Power for LED track lights

[grumpy old man]

Hi

I would like to install about 25 LED track lights around my layout I have a Select and Elite controllers can I operate the lights via the aux out put on either of the above or do I need the alter the CVs

Regards to all

[walkingthedog]

Wow you really wnt to know this don't you gom.

[Rog RJ]

I'm not quite certain what you mean by "track lights" but if you mean scenic lighting such as lamp posts or lights in buildings, then yes, you can power them from the aux output. You will, of course, need to fit appropriate resistors and make sure you

 

don't overload the controllers. 25 LEDs could take upto 0.75 amps which is quite a lot to take from a Select if it only has the one amp power supply and you want to control trains as well. Wiring two or three LEDs in series will reduce the current used. If

 

you are using the 4 amp power supply with your Select it shouldn't be a problem, or if you use the Elite and it's 4 amp power supply.

 

You don't need to alter any CVs if you don't use a decoder to control the lights.

[stevecamden]

I wouldn't use the aux port to power anything. Just get a Power supply of the correct voltage for the LED's - its far simpler.

[Gregd99]

it depends on how you want to control the leds.....

 

if they are to be turned on/off by switches then no cvs/decoders/complexity are needed. just get a plug pack that feeds dc and wire the leds via switches and current limiting resistors (google

 

led circuit for examples)

 

if you want the leds controlled by dcc - for example for automated operation you might want time of day lighting or lights that operate when a rain is nearby - then you need to feed the leds from an accessory decoder and this

 

will need Cv setup and will consume power from your controller.

 

[Flashbang]

grumpy old man said:

Hi
I would like to install about 25 LED track lights around my layout I have a Select and Elite controllers can I operate the lights via the aux out put on either of the above or do I need the alter the CVs
Regards

to all

Hi
As the Select will be a slave of the Elite it has not power output at all. Its the Elite thats doing all the work.
The Aux. output on the Elite is rated at 15 volts dc 1.0Amp.
Some assumptions need to be made now..... If each

LED is rated at 2.2volts and has a 1K0 (1000 OHM) series resistor fitted then each lit LED will consume approx. 13 milliamp, then your total loading on the 1.0Amp Aux output would be (25 x 0.013) = 325milliamp (or approx 1/3Amp)
This will in no

way overload the Elite 15 volt Aux output!

However the very best way to feed all your LED lighting is via a totally separate power supply. I would recommend a 12 volt regulated output PSU, perhaps rated at 1.0Amp which will give you plenty of room for

later expansion. But if you want to reduce the PSUs current output then a 500ma output this would be fine to work with your all your 25 LEDs and their 1K0 resistors.

[morairamike]

Often wonder why things that are really molehills become mountains when applied to DCC.

 

Wilkinsons are selling LED christmas lights, 20 in a string for £3:50. They are powered by 2 AA batteries which are in a small box with an ON/FF switch. I bought

 

3 sets of these to make street lights/station canopy lights etc. They use wires that are insulated with lacquer (like armature wires) and the distance between the leds can by changed by adding or subtracting wire. With a small current drain they should run

 

quite happily on their battery pack.