CarterUK Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I have a Northern class 156 which I've fitted with a Hornby 4 function decoder and added directional lighting. I want to add coach lighting and though I could use one of the remaining function slots (green or purple wire) but I seem to read that I'd need to use the existing yellow/white wires which are already used for the directional lighting. Can't I just hook it up to the spare functions? It's just a 12v LED strip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Hi, Carter, welcome to the forum, i am sure someone will tell me i am wrong, but surely DCC, is a bigger voltage,than 12. If so, they will blow. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 You can use the other function wires for extra lights. Blue is the common return.Voltage from the controller to the track is 15v AC John. Output from the decoder is 12v.See this section on Brian Lambert's website.http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/DCC.html#Decoder_1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Poliss, thanks, had fitted 12 v leds to my DC coaches, then realized they would not be universal. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarterUK Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 You can use the other function wires for extra lights. Blue is the common return.Voltage from the controller to the track is 15v AC John. Output from the decoder is 12v.See this section on Brian Lambert's website.http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/DCC.html#Decoder_1Thanks Poliss. I'll try hooking them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 The function output from decoders is only around 100mA. Check how much power consumption your lights need. It may be necessary to use more than one function wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 LEDs only need a couple of volts and 25mA so you can use a series/parallel arrangement If you need lots. Carter's 12V strip will be fine on one function wire and only draw about 25mA if all in series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarterUK Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Ok so after I got my polarities round the right way I had the coach lights working. They (5 in strip) were amazingly bright. Too much so. Drawing 110mA according to the multimeter. So I've inserted a resistor (think it's around 450/500 ohms) and dropped to 10mA but far less brightness. After putting the coach back together they still work but even so, still too bright in the coach. You can make out the mouldings.I've some more testing with another strip and different value resistors to get the brightness down even further. I have a ~950 ohm resistor which seems to be about right for the coach lighting so I'll swap that for the other resistor tomorrow.Thanks for everyone's help/feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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