I recently purchased two N scale Spectrum N&W water tenders with "directional lighting". While they do have lights, front and rear, they both stay on all the time (on both tenders). I am running a DC only layout. Anybody know why this is happening?
girectional lighting is usually controlled by diodes which function as a one way street for electricity. it sonbds to me like there are no diodes in the circuit where there should be, or if they're there they're shorted or otherwise bypassed. you'll have to look at the circuit board in the tender and see if anything is obviously wrong.
I figured that myself, having four of the HO versions of this same tender. The odd thing about this is fact that both of these are brand new in the box!
Quote from: wobblinwheel on February 02, 2013, 01:19:56 PM
The odd thing about this is fact that both of these are brand new in the box!
Wobbly-
Not necessarily so. It could be a misunderstood direction by the huy at the factory
who hooks these up. Putting the information here was a good idea because it may
alert Bachmann to a widespread problem.
-- D
Will a diode work on DCC?
i don'tthink so. at least not for reversing headlights. those are wired through the function leads of the decoder.
Mike
pretty sure for the lights to operate separateley it will need to be with a dcc system.
if that's possible.
Larry.
The older style directional lighting used six diodes. Four to develop the 1.5 volts and two more diodes, one for forward, one for reverse but that was for 1.5 volt bulbs.
No idea what Bachmann uses for directional lighting in a DCC ready application, especially if LED's are used.
I have some Bachmann steamers that where DCC ready but never tried them on DC with the DC adapter.
The OP did not say if the tenders are DCC ready or just standard straight DC.
Rich
As far as "DCC ready", I have no idea. The HO versions of these tenders reverse properly on DC, but one stays on constantly on DCC. I think in order for them to work on DCC, you must install a decoder. Since I don't have DCC on my N scale layout, I have no idea what they'll do. Guess I go inside one to see what's going on.
dcc track power is actually a form of ac not dc. the decoder rectifies it into something your locomotives can use. for those dc locomotives running on a dcc system, the width of the ac wavelength is varied to favour one direction or the other. the diodes used for directional lighting will see the ac and light in both directions. thus, the need for the lights to be routed through the function leads of the decoder.
Mr. Bach-man, can you post a parts breakdown/ wiring diagram for these things?
Quote from: wobblinwheel on February 03, 2013, 02:47:07 PM
Mr. Bach-man, can you post a parts breakdown/ wiring diagram for these things?
I doubt that will ever happen for such a low volume sale product. It has been an effort to get what we see in the diagrams for DCC on board decoders.
Don't forget, web site programmers do not work for nothing.
Rich