Hey, I like that color. I think in the HO scale world 740 ohm resistors are used for LED getting 12 track power. Probably should look to check my facts but I’m pretty certain of it.
The LED I’m using already has a resistor under the shrink wrap - you can see it in this pic. I’m just contemplating an extra one to reduce the intensity of the light.
That brings to mind a thing I do know I need to check my memory about - resistors wired in series add up to the cumulative total resistance & resisters wired in parallel split the total resistance.
resisters wired in parallel split the total resistance.
Only if they have the same value. In parallel, the formula is 1/R=1/R1+1/R2.
Today was fitting-out day, with various electrical and wooden bits. I installed the on/off/charge switch underneath, and discovered my motor block has very long axles! Not a problem yet.
I had realized the motor block is very visible through the big windows, so I decided to make a “motor cover”. Here’s the curved roof after gluing. I found some more curved scrap in my wood-bits box so it will have a curved top. I also sawed off a bit of the pivot boss on the motor block, - no reason the cover has to be too tall.
And finally I worked on the roof hardware. I needed an exhaust stack to control the speed on my little controller underneath, and also a sliding fwd/off/rec switch. An engine or cabin vent seemed like a good option so I raided another box of bits.
I also sanded down the edges of the roof so it sits down a little. It will get a coat of dark grey along the edges when the drilling is over.
purty nifty little bugger
Pete Thornton said:
I like the toilet vent stack but you probably should use PVC instead of brass…just saying ?
I like the toilet vent stack
You are referring to the diesel exhaust stack? And I doubt the backwoods guys ever heard of pvc. This little critter is definitely too small for a toilet!
I inserted the battery holders to see if the fit was still good. The motor cover may need some fettlin’ but it will work. At least it hides the mess when you leave the door open!
And I think that is it until the Fall when I get back to FL. I’m still waiting for the sound module and I don’t have time to wire it all up before I head for the north.
Pete Thornton said:
I like the toilet vent stack
You are referring to the diesel exhaust stack? And I doubt the backwoods guys ever heard of pvc. This little critter is definitely too small for a toilet!
And I doubt the backwoods guys ever heard of a diesel either.
It’s all good and enjoying the progress!
Hey Pete, Great Video! Glad to hear you are heading north. I guess you feel you can get there without isolation for 2 weeks in each state. Hope you find things open when you get home. Please keep us informed.
Safe travels!
Ric Golding said:
Hey Pete, Great Video! Glad to hear you are heading north. I guess you feel you can get there without isolation for 2 weeks in each state. Hope you find things open when you get home. Please keep us informed.
Ric, we took the Auto Train. They insisted we wear face coverings in the station and while moving about the train, and fed us in our (bed)rooms. Apart from those minor inconveniences (oh - and they didn’t have coffee and ice in each coach, so I had to go to the Lounge car for it - another inconvenience,) we rattled along and arrived early. Got to our MD condo by 10am the following day; only 26 hrs door-to-door. We even loaded a kayak on the roof and it came for $0. THere were 4 hoppers, a caboose, and an EBT C-19 #7 stuffed in the car.
MD doesn’t quarantine Floridians - it’s Florida that quarantines Marylanders!
Now, what was I working on in MD? Ah yes, that big British passenger coach. First I have to sort out all the train bits, parts, and other goodies that accumulated in my “Take-to-MD” box.
OH now you tell me, you could have taken gobs more trains home inside the kayak! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Jerry
Glad you made it home, Pete. Now back to last Summer’s project. 
Ric Golding said:
Glad you made it home, Pete. Now back to last Summer’s project.
Yes - one thing in the bag of mail that my neighbor collected was a package of resin parts from Smallbrook Studios, consisting of a British-style battery box for the underneath, and a pair of duckets for the guard. As you are not a Brit, the following pic is of a ducket, a place for the guard/conductor to stick his head out without getting wet!
OK. Over to the other thread . . .
Oh, I get it - “just DUCK IT (ducket) in there to get a look down the tracks”. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Pete;
I remember an article in Model Railways magazine quite some years ago, where the author had a mishap involving duckets. Seems he had built a new guard’s van without checking clearances on the layout. On the first trip through one tunnel portal, the duckets were “emasculated” from the van. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)Things got widened and repaired, but I’m sure his face was red when the mishap happened.
Best, David Meashey
Now where was I . . .
Oh yes, fitting battery boxes into the bodywork. Tiny screws hold them in place. I think the driver is going to get chopped off at the knees.
The boxcab also acquired a proper radiator, courtesy of “Bruce’s box of auto oddities” that ended up at Jerry’s place. I made a surround to reduce the chances of something hitting it.
The speaker for the sound system got a new box in one corner to improve the sound.
This pic is the roof with all wiring completed.
Top left is the manual speed control, and in the center of the roof is a reversing switch. Mylocosound “lite diesel” sound card bottom right, with an IR detector for programming and triggering sounds. The 2 sets of red/black wires heading out on the left are power feed from the batteries and motor feed from the direction switch. (Both have JST plugs on, though of opposite gender to avoid problems.)
I removed the blue tape to tidy it up, I could install a scribed siding roof panel to hide most of it, but it is hidden when sitting on the bodywork.
One thing I forgot to mention (and forgot to fix) is that these battery holders have one big flaw. Many 18650 batteries have a relatively flush end, unlike a regular AA. The plastic insulation hits the wire soldered to the end contact and the center of the battery does not. I insert a small screw or nail into the hole in the end contact to make it work.
The Boxcab now has a fancy electronics rig on the side wall, though I will probably cover it later. I got the 3 batteries installed and wired to the protection board.
Then I tested it, and although I get 12+ volts from the 3 (fully charged) LiIon 18650 batteries where they connect to the PCB, the P+, P- (PCB in/out) only shows 6.2V. I’ve had similar problems with other types of boards, and there’s no obvious explanation, though I’m sure an electronics guru could tell me why! Yesterday I had a few spare moments so I sat down at the bench and found I had 12.4V instead of 6.2V. By the time I had finished testing the sound system it had decided to drop to 6.2 again.
If it keeps playing up, I will replace it with 3 individual battery protection boards whish are very small and should give me some more flexibility.