Resistors for Athearn mini-bulbs

I just wanted to make sure I'm using the right rating on my resistors that will be used inline with Athearn Genesis mini-bulbs (as found in their F units). I have calculated that the minimum I should use is 680 ohms, but is there a lower rating that would result in brighter bulbs, without severely shortening their lifespan?

Also, I've read that mini-bulbs don't handle special effects well (gyralights, etc.). Is my memory correct here? I have an F unit with 2 bulbs per lamp, and one of the lamps is supposed to be a vertical gyralight. If both bulbs were programmed as gyralights, would this make a decent looking emulation, or is it not worth the time? (I'm accustomed to replacing these bulbs with DCC compatibles, but want to try resistance for a change...)

Reply to
DCC Models
Loading thread data ...

Bulb life is related to the brightness of the bulb. If you want to have a bright white, the life is really very short. In additon, bulbs don't like to be turned on and off as this induces cracks in the tungsten used in the bulb. I'd prefer to use a pair of diodes (for a 1.5V bulb) in each direction (4 diodes) to regualte the voltage to the bulb to gain the more constant brightness with the track voltage varying.

-- Why isn't there an Ozone Hole at the NORTH Pole?

Reply to
Bob May

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.