Cheap firebox flicker LED

65 1057

65 1057

Railways @ 1.435 mm/ 1.000 mm/ 750 mm and 45mm
Country flag
Germany
I just bought on an ebay-shop the below simple firebox flicker unit and will test it soon.
The store has many more electrical components for G and other scales which might be of interest (e.g. welding light..).

https://www.ebay.de/itm/S230-Brandflackern-fur-Dampflok-G-1-0-Feuer-Kessel-Stehkessel-Feuerbuchse/381251525575?hash=item58c45c9bc7:g:ARgAAOSwLzdWTGNf

The translation of the German description:

Firebox flicker LED for steam locomotives G, 1 and 0. Technical spec:


- 5 mm single LED incl. build-in flicker-control
- Flickers at about 6-22V DC and AC
- Ready for connection with approx. 40 cm / 15,7 “ long cables
- Suitable for G, 1 and 0


The two cables can directly be connected to the motor or to the track voltage. The polarity does not matter. The connection cable can be shortened if necessary. The LED can be placed in the cab near the boiler back wall / firedoor.
Note: The LED must not be bent or kinked!
 
Analogue powered: The flicker starts already at 3V, with sufficient intensity at 6V, which doesn't change a lot up to 19V (just slightly more brightness)
upload_2018-6-10_17-24-3.png

DCC powered: I don't recomment to connect the flicker unit directly to the full track power since the flicker is not visible anymore and the electric gets hot. It will work when the voltage is reduced / dimmed. I tested it with an Uhlenbrock fuctional Decoder - PWM at 32 (ca. 50% dimm)- and it works reliably again.
upload_2018-6-10_17-22-29.png

This is the size of the unit incl. the flicker-electric in the heat-shrink.
 
Last edited:
65 1057 said:
DCC powered: I don't recomment to connect the flicker unit directly to the full track power since the flicker is not visible anymore and the electric gets hot.
Click to expand...

A single diode, in series, might help with this? - A bridge rectifier being better if there is a chance of DC running..
 
65 1057 said:
Analogue powered: The flicker starts already at 3V, with sufficient intensity at 6V, which doesn't change a lot up to 19V (just slightly more brightness)
View attachment 238705
View attachment 238706

DCC powered: I don't recomment to connect the flicker unit directly to the full track power since the flicker is not visible anymore and the electric gets hot. It will work when the voltage is reduced / dimmed. I tested it with an Uhlenbrock fuctional Decoder - PWM at 32 (ca. 50% dimm)- and it works reliably again.
View attachment 238707
This is the size of the unit incl. the flicker-electric in the heat-shrink.

Can somebody tell me why my pictures are "empty" when opened in full scale?
Click to expand...
Well I can say I still haven't figured out the pictures either, sometimes they are there and some times not, but the flickering lights I do have some knowledge. I lit mine with flickering red and orange, 3mm 2 volt led's powered by track voltage stepped down to 2 volts using a inexpensive adjustable voltage, very small, regulator I purchased on eBay. adjusted the output voltage to 5vdc for the smoke unit, then added a 200 ohm 1/4 watt resistor to power the led's, also lit the headlight the same way. Works great and very little heat. Also made a Drover caboose out of a kalamazoo combine and the cowboy section I put a stove in the corner and lite the fire area with the same led's, looks neat at night, caboose section lit with soft white and on the other side of the bulkhead the fire flickers in the stove, lit the car with 2 AAA batteries
148065e1e0d0178c26205d40c6cecf89.jpg
c3a6130186e1db4eb63a3e3c87d9b654.jpg
e18de6bb9e1f2a154b1c7ac861f1520d.jpg
 
65 1057 said:
Analogue powered: The flicker starts already at 3V, with sufficient intensity at 6V, which doesn't change a lot up to 19V (just slightly more brightness)
View attachment 238729

DCC powered: I don't recomment to connect the flicker unit directly to the full track power since the flicker is not visible anymore and the electric gets hot. It will work when the voltage is reduced / dimmed. I tested it with an Uhlenbrock fuctional Decoder - PWM at 32 (ca. 50% dimm)- and it works reliably again.
View attachment 238728

This is the size of the unit incl. the flicker-electric in the heat-shrink.
Click to expand...

Many thanks. That's very useful.
 
I've used a mixture of red and orange LEDs to get a fire effect for fire brigade scenes. I wired up a flickering red to a non- flickering red and similarly with the orange. Each pair are connected separately to the same source using a choc block. The flickers very quickly get out of sync and also vary their flashing pattern.
 
PLEASE NOTE:
In describing anything as "Cheap", it gives the impression of being of poor quality, or; "You only get what you paid for"
It would be better to use the description of "Inexpensive", if the product is of good value, quality-wise.

Being frugal, and saving hard earned money, is fine, but being "Cheap" leads to the feeling of not caring, or of poor character.
Of course, it is your choice...!!
Fr.Fred
 
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