Fitting simple Eckon & Berko Signals and The R8247

[JC]

I've been signalling my layout using 2 aspect Eckon & Berko colour light signals, and run into a few problems, all of which are solved, so to help anyone else who can't find the answers in one place, this is what you can do.

 

The problem.

 

These

 

signals are common cathode (-ve) where as most accessory controllers are common anode (+ve). As the white wire is soldered down the cathode of all the LEDs in the signal head you have a several options.

 

1. Find a common cathode accessory decoder.

2.

 

Find a dongle that reverses the polarity, they do exist.

3. Re-solder the signal head.

4. Buy replacement LEDs (Currently £1.60 each. This is by far the easiest and safest option.

 

I did 3 & 4.

 

You will need:

Some additional 1K resistors,

 

I used 0.6 watt versions from Maplin part M1K, they are 29p each, but much cheaper in bulk, and used for just about any LED connection to 12volt supplies;

 

Some heat shrink tube is also useful to cover the resistor and bare solder joins,to prevent

 

shorts. Maplin code BF86T for wire and BF87U for resistors;

 

Some additional Red, Green, yellow (Distants) and White fine gauge wire, 7/0.2 is ok. Available in large or small reels from Maplin, finer wire is available and better, but can be difficult

 

to source.

 

Or Radio Control servo control extension leads about 75p from your local R/C model shop.

 

Other suppliers such as CPC and RS can be cheaper for bulk items.

 

Please ensure that you observe the usual safety precautions when using

 

a soldering iron, and that the signals are disconnected from any power supply. You should only do this if you are confident in the use of a soldering iron and have a suitable small low power iron with a fine tip.

 

3. Reversing the polarity by re-soldering

 

requires care and a steady hand. For existing signals, the head cover pops off and you can push the LEDs out and de-thread the wires from the pole. You will need to cut the existing resistor off pre-built signals to do this. One you have reversed the wires,

 

rethread the wires and push the LEDs back into the head and replace the cover.

 

You must now solder a 1K resistor to each of the red and green wires, and a short piece of appropriately coloured wire to the other end of the resistor.

 

4. The replacement

 

LEDs come with 2 wires and a 1K resistor, pop the old one out and the new one in. Mark the ends of the white leads for the red LED with a permeant marker.

 

You will now have 4 wires instead of 3, you need to join the red and green (yellow) wires to

 

each other, I suggest you solder them to a short piece of white wire, to provide a single common anode. Solder the 1K resistors to each of the white leads and then add a short piece of appropriately coloured wire to the resistor;s other end.

 

You can

 

now connect the signal to the R8247 with the white common and they will operate as you expect. Make sure you have setup the decoder before you connect the signal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[stevecamden]

OTTOISABEAR said:

I've been signalling my layout using 2 aspect Eckon & Berko colour light signals, and run into a few problems, all of which are solved, so to help anyone else who can't find the answers in one place, this is what you can

do.

The problem.

These signals are common cathode (-ve) where as most accessory controllers are common anode (+ve). As the white wire is soldered down the cathode of all the LEDs in the signal head you have a several options.

1. Find a

common cathode accessory decoder.
2. Find a dongle that reverses the polarity, they do exist.
3. Re-solder the signal head.
4. Buy replacement LEDs (Currently £1.60 each. This is by far the easiest and safest option.

I did 3 & 4.

You

will need:
Some additional 1K resistors, I used 0.6 watt versions from Maplin part M1K, they are 29p each, but much cheaper in bulk, and used for just about any LED connection to 12volt supplies;

Some heat shrink tube is also useful to cover the

resistor and bare solder joins,to prevent shorts. Maplin code BF86T for wire and BF87U for resistors;

Some additional Red, Green, yellow (Distants) and White fine gauge wire, 7/0.2 is ok. Available in large or small reels from Maplin, finer wire is

available and better, but can be difficult to source.

Or Radio Control servo control extension leads about 75p from your local R/C model shop.

Other suppliers such as CPC and RS can be cheaper for bulk items.

Please ensure that you observe

the usual safety precautions when using a soldering iron, and that the signals are disconnected from any power supply. You should only do this if you are confident in the use of a soldering iron and have a suitable small low power iron with a fine tip.

3.

Reversing the polarity by re-soldering requires care and a steady hand. For existing signals, the head cover pops off and you can push the LEDs out and de-thread the wires from the pole. You will need to cut the existing resistor off pre-built signals to do

this. One you have reversed the wires, rethread the wires and push the LEDs back into the head and replace the cover.

You must now solder a 1K resistor to each of the red and green wires, and a short piece of appropriately coloured wire to the other

end of the resistor.

