volt DC as in other pages of this discussion.

 

I am running these on an old train set that is DC powered and I never get over 12 volts on the rails about 10 volts is fast for the trainset. So powered by a DC power pack.

Was just going to hook the leeds up from the light sets to the power pickups on the cars direct as under 12 Volt DC current.

So what if the power switch for the track supply were reversed say backing up the engine will this damage the LED light sets having reverse voltage flowing to it??

 

 

 

Originally Posted by kj356:

Just curious. Working on re-painting and decaling up 8 passenger cars. Taking out the stock MTH light boards and have a roll of the LED peel and stick lights for 12 volt DC as in other pages of this discussion.

 

I am running these on an old train set that is DC powered and I never get over 12 volts on the rails about 10 volts is fast for the trainset. So powered by a DC power pack.

Was just going to hook the leeds up from the light sets to the power pickups on the cars direct as under 12 Volt DC current.

So what if the power switch for the track supply were reversed say backing up the engine will this damage the LED light sets having reverse voltage flowing to it??

 

 

 

Actually, the strip lighting is almost totally extinguished at 10 volts, you may have a problem with it.  Also, reversing the voltage on the LED's is a bad thing, though with three in series, you probably won't get to the reverse voltage limits with 12 volts.

 

I think you'll have to do something other than the light strips for this project.

 

In most cases,it is harder to get the cars apart than make up LED strips and circuits. If you make your own you can make and customize the LED lighting to suit your individual tastes. Most anything you make will be as good or better than pre-made strips and much cheaper.

 

You can make them prototypical dim or super bright if you like the toy train look.  You can custom configure a circuit for each car,such as a combine or baggage one add red markers for the observation etc. Once you understand basic principals of LED lighting you can also configure strips for cabooses,the circuits are the same. Shown here using different circuits for command and conventional. Short circuit protection can also be added as shown

 

www.jcstudiosinc.com/BlogShowThread?id=487

 

Jacks strips are fine but they are made for command only operators. They are not constant voltage.

 

The ones offered by 3rd Rail are not constant voltage.

 

The Dallee strips are constant voltage.

 

Dale H

Originally Posted by roberttrains925:
What grade level of reading is needed?

If you have to ask, it may be beyond your grade level!

 

 
 
Originally Posted by M1FredQ:

Been talking with electronic folks for miniatures and the day is coming where electrically challenged like me can just un-screw the bulbs on our locomotives and passenger cars and screw in LED bulbs!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If it already exists let me know.

The problem with the replacements is they don't have the same angle of dispersion so the light goes to one place.  Most incandescent lamps were not optimally placed for LED replacements.

 

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