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Discussion Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: Trolleymoose on October 18, 2008, 05:15:13 AM

Title: Spectrum 4-6-0 Headlight is dim
Post by: Trolleymoose on October 18, 2008, 05:15:13 AM
My HO Spectrum 4-6-0 headlight is very dim.  I have tried to adjust CVs without luck.  Any suggestions?

Trolleymoose
Title: Re: Spectrum 4-6-0 Headlight is dim
Post by: SteamGene on October 18, 2008, 08:37:42 AM
If you want to be authentic, turn it off.  Until very late, steam locomotives didn't have their headlight on in the daytime unless in a tunnel.
Gene
Title: Re: Spectrum 4-6-0 Headlight is dim
Post by: rogertra on October 18, 2008, 11:33:52 AM
Keep in mind that a steam loco headlight was not as bright as a diesel.

We are so used to seeing sealed beam diesel headlights that we forget that a steam loco headlight was, generally speaking, at best a 100W lamp running on 30VDC provided by the Pyle National turbo generator.

Title: Re: Spectrum 4-6-0 Headlight is dim
Post by: richG on October 18, 2008, 04:40:33 PM
The resistor on the PC board is the issue. The LED that uses a 1 k resistor will be brighter. The one for the 4-6-0 and 4-4-0 are higher resistance.  Both mine now have 1 k resistors with a nice yellow light.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,6756.0.html

Also, the 4-6-0 LED sends light out via a periscope that consist of two prisms which helps make the light dimmer than the 4-4-0 which has the LED directly behind the headlight lens. The 4-6-0 has the periscope in the smoke box of the loco. I never did get a photo of the inside of the smoke box area. When the boiler is put on the running gear, the LED ends up at the base of the first prism in the periscope.

(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/richg1998/Spectrum%204-6-0/LEDlocolight.jpg)

Rich
Title: Re: Spectrum 4-6-0 Headlight is dim
Post by: Mountainman on October 20, 2008, 10:21:23 PM
Good piece of advice, Rich  Thanks alot....

Rob