Model Railroading > Mars lights in DCC

I was running some of my SP Athearn Tunnel Motors yesterday and it occurred to me that I need to get the Mars light happening.

I am looking for suggestions on setting up the Mars light and which functions to use? I don't like the lighting config that every manufacturer gives whereby reversing the loco turns on the reverse light. As a result I have mine with F0f and F0r to keep the headend light to remain on irrespective of direction. I therefore use the rear light to be turned on in F3. If I want an independent Mars light, what functions are used as standard (if there is such a thing as standard) or can anyone make any suggestions. My choice of decoder will be the Digitrax DH163 or 165 FWIW as I don't think a DH123 will allow me to have a Mars since the functions will be taken up by the two headlights. Correct me if I am wrong.

Also, I am wondering if people tend to favour changing over to a micro LED or stay with the mini light bulbs that are in the loco. [I am fully aware of the need for resistance in re-wiring my lighting package so no comment is necessary.] Has anyone switched to LED's and if so, which ones did you use?

Rick

Rick I would take a look at the Train Control Systems decoders with them you can set the lights any way you want them. If you PM me your postal address on the other side of the ditch I will send you a copy of their instruction sheets.

Malcolm
New Zealand

Actually, for a tunnel motor, you want a gyra light rather than a mars light. Mars light ran in a figure eight pattern, except horizontal instead of verticle - technically an "infinity" pattern, but if I'd said that, nobody'd known what I was talking about. Mars light gives a double "flash" as it comes around to your side.

Gyralight just goes round and round - only one "flash."

I don't have any experience programing DCC yet. Harry Wong should know - he's DCC'd many SP models.

- Arved

For Digitrax decoders only! Start by wiring one side of each lamp of the mars light to the green wire of the decoder (F1) with a 500 ohm resistor inline. Program CV51 to either x22 (mars light) or x27 (gyralight)(non directional on/off). Since F1 controls the green wire, no remapping is needed.

Digitrax Mobile Decoder Manual, pg40,pg41,pg42,pg50.

Chet

Please note edit: Resistor value corrected to 500ohms



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/10 07:43 by mp_eagle.

Here is a nice way to do what you want, with front and rear lights on F0 and the Mars/Gyra light on F1. Simply move the headlight wires to the rear of the board and twist them with the rear light wires. This allows them to stay on with F0. Now, take the Mars/Gyra light wires and just leave them where they are, on the front of the board (middle two tabs). You will need to re-map the functions so F0 turns on the front/rear lights and F1 turns on the Mars/Gyra light. With this method, you keep the original Athearn board, using a 9-pin or 8-pin plug-in decoder and no further wireing. I've done this on all my tunnelmotors, and it works nicely.

Jim

mp_eagle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For Digitrax decoders only! Start by wiring one
> side of each lamp of the mars light to the green
> wire of the decoder (F1) with a 500 ohm resistor
> inline. Program CV51 to either x22 (mars light)
> or x27 (gyralight)(non directional on/off). Since
> F1 controls the green wire, no remapping is
> needed.
>
> Digitrax Mobile Decoder Manual,
> pg40,pg41,pg42,pg50.
>
> Chet
>
> Please note edit: Resistor value corrected to
> 500ohms


Where do the other wires from the gyralights go?

Do they remain on the front +common (blue) terminal on the Athearn light board?

Also, is that just one 500ohms resistor for both front gyralights? ...or would it be better to wire an individual resistor for each light, so that if one light burns out, the other light is protected from getting the full voltage of both lights?

Tim



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/10 17:16 by lynngrove.