10 cent ditch lights...:)


wvg_ca

wvg_ca

semi flaccid member
thought about adding some ditch lights to a Walthers GP15-1 when I installed a NCE dasr decoder, it had three spare functions, but didn't have any grain of rice bulbs, or even the nice ditch light housings...
Found a photo of the prototype on the net UP1638, and it didn't have any ditch lights, but wanted to try and see what I could find in the parts bins..
Had some fairly low power SMD leds, about 0.110 wide, 0.140 high, and some 603 size resistors, and a bit of kynar [wire wrap] wire...
gave them a quick wipe with transparent yellow, would rather have yellow lenses that light up white, than clear lenses that light up blue..:)

leds were around a nickel each, resistors less than a penny... and a bit of wire and some spare time..a bit of paint, and they pass ...
set the front up to alternate side to side w/ F2, rear for double strobe flash in reverse
 
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Very creative way to get cheap ditch lights. How exactly did you wire the LED's? They look way too tiny to solder.
 
leds I've had for a while.. probably from Digikey...
they are fairly low power, don't need much of a resistor to reduce brightness [I used 6.8k]...
notes on the package were 120 degree SMD PLCC style..

soldering wasn't too bad [with a half decent station]...
must be at least 20 thou between the leads..:)
 
well... those are about the limit of what I can do without a magnifier...still don't have one.. on the wish list...:)

scaled up they would be [housing size], about 9 1/2" wide by about 12" high, and the lens [or actual LED emitter itself] would be a 7" round lens...
I figure that's "close enough" for my eyes anyways...:)

They wired in pretty easy, small drill at an angle into shell, a bit of CA, and four wires inside...[total for all four leds]... and the 'spare function tabs' are used up now..

They would have looked nicer if I had used 'warm white' SMD leds, then they wouldn't have that yellow lens look, but those were all I had in the parts bins..
and these were 'paid for' already as well...

I made 16 that time, took less than a hour in total from start to paint, so it went well...used 4 so far, rest are spares until I check locos for 'spare function' tabs...I have quite a mix of decoders, and I _think_ most are basic headlight only, but not sure until I start pulling shells..:)
 
They look great! Might I suggest one other thing. You may want to put a piece of black cardboard, styrene or other material in the roof of the cab to block the light from your headlight. Keeps down that nuclear look in the cab!
 
jbaakko said:
Man those are tiny.
Click to expand...

How about these, LOL

SMDLED.png
 
>>>You may want to put a piece of black cardboard, styrene or other material in the roof of the cab to block the light from your headlight..

Will have to try that the next time it's apart...
I tried painting the inside of that area with black paint, but [obviously] it;s not enough...:)
Maybe a small piece just below the led for a blocking plate??

thanks
 
there are some surface mount LEDs manufactured with just the round part and 2 soldering pads for the leads so that you can use whatever ditch light housings you want for a prototypical look. The manufacturer is called Osram and the LEDs can be found on ebay
 
diburning said:
there are some surface mount LEDs manufactured with just the round part and 2 soldering pads for the leads so that you can use whatever ditch light housings you want for a prototypical look. The manufacturer is called Osram and the LEDs can be found on ebay
Click to expand...

Like these

WhiteLED.png
 
wvg_ca said:
>>>You may want to put a piece of black cardboard, styrene or other material in the roof of the cab to block the light from your headlight..

Will have to try that the next time it's apart...
I tried painting the inside of that area with black paint, but [obviously] it;s not enough...:)
Maybe a small piece just below the led for a blocking plate??

thanks
Click to expand...

One of my favorite tricks is about 1-2 inches of plastruct square tubing, CA'ed to the roof and aligned with the lamp lenses, slide the LED in when installing the chassis and the light is instantly contained!
 
a soldering station is basically just a fancy soldering iron... the power supply is in the main case, you can easily adjust temperature, and most have quite a variety of tip sizes and shapes that easily interchange..
they are fairly inexpensive on fleabay
 
MGWSY said:
Yes those are the ones. I like their price as I sell them for 10 cents each, LOL
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Am I missing something? I would rather by from you for 10 cents each rather than Digikey for 84 cents each. Or if I buy 500, 45 cents each. Are you loosing 35 cents on each one?
 
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