Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 75 Location: in a house
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I have several turnouts on my layout with LED lanterns in them. Some of them flicker, and some do not. Even when they are right next to each other on the same circuit and transformer.
Is it the type of LED kit that I bought (older vs. newer)? Is there a solution anyone has come up with (other than buying a new one)?
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 1 user liked this useful post by SCWHIPPLE
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Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,597 Location: Beverly, MA
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Hi!
>I have several turnouts on my layout with LED lanterns in them. Some of them flicker, and some do not. Even when they are right next to each other on the same circuit and transformer. <
C-track?K-track add-on's? How are they wired?
ALL lighting,turnouts lanterns,signals,structures should be on a totally separate circuit.
Dr D
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Joined: 28/02/2012(UTC) Posts: 288 Location: New York
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On my layout I soldered them straight to the switch, instead of putting them on a separate circuit. I haven't had an issue with flickering.
Daniel |
Newly Started Analog Z Layout
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 1 user liked this useful post by elfangor103
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Joined: 08/03/2006(UTC) Posts: 1,047 Location: Gold Coast, Australia.
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I too run all my signals/points off my 6017 booster that is totally separate to my track power supply that uses an Ecos 50200 command station. My turnout lanterns are also connected to the separate transformer that powers all my K83's. It is important to note you cannot share the brown wire that you use for track power with your second system as that brown wire we all love to refer to as "earth/ground" carries current on a digital system but I am sure you already are aware of that. Consequently I have no flickering "led" lights on any of my turnout lanterns. Hope my two cents worth is of some help to you.
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D.A.Banks |
 1 user liked this useful post by Dave Banks
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Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,597 Location: Beverly, MA
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Hi all, Good reason to keep things separate,trouble shooting,...
Dr D
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Joined: 03/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,571
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Originally Posted by: DaveB  I too run all my signals/points off my 6017 booster that is totally separate to my track power supply that uses an Ecos 50200 command station. My turnout lanterns are also connected to the separate transformer that powers all my K83's. It is important to note you cannot share the brown wire that you use for track power with your second system as that brown wire we all love to refer to as "earth/ground" carries current on a digital system but I am sure you already are aware of that. Consequently I have no flickering "led" lights on any of my turnout lanterns. Hope my two cents worth is of some help to you.
Not sure of above statement regarding common grounds? My understanding: In terms of track power only/power districts for tracks: - Using old booster and CS2 Marklin moved away from their old principle of using common ground and here you had to separate it. - With new type of boosters you can use common ground (see also post: https://www.marklin-user...2_Booster-exchange.aspx)In terms of using other power supplies (including boosters) to feed solenoids, signals, lights etc: - I always understood that preferred solution is to use a common ground? E.g. my Viesmann 5211 decoders are fed by a 32VA transformer and this has a common ground with that of the CS2 track power (see also: https://www.marklin-user...ml/digital/DIpower.html)Please enlighten me if there is something I have completely misunderstood? Thanks! Brgds - Lasse |
Digital 11m2 layout / C (M&K) tracks / Era IV / CS3 60226 / Train Controller Gold 9 with 4D sound. Mainly Danish and German Locomotives. |
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 15,463 Location: DE-NW
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Originally Posted by: DaveB  It is important to note you cannot share the brown wire that you use for track power with your second system as that brown wire we all love to refer to as "earth/ground" carries current on a digital system but I am sure you already are aware of that. I was not aware of that before. Is there some source where we can read about it (ESU or Märklin)? AFAIK the brown wires on the digital side can be connected (unless you have an early CS2 and a 60173 booster). |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
 1 user liked this useful post by H0
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Joined: 09/04/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,343 Location: Southwest Ohio
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There is no problem sharing common grounds in the electrical industry. Three phase voltage does it all the time. Since there is no potential between the two power sources as they only share one side of their electrical circuit, they each just do their own thing unaware of the presence of the other. My ECoS feeds just the track and a M transformer powers all other equipment. I have but one brown connection for both power sources. |
Matt Era 3 DB lokos, coaches and freight cars from across Europe But I do have the obligatory (six) SBB Krocs ECoS 50200, all FX and MFX decoders replaced with ESU V4s, operated in DCC-RailCom+ with ABC brake control. With the exception of the passenger wagens with Marklin current conducting couplers, all close couplers have been replaced with Roco 40397. |
 1 user liked this useful post by biedmatt
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Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 75 Location: in a house
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Originally Posted by: kbvrod  Hi!
>I have several turnouts on my layout with LED lanterns in them. Some of them flicker, and some do not. Even when they are right next to each other on the same circuit and transformer. <
C-track?K-track add-on's? How are they wired?
ALL lighting,turnouts lanterns,signals,structures should be on a totally separate circuit.
Dr D
These are C track trunouts with the add on lantern kits. It also happens on the C-track end bumpers that have lanterns on them - some bumpers flicker and some do not. The bumpers have only one wire so I cannot put them on a totally separate circuit. I could use a common ground and a separate hot wire though.
