Massoth Xls Wiring Help

[TimJohans]

Hello,

I have a Piko G BR218 with a Massoth XLS sound decoder and speaker. My question surrounds wiring the lighting. The loco has two headlights and two red-lights on each cab end.

I am wondering on the decoder what terminals these need to connect to. Coming out of the XLS are a light rear and light front, so I would gather that one wire for each light goes in here. I would gather the other wires would go to ground?

Any help, much appreciated.

 

[PhilP]

Basically, you are correct..
BUT..

The 'Light front' is for 'all lights you want 'on' when running forwards', so the front headlights, and rear red lights go to this.
Same for 'Light rear', but the other way round. Rear head/white, front red..

These are switched with reference to Dec. +, or +22V. depending on the age of the decoder, for the way it is labelled.

NOTE:
This is for ordinary filament lamps (bulbs).. I am not familiar with the Piko products, so if LED's are involved you will need to get the polarity right, and may well need a series resistor to limit the current.

 

[TimJohans]

Basically, you are correct..
BUT..

The 'Light front' is for 'all lights you want 'on' when running forwards', so the front headlights, and rear red lights go to this.
Same for 'Light rear', but the other way round. Rear head/white, front red..

These are switched with reference to Dec. +, or +22V. depending on the age of the decoder, for the way it is labelled.

NOTE:
This is for ordinary filament lamps (bulbs).. I am not familiar with the Piko products, so if LED's are involved you will need to get the polarity right, and may well need a series resistor to limit the current.

Thanks for that. So basically, front white and rear red to "light front"

Rear white and front red to "light back"

Do the other return cables then goto "ground"

cheers,

Tim.

 

[PhilP]

Thanks for that. So basically, front white and rear red to "light front"

Rear white and front red to "light back"

Do the other return cables then goto "ground"

cheers,

Tim.

First bit right..
But the 'common' goes to the Dec. + or +22V. connection on the decoder. - there is one at each end of the decoder..

 

[TimJohans]

Ok, thanks,

First bit right..
But the 'common' goes to the Dec. + or +22V. connection on the decoder. - there is one at each end of the decoder..

Cheers, I have a Roco Multimaus 3amp controller at the moment. Is this sufficient for one loco and sound decoder - loco has 2x motors. I need to update this in due course - just getting into G Scale.

 

[PhilP]

That will be fine to start you off..
Enjoy!
PhilP.

 

[Beddhist]

While this is all good and works as advertised, it does mean that the lights are on at the rear when pulling a train and the front when pushing. That's not how it works in real life. I have decided that I want to be able to switch all the lights individually, so I use F1 and F3 to toggle the front and rear headlights and F4 and F6 for the tail lights on the same end.

That way, when shunting I turn both head lights on and out on the line only the appropriate lights not facing a train. Yes, that is all manual, but I like it that way. A real life engineer also has to flick the switches (I assume).

While I have the lights wired to the G3 decoder I am almost sure that you can achieve the same with the XLS. My sound decoder is a Massoth S and I chose not to wire the lights to that (too fiddly). Here is what I did: https://www.gscalecentral.net/threa...ery-airwire-massoth-sound.300611/#post-346735

 

[Tanker man]

Great thread chaps! This is a problem I have been struggling with for a looooooong time and now you have ( hopefully) given me the solution!
Thanks!!!!!
Dave

 

[stockers]

Yes Peter, you can do that on a Massoth XLS. or, of course, you can leave the headlights as normal and just switch the rears (individually),

 

[TimJohans]

Thanks for that. So, with regards to the wiring I would do the following so they are all individually controlled:

Rear Headlights: One wire to F1 socket. One to +24V socket.
Rear Red Lights: One wire to F2 socket. One to +24V socket.

Front Headlights: One wire to F3 socket. One to +24V socket.
Front Red Lights: One wire to F4 socket. One to +24V socket.

With regards to the voltages, I note that the Massoth manual mentions full track voltage is supplied. The loco has two white and two red LED's either end (Piko BR218). I note that these have a resistor on their PCB. Do I need to worry about changing any of the default CV values for voltages?

 

[TimJohans]

...almost forgot the schematic

 

[PhilP]

Regarding voltages.. Probably not, but I would set the voltage divider CV's to '5' (or six) to start with.. - better safe than sorry (remember, I have not 'done' a Piko..)

You could use Li-V output for the front headlights. The Li-H for the rear headlights.. These would change with direction, and be controlled by the 'Light' key..
You could then use either F1/F2, or F3/F4 for the 'rear' red lights..

You will need to decide whether to set these to change with direction. - You could then use a single function key to toggle them off/on, in a similar fashion to the Light key for the headlights. - I would probably use function key 7.

Minimum use of function keys, allowing more for sounds, pantographs etc..

 

[Neil Robinson]

Regarding voltages.. Probably not, but I would set the voltage divider CV's to '5' (or six) to start with.. - better safe than sorry..

Sound advice particularly as, unlike bulbs, LEDs are polarity sensitive and need a limiting resistor. Piko fit these,often in the wires to the lights
With a reduced voltage LEDs are less likely to be damaged by reverse polarity for a short while.

 

[stockers]

In my Piko Rotkamel, the LEDs are at full voltage, CV50 (for Massoth) needs to be down to about 3 V - Value 2.