Solid Ditch Lights on MTH Engines?

Interesting post. The CFR standards for ditch/crossing lights changed years ago to allow continuous illumination rather than the flashing mode. Some railroads still use alternating lights...they have a choice.

I am guessing a rewiring of the ditch light circuit to the headlight circuit would get the results you desire.

Tom

Krieglok posted:

I am guessing a rewiring of the ditch light circuit to the headlight circuit would get the results you desire.

Tom

I could do that but if there was an option in command mode to just be set that way it would make it a whole lot easier. 

True. That is a bit beyond my expertise. Hopefully someone more familiar with the system can help. 

Tom

No need to rewire. Using the DCS remote you can set the ditch lights also to be steady on (no flash), or off.

Engineer-Joe posted:

No need to rewire. Using the DCS remote you can set the ditch lights also to be steady on (no flash), or off.

How? When hitting the on button (ditch light menu) they still flash when the horn is blown. 

The MTH DCS book claims there's a setting. I'll have to go test.

To my memory, ON, does mean on and flash with the horn. In the book it claims auto does that.

I think "Auto",  is off until the horn is sounded and then it flashes? the book claims it's on and flashes. There maybe a verbiage and/or programming problem here?

Which book? I have Barry's book. 

Page 39 of Barry's book has all the info about setting the ditch light functions in DCS:

You can purchase a copy of Barry's book here: https://mthtrains.com/DCS_Companion

Note: image copied directly from the book, please delete if not allowed

You don't need the book.  Start the engine you want, then go to the grey button (menu), than select control, than scroll down to ditch light. There you will have a choice, ............off-auto-on -FLS.

The DCS book that comes with the DCS TIU and remote on page 52, says that ditch light "ON" should mean no flashing.

Barry's book apparently from the above post, says it means they flash with the horn button.

So, I guess that means you have to rewire them to be ON with no flashing.

I have an older Atlas engine I converted with a used PS2 board set. One ditch light wouldn't work so I just wired both to be on. I may have put them on the interior light function.

On the latest builds using PS3 diesel board kits, I can wire more LEDs on the function outs. Some sound sets determine if you can get flashing ditch lights at all.

"Ditch Lights Set the engine’s ditch lights (for engines that are equipped with them) to one of four settings.
1. Press the softkey under the desired setting: OFF, AUTO (turned on, flashing only when you blow the horn), ON (turned on all the time, no flashing), and FLS (flashing all the time).
2. Once you see your selection highlighted on the LCD screen, press firmly on the thumbwheel to confirm the selection and return to the Control menu list. "

https://mthtrains.com/sites/de...ction/20as14017i.pdf

Joe I didn't use the book I just looked at the remote, I can't ever find anything in that book.   I have better luck with the MTH pamphlets.  

Engineer-Joe posted:

The DCS book that comes with the DCS TIU and remote on page 52, says that ditch light "ON" should mean no flashing.

Barry's book apparently from the above post, says it means they flash with the horn button.

So, I guess that means you have to rewire them to be ON with no flashing.

I have an older Atlas engine I converted with a used PS2 board set. One ditch light wouldn't work so I just wired both to be on. I may have put them on the interior light function.

On the latest builds using PS3 diesel board kits, I can wire more LEDs on the function outs. Some sound sets determine if you can get flashing ditch lights at all.

From Page 16 of Barry's Book:

All PS2 engines with ditch lights have the capability to flash their ditch lights whenever the engine is moving forward or sitting still and ready to move forward, and the engine's horn is activated by pressing the W/H key on the DCS Remote, DCS Remote Commander handheld control or the DCS Commander. PS3 engines, however, must be moving in order to flash the ditch lights when the horn is sounded. Further, a PS3 engine may have functional rear ditch lights, as well as front ditch lights.

Hi Trainlover9943,

Trainlover9943 posted:

Question with ditch light operation on PS2/PS3 engines. Can they be set to not flash when the horn blow but the light still be on? Western and Canadian engines ditch lights don't flash and it's the sole reason why I don't buy MTH models of them. 

Unfortunately, the answer is no.  As H1000 pointed out from the DCS Companion, none of the four settings available through the DCS remote or app will make the ditch lights stay on all the time.

If you do decide to rewire the ditch lights to the headlight circuit, you need to exercise a little caution.  PS2 boards can handle up to three grain of wheat bulbs on a single circuit, but not four.  If your engine already has a double headlight, you can't add the ditch lights to the same circuit.  However, if you replace the ditch lights bulbs with LED's and a resistor it will work.

Dave Hikel posted:

Hi Trainlover9943,

Trainlover9943 posted:

Question with ditch light operation on PS2/PS3 engines. Can they be set to not flash when the horn blow but the light still be on? Western and Canadian engines ditch lights don't flash and it's the sole reason why I don't buy MTH models of them. 

Unfortunately, the answer is no.  As H1000 pointed out from the DCS Companion, none of the four settings available through the DCS remote or app will make the ditch lights stay on all the time.

If you do decide to rewire the ditch lights to th e headlight circuit, you need to exercise a little caution.  PS2 boards can handle up to three grain of wheat bulbs on a single circuit, but not four.  If your engine already has a double headlight, you can't add the ditch lights to the same circuit.  However, if you replace the ditch lights bulbs with LED's and a resistor it will work.

Thanks. I've been looking into getting some stuff that prototypical wouldn't flash. I 9/10 times convert my engines to LEDs anyway so that'll work fine. Question though, how many LEDs can you run on a circuit? @Dave Hikel

@Trainlover9943 posted:

Thanks. I've been looking into getting some stuff that prototypical wouldn't flash. I 9/10 times convert my engines to LEDs anyway so that'll work fine. Question though, how many LEDs can you run on a circuit? @Dave Hikel

just my 2 cents after playing the LED switcheroos.

Just thinking of the FORWARD mode for instance........maybe 2 headlight LEDs......2 ditchlights with steady  ON with LEDs.........even two LED front markers........and say 2 LEDs for number boards..........

.........l believe only 1 ( one ) incadescent bulb would have more draw. 🤔

Just curious. Is this an mth software issue and could they fix this ditch light setting in a future software update?

This is one of the reasons I prefer DCC over DCS. With DCC, I can program a decoder to allow the ditch lights to remain on and never flash by disabling the Grade Crossing Signal. If I want them off I can do that without affecting any other lighting feature like headlights or markers. I wire my decoders so that all lighting outputs are independent of one another.

@Trainlover9943 posted:

Thanks. I've been looking into getting some stuff that prototypical wouldn't flash. I 9/10 times convert my engines to LEDs anyway so that'll work fine. Question though, how many LEDs can you run on a circuit? @Dave Hikel

You can run half a dozen or more LED's on one PS/2 lighting circuit.  The bulbs are 60ma, and the LED's are 20ma maximum.  I use a 220 ohm resistor in series with the LED for connection to the PS/2 lighting circuit.