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Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 75 Location: in a house
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Originally Posted by: elfangor103  On my layout I soldered them straight to the switch, instead of putting them on a separate circuit. I haven't had an issue with flickering.
Daniel Daniel, That is what I am doing too. Most of them are fine, just like yours. I just have a few here and there that flicker (out of about 50), and was just wondering what the deal was with those few.....
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Joined: 21/03/2017(UTC) Posts: 6 Location: Irricana, Aleberta
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Originally Posted by: Dave Banks  I too run all my signals/points off my 6017 booster that is totally separate to my track power supply that uses an Ecos 50200 command station. My turnout lanterns are also connected to the separate transformer that powers all my K83's. It is important to note you cannot share the brown wire that you use for track power with your second system as that brown wire we all love to refer to as "earth/ground" carries current on a digital system but I am sure you already are aware of that. Consequently I have no flickering "led" lights on any of my turnout lanterns. Hope my two cents worth is of some help to you.
Hi I think I do the same, but in this case my turnout lights don’t work! What to do here? Isn’t it that yellow ( turnout light) has to be connected to track ground? Please let me know how to solve this Thx Ton Edited by moderator 30 December 2018 04:02:14(UTC)
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Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 9,289
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Viessmann do have a power modul 5215. This power modul stop flickering the LED if you use trafo 14-16 VAC. In my opion i prefer to use DC power 12-16 VDC. |
H0 DCC = Digital Command Control
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Joined: 06/01/2010(UTC) Posts: 263
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So this brings us back to the original question: what makes an LED flicker?
I am not an expert but my understanding is that LEDs expect DC current, I would therefore hazard the following 3 reasons, in order of likelihood: Reason 1: use an of AC power supply, the polarity changes 50 to 60 times per second depending on your location on mother earth, making the LED switch off and on as many times per seconds. Reason 2: loose wiring/poor contact Reason 3: use of a dimming mechanism.
Considering the use case (MRR), and the lack of information about mode of operation: It can only be reason 1 or 2.
Or am I missing something?
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Joined: 17/09/2006(UTC) Posts: 18,778 Location: New Zealand
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Originally Posted by: Ton  I think I do the same, but in this case my turnout lights don’t work!
What to do here?
Isn’t it that yellow ( turnout light) has to be connected to track ground? No, the yellow is connected to the yellow terminal of a separate transformer or it can be connected to the track Red (B), but this results in current meant for trains being used for lights. The brown wire from the turnout lights is connected to the common Brown - I usually solder the brown from the lights to a spare track brown (0) terminal. The brown from your separate transformer should be connected to the track brown to create a common ground. I have fitted some of my turnouts with a non Marklin warm white LED - these will flicker if you connect them to the track current. I'm running mine off a separate 12v DC power supply so that they don't flicker, plus they aren't as bright when run off 12v DC (a good thing for me!). I've never seen any of the Marklin lantern lights flicker regardless of whether they are feed off track current or from a separate AC transformer.
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 1 user liked this useful post by Bigdaddynz
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Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,509 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Originally Posted by: Bigdaddynz  I've never seen any of the Marklin lantern lights flicker regardless of whether they are feed off track current or from a separate AC transformer.
I haven't followed the whole thread through, but just to comment on this, the C track lanterns have two LEDS, I believe they are wired back to back so it doesn't matter which polarity the power is, one will always be lit. This will be why Marklin lanterns don't flicker.
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 1 user liked this useful post by kiwiAlan
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Joined: 04/12/2013(UTC) Posts: 2,266 Location: Hobart, Australia
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Originally Posted by: Bigdaddynz  I have fitted some of my turnouts with a non Marklin warm white LED - these will flicker if you connect them to the track current. I'm running mine off a separate 12v DC power supply so that they don't flicker, plus they aren't as bright when run off 12v DC (a good thing for me!). I've never seen any of the Marklin lantern lights flicker regardless of whether they are feed off track current or from a separate AC transformer. Hello David, Likewise, I certainly subscribe to that concept - i.e. running lighting from separate transformers. All my lighting is run from three separate transformers. Some on 15v from an Arlec transformer I made up in my analogue days (on the right) :     But most of my lighting is from 12v since it was convenient to obtain this hefty (12v 9A) garden lighting transformer (distributed via three circuits each fused - yes a dinosaur fuse - to 3 A each) for the purpose (especially for my signals which are ancient Brawa with miniature globes. None of these globes have blown in over 20 years which I attribute to using slightly underpower at 12v) :     Best Wishes from across the Tasman Sea; I look forward to your "we got it first" New Year's Day greetings. Regards, Philip
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 2 users liked this useful post by PJMärklin
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Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC) Posts: 1,291 Location: Port Moody, BC
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I have had one of my Maerklin C track lanterns flicker. When I opened it up I noticed that one of the LED's series resistor was not soldered correctly. Re-soldering the resistor eliminated the flicker.
As far as the common ground is concerned, I connect all my "browns" from my lighting transformer and from my track power supply together and have no issues.
Peter
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