Kato LED Interior Lighting Kits - Light Distribution Solution!

Metro Red Line Jan 25, 2023

  1. Metro Red Line

    Metro Red Line TrainBoard Member

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    I recently went to my local hobby shop and bought an N scale Kato LED Lighting Kit for one of my Kato Amfleet cars. But I noticed that the light distribution was not very even throughout the car. I checked out a bunch of YouTube videos on Kato lighting kits and discovered this was a very common problem. But I came up with a simple and inexpensive solution!

     
  2. DCESharkman

    DCESharkman TrainBoard Member

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    Well done, I went to a more expensive solution. I used the ESU lighting strips in many of my cars. They come with a decoder installed so the light can be turned off and on as desired. They can also be dimmed if desired. I do have many cars still with the Kato lighting strips, now I can save money with a few pieces of electrical tape! Thanks!
     
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  3. zophia

    zophia TrainBoard Member

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    Well done upgrade. Will be on my to do list.
     
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  4. Metro Red Line

    Metro Red Line TrainBoard Member

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    How do you set the addresses on those that you can remember, since passenger cars usually have road numbers above 4 digits?

    I forgot to mention in the video that standard electrical tape is 20mm wide. So just fold it in half, cut it at the fold and you got two 10mm wide pieces!
     
  5. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    If you fold it in half...wont it just stick to itself....:whistle:
    o_O:LOL::LOL:
     
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  6. Metro Red Line

    Metro Red Line TrainBoard Member

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    Sure, but folding with the sticky side out would give you better results, just sayin! :p
     
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  7. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

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    Great idea, must try on mine!
     
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  8. DCESharkman

    DCESharkman TrainBoard Member

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    In some cases, I set the lighting address to either the same address as the car or address from one of the non lead locomotives. They all get get the same address to start with, and I may finagle a bit. I do not have 10,000 locomotives so there is a lot of room in the upper number range. And Also reuse the same addresses on passenger cars I would not be running at the same time. For example the numbers on a ATSF passenger set would never run on the track with the New York Central or on Southern or Great Northern. So it is actually easier than you might think!
     
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