Function decoder for coach with lights and smoke

Chris Wright

Chris Wright

Rev-Up
I have an Aristocraft coach with lights and smoke generator and wish to convert to DCC. The system is 8amps output so heas anyone any ideas which function decoder to go for to cope with the ampage plus. smoke generator? I have checked all 10 pages on the forum but no topic similar.
 
Chris, the amp output of your Central Station is irrelevant here, what you need to know is the total amp draw of the coach lights and smoke generator...... is that not listed in the specs or instructions of the coach model?

Jon.
 
Some Aristo coaches used light bulbs which are quite "power hungry" (they're quite large almost like automotive bulbs). Typical smoke units are sometimes best switched via a relay as they may draw more than the function output of a decoder. Definitely try and get some details of the expected current draw to help you determine which decoder will be suitable and whether a relay might be required.

Which coach model is it?

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This post on MyLargeScale from 2008 discusses some of the issues with lighting. Some older coaches fitted with the larger bulbs were taking up to half an amp per coach! Replacing with strips of LEDs made a lot of difference. apparently Aristo uses LEDs themselves on later production runs.

http://forums.mylargescale.com/39-dcc-large-scale/4076-aristocraft-coach-lights-ok-mts-dcc.html
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It is a passive one no details for draw current, all my Aristo stuff have great manuals that say lots but tell you little so it is a bit feeling about in the dark. I can soon change to led's from Viessmnn that draw up to 16 volts but I think that maybe now rather than run the coach with smoke and lights, just turn them off and save money. Sad but there you go.
 
If you decided not to save money you could use a cheepo Loco Decoder say a 55021 with a Stainz Smoke Unit and LGB DCC Compatible Lamps. All pretty easily available and would work just fine. Plus not massive Current Draw.
JonD
 
Change to LED's, use a relay for smoke, and you can use a cheaper 'small-scale' decoder..
The decoder will be less than half the cost of a large-scale unit. Relay a couple of quid, LED's and resistors less than a quid.
 
I am sure this thread will be of great interest to a lot of members as there is so little on the forum so far about these decoders.
 
As has been said LEDs themselves are cheap - a few pence each - but for our purposes require a little bit of extra circuitry to rectify and convert the voltage and to limit current flow otherwise they blow. Some folk have found that commercial strips of LEDs (for cabinet lighting / mood lighting etc.) can be carefully cut and used. A bit more expensive but simplifies the process and can give a more even light inside the coach.

This is one of the links mentioned in that MyLargeScale thread I mentioned earlier;

http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips2/hw_tips.html#lighting

... it documents George Schreyer's iterative approach to reducing the current draw of older Aristo "Heavyweight" coaches, first by adding electronics to lower the voltage to the existing bulbs (to better suit DCC) then moving to LED strips which greatly reduced the current draw.

Do you actually need a function decoder? Unless you really want to be able to switch light and smoke off and on remotely at any time, just use an on/off switch (the coach already has one?)

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Also worth mentioning that there are commercial coach lighting units designed to cope with DCC. Although these are intended for smaller scale models they might be worth considering. for example:

http://www.expressmodels.co.uk/acatalog/DCC_Universal_LED_Strip_Coach_Lighting_Kits.html

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Chris,
If you can post a picture of the car 'with the lid off', so we can see what we are up against, we can take it from there..

As for sources of 'bits', you may have a Maplins near you? - Convenient, but more expensive.
Else Rapid Electronics, Jaycar (to mention two suppliers).. EvilBay, but watch-out for Chinese suppliers. They are dirt-cheap, but take 2-3 weeks to come.
 
Arthur Aardvark said:
There are numerous ways to achieve a solution to your original question, from simplistic to difficult.

First question is what Central Station are you using?,secondly, what do you exactly wish to achieve?, thirdly cost?, and finally level of ability?


View attachment 217930
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MRC Prodigy. Work the lights and smoke unit on the carthage from the MRC. Level of ability is not beginer neither is it expert.
 
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