Im looking at installing a mars light into my kato f7. I found a website where a guy installed one into an e5. He said since the digitrax decoder already has a resistor all he did was CA an led into one of the lens and then soldered the wires to pads on the decoder. I was wondering if anyone has done this and how successful it was.
Hello, I have done one in a Kato F7. I used a Digitrax DZ125 decoder. I used a globe from a old Kato GP38-2 as the mars light in the top lense or top head light. I then cut a small section from the frame, cut the factory light tube, and use a small Surface mount LED for the main head light in the lower head light on the front of the unit. As the DZ125 has 2 light outputs, I programmed the main lower headlight as the normal F0 function and programmed the top Mars light as a mars light and programed it to use F1 to turn on and off the Mars Light. A resistor on the surface mount LED was needed but not the 12v globe I used for the Mars light. I used the globe as it gives a better effect than a LED for a mars light. Hope this helps. Rgds Brendan
If using a drop in board for DCC, its easy as changing a CV to make the headlight a Mars light. In DC, look into Richmond Controls, they make different lighting controls.
You can just change a CV but that makes both lights flash, you need a separate light source for each light. I wish Kato, (and all other N scale F unit manufacturers) would realise that only one light on two light units is a headlight.