These are some answers to customers' questions about lighting and operation options:
Lighting:
ONE:
STR can still supply constant voltage circuits to operate 5 Volt bayonet type 5 Volt lamps. This was designed in the '80s for use in passenger cars.
A kit is $25. Included 2 lamps, circuit/hardware, instructions, and rechargeable battery backup plug.
TWO:
1.5 Volt lamps can be powered by the DCRU or the MTH ProtoSounds1 bottom board. These units provide directional lighting. All DCRUs are designed to power both Forward and Reverse lamps. Most are set up for Reverse. A few have neither installed.
Forward or Reverse directional lighting capability can be installed on any DCRU: $5.
1.5 Volt lamps, when available are $10 and come with pigtail wires and a plug.
STR has wired plugs, $5.00, and you can find 1.5 Volt Grain-o-Wheat lamps at your hobby shop.
STR has marker light kits available. Request either LED or Incandescent, and etiher Grain-o-Wheat or Grain-o-Rice lamps, ttached plug included: $14.50.
G-o-W Marker lights with leads & resistor, no plug: $7.50
THREE:
The constant Voltage circuit can be converted to 1.5 Volts for operating incandescent lamps. Add $10. Gives full brightness lamp at lower track Voltages.
This conversion was used in locos that had been fitted with incandescent marker lights behind clear or colored de-foiled rhinestones.
Note:
Incandescent lamps cannot be powered from the top board. The micro Processor has insufficient power output. Such heavy use will destroy it.
When used with a sound system, the DCRU's constant Voltage lighting circuit can be connected to the sound system's backup battery so as to keep the lights on during power interruptions: $5. They will go off when the battery circuit shuts down, about 15 seconds after power has been turned off.
Marker Light variations:
LED marker lights can also be powered from the sound board, using connector JP9.
JP9 is the output intended for OHBL (Over Head Blinking Light). The light will also operate during the first 15 seconds of power off.
Operation:
Transformer operation is provided on all QSI retail sound systems starting with Version 1.1. The controls include On Steady or Blinking and either All The Time or when Engine is Selected.
Blinking only was supplied on all ProtoSounds1 systems.
OEM, Proto One and Proto Plus did not come with OHBL capability.
Any QSI designed and/or built systems with the 237µP can be upgraded to QS-2P to get the OHBL features.
Any left out OHBL components can be installed on the sound board.
Dual coil coupler operation was introduced by QSI with the introduction of the QS-2P, and is continued in the QS-3000.
The places of usage are in diesel locomotives (single or wired A-A), steam switcher locos, and dual tender locos.
The
coupler command, Reset 10, can set to "Trailing Arm Enabled". What this
means is that the coupler that was at the rear of the locomotive during
its last move will be the one to be armed and eventually fired. It does
not have to be fired immediately after arming it. It will patently wait
until the next whistle signal, no matter how many times it is reversed
or the bell is turned on or off. It will lose the firing info only
after another Reset.
If you want both couplers to fire at the
same time, set the loco to "Both Enabled". However, you may find that
the loaded coupler will not always open. That is because the stored
energy in the coupling capacitor must be shared with both couplers,
giving either one only half of what it would be if operated alone.
Additional settings in this feature allow only one or the other coupler to be operated, or even none.
Rhinestones:
There are still available a number of rhinestones in red, green and clear in a variety of sizes. At one time, kits for various locos sold for $25. Kits consisted of 4 Grain-o-Rice lamps and 10 rhinestones.
Rhinestones are available for $1 each, minimum order: $10.
Grain-o-Rice Lamps:
There are no incandescent 1.5 Volt Grain-o-Rice lamps in stock.
You can find 1.5 Volt Grain-o-Rice lamps at your hobby store. Most likely in the doll house lighting supply section.
Volume Controls:
Chassis mounted MTH Volume Controls are available for $10 ea. and include all the necessary mounting hardware. No instructions.
Sound Perspective:
This reply was generated in answer to a customer's question about an apparent lack of low frequency response in an SD-60.
One should look at the visual perspective to determine the 'realistic-ness' of the sound.
When looking at the locomotive, imagine how far away your visual perspective places you from the prototype. That distance should be used in determining if the sounds are correct.
1/4" per foot means that a viewing distance of 6-1/4' feet is equivalent to viewing a prototype at a distance of 300', the distance of a football field.
The low frequencies drop off much more rapidly than the high frequencies and the mid frequencies, while attenuated, are the most noticeable remnant.
With that distance in mind, you will probably be turning down the volume. The only flaw with O Gauge tinplate is the noise of the moving train, new products have become considerable quieter in the last 10 years, and needs to be just overcome.
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