Custom lighting

[CbarM]

Hey guys, I recently recieved a few shells that I had custom painted to my own scheme with custom lighting installed. 1 of these units is an Atlas Gold 8-40CW with the QSI decoder. The plug with the headlight has 5 pins and so which pins can I use for headlights and ditchlights?

[CbarM]

I would hope that someone here would know what I am talkin about...Im just not sure which pins to use for the ditch lights of the 3 remaining ones....

[Cjcrescent]

I would go to the QSI website and download the instruction sheet for that model decoder. Although I own no QSI decoders, every other DCC vendor has all their instruction sheets and manuals available for download.

As to the plug, the painter who installed it should be able to tell you what goes where. In fact he should have included that info with the model(s). If he didn't, that was a slip up on his part.

When I paint for a client, any custom anything I install, (including details in some cases), comes with an instruction sheet, whether its for a DCC setup or not. I never assume the install is self evident.

[CbarM]

OK, I will have a look there, thanks! The painter (UPbigboy) only installed LED lighting in the front and rear headlights nad also ditchlights with the leads taped to the inside of the shell. I only brought him the shell to paint and light so he didnt see where the wiring should go at all. EXCELLENT painting by the way!!!

[Cjcrescent]

So, the plug you're talking about is on the decoder?

If that is true, then the info will be on the decoder instruction sheet.

[Mark R.]

Factory installed QSI decoders are different than the universal decoders you buy off the shelf. If your model did not come with ditchlights, then that decoder's firmware does not support the additional outputs to control them. The pins are there, but there are no assigned outputs to them.

I ran into the same situation when I built a NS Executive F unit that had QSI factory installed sound. The model didn't come with any additional lighting aside from the single headlight and numberboards, and I needed the ability to activate and control alternating ditchlights. I had to contract QSI and jump through a bunch of hoops to finally get a firmware upgrade sent to me via e-mail. To install the firmware upgrade, you will need a QSI Programmer to do so. This was the only way to activate what appears to be just unused pins.

Kind of an odd way to do things, but that's how OEM QSI decoders are configured - they are programmed to specifically control the lights that engine has - nothing more.


Mark.

[CbarM]

Damn....well thats no good. The chassis are 8-40C's with 8-40CW bodies on em so they wouldnt have come with ditchlights. I wonder if I can use the wires for the number boards if they are a separate function since mine are blacked out?

[Mark R.]

Again, IF the original chassis HAD separately controlled numberboards, then yes, you could use that output. However, that would only be a single output, so you wouldn't be able to have alternating ditchlights (if that's important or not) - they would be strictly on or off. The decoder wouldn't be configured to support multiple lighting effects to numberboards !

The decoder CAN do what you want it to do, it just requires the firmware update designed to your lighting specifications. If you know somebody with a QSI Programmer, it's a simple process once you have the file.


Mark.

[CbarM]

Here are a couple pics of the plug in question...its the one right behind the speakers...

[CbarM]

OK, I appreciate you info Mark and I will have to check if there were lighted number boards or not. The plug in the pic has 5 pins under it but the 3 not in use wont have any programming to them? I just want the ditchlights to be either on or off. Someone at the local club may have a QSI prorammer, I will have to look into that.