4. The replacement LEDs come with 2 wires and a 1K resistor, pop the old one out and the new one in. Mark the ends of the white leads for the red LED with a permeant marker.

You will now have 4 wires instead of 3, you need

to join the red and green (yellow) wires to each other, I suggest you solder them to a short piece of white wire, to provide a single common anode. Solder the 1K resistors to each of the white leads and then add a short piece of appropriately coloured wire

to the resistor;s other end.

You can now connect the signal to the R8247 with the white common and they will operate as you expect. Make sure you have setup the decoder before you connect the signal.

[stevecamden]

You can purchase from ebay pre-wired and resistor fitted 12v LED's at very low prices in al three colours. It saves all the fiddling about and soldering !

[JC]

Indeed, but you need to be sure that the LED's are the correct diameter and that all the wires you need can be fitted down inside the head cover and down the signal post, with the resistor already fitted, this might be difficult, unless the LED is the

 

12 Volt variety. LEDs for OO/HO are 3mm.

 

I used Eckon spares to be sure the wire and LED would fit. I have a three head junction signal which as sold has 9 wires in total, this is the only signal I re-soldered, as 12 wires would not fit. Modeltrains.co.uk

 

supplied.

 

I did a quick check on eBay and the 12v pre-soldered LEDs have the resistor next to the LED protected by heat shrink, these would not fit an Eckon signal as the wires are inline with the LED, the leads need to be at 90 degrees to run down

 

the signal posts.

 

3mm 12volt LEDs are readily available, but I didn't find any pre-wired, I do wonder why Eckon and others don't supply these ready fitted. Maplin CJ68W for red, and others.

[stevecamden]

Yes, in the end I built my own for a few pence each. Worth noting - The R8247 Point and Accessory Controller (PAD) can in total sink/source approximately 240mA. This is shared; this could be all ports turned continually on drawing a total of 240mA, or

 

a single port turned on drawing approximately 240mA.

[Flashbang]

Eckon signals have separate Anode and Cathode leads to each of the LEDs. Therefore they can be directly connected to a PAD output (Via a 1K0 series resistor). Just connect the two Black wires one each to the PADs + & - terminals and the Red and Green wires

 

are then joined together and connect via the series resistor to the PADs C terminal.

 

Berko signals are a different in that that are pre wired and would need the LEDs wiring altered in the signal head to allow common Anode working if a PAD was to feed

 

them.

 

Hornby R406 is a filament lamp lit signal and will work from a PAD without alterations. Connections are then... Red to PAD + Black to PAD - and Green to PAD C.

 

Don't forget in all cases, the PADs output used to feed a colour light signal

 

will need altering from its default Pulse to Continuous. This can only be done with the Hornby Elite or any other make of DCC console that can alter CVs. Note: The Select is not able to alter CVs.

[JC]

Not sure what a PAD is, but actually, some Eckon signals do come with separate leads for each LED , and some don't. Their spare LEDs do. All the two aspect signals I have bought, be they Eckon or Berko have a common cathode. However, the ground signals

 

with three LEDs have two leads, so no problem, other than the coloured lead is the common.

 

As I will have some 20, 2 aspect signal heads on my layout, the actual leads on the signals are always too short, so I need to extend them, ditto point motors

 

R8243 on this layout, I had my reasons, even if they were wrong. I use Radio Control Servo leads to extend the wires and provide a simple plug and socket attachment to the accessory decoder.

 

A final point, I checked out Steve's suggestion of the pre-wired

 

LEDs from EBay, great product, come with resistors but the leads are too big, and in-fact so are the LED base rims, which surprised me, so they didn't fit the heads at all. I'm using my 10 for other things, including a call on signal. Thanks for the pointer

 

there Steve, I think these make building lighting and a lot of other stuff easy and cheap.

[Flashbang]

Hi

PAD = Point Accessory Decoder.

 

Eckon self assembly multi aspect main line signal kits are supplied with individual coloured LEDs which have two wires each. Therefore they can be connected common Anode or common Cathode.

 

Its is

 

the Berko range of ready made signals that are pre wired and have the incorrect polarity for a {PAD or operate directly.

 

You can extend the LED wires (or replace them completely if wished and you are comfortable with soldering). The wire I use is called

 

Kynar wire. I find ebay about the easiest place to buy shorter lengths of this wire. You can get some 8 of these wires down an Eckon signal post tube.

[Flashbang]

Hi

Sorry, correction to the above, which should should read ...

All the Eckon self assembly multi aspect main line signal kits I have used (2, 3 & 4 aspect) are supplied with individual coloured LEDs which have two wires each. Therefore these

 

can be connected common Anode or common Cathode.