installing a Mars light

Patrickdelaney17 Jul 28, 2013

  1. Patrickdelaney17

    Patrickdelaney17 TrainBoard Member

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    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.
     
  2. bdennis

    bdennis TrainBoard Member

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    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
     
  3. Ike the BN Freak

    Ike the BN Freak TrainBoard Member

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    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.
     
  4. Westfalen

    Westfalen TrainBoard Member

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    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.
     
  5. Run8Racing

    Run8Racing TrainBoard Member

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    There was some very good info on this in a thread I started a while back called "Squiggly Lights".
     

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