Hey guys I am in the process of detailing my CSX switcher unit and want to add a rotary beacon on top.Someone told me there was a company called miniatronics that sells them.Anyone ever used them or installed them and maybe even a photo of one you have installed?Also does anyone have a link to the product I need?Thanks in advance guys...
I haven't seen the minitronics one but ngineering has one. www.ngineering.com If it can be used on an N scale unit I'm sure it could be modified and put on a HO one.
Details West has three different types. Here is a link to what I have done. GE 44 ton DCC - TrainBoard.com A video. The Beacon does not rotate. Lex
I believe DW has one which is just a amber lens and metal base, but there is a post on the lens that passes thru the cab so you can light it from inside. I have some of these but haven't got around to installing them yet. Their older ones were non-operating from what I remember. Others sell kits with flashing LED's that act as the beacon and you just change the LED size per scale.
There is a short construction article on the Ngineering site. http://www.ngineering.com/Rot_LED_construct.htm Here's a video of it operating http://www.ngineering.com/Rot-beacon_video.htm
I have plenty of flashing becons on my locomotives drilled a hole in the underside and ran a bulb to it and connected it to the dcc board. works great:tb-biggrin:
What I did to make a rotary beacon was to buy the detail associates detail that was mentioned above, and then I bought a small orange LED, drilled a hole beneath the detail, and lit it from below. Since I use DCC I just drove it with a digitrax decoder, which can be programmed to give a rotary beacon effect. The light does not actually rotate but will brighten and dim to match the change in intensity you would get from a rotating beacon.
Attached is a pic of a details west beacon. I painted the amber lens to red. For lighting, my plan is to mount a single LED wired to a decoder underneith.
