Kato Series 100 Shinkansen Light Board decoder help needed

[Spaceman Spiff]

Hi, I thought I would start a new thread as the previous one with my question strayed away from my question.

Attached are pictures of the Kato 100 Series light board that I would like to attach a TCS FL4 decoder (as recommended by most folks on here).

How do I go about doing it? I am not very good at soldering so keep that in mind 

Cheers

Spiff

[KenS]

What you appear to have there are two parallel LEDs in series with a 560 Ohm resistor.  Presumably they're reversed (LEDs in the same orientation should never share a LED in parallel like that).  I'd guess one lights Red and the other White depending on the polarity of the track, thus one is a headlight and one is a tail light.

The problem is that both are soldered to the same points on the board.  And the way DCC decoders typically work is that there is  a common (blue) wire connected to the "+" side of the LED and a different wire (white for the headlight, yellow for the tail light) connected to the "-" side.

With this board, both sides are "+" and both are "-" at different times.

If you take off the resistor (de-solder it, or cut it in two), that separates the two sides.  You could then sever each LED
on a different side from the board, allowing you to hook up the wires independently (and add a resistor of the same
size to each LED).

Maybe someone else has a more clever solution.  That's the best I can come up with.

[inobu]

Spiff,

You have some really hard installs.

This is the best I could come up with. It will take some patients to do.
What you want to do is use as much of the existing board as you can. You can split the LED circuit at the dotted line. It looks like the solder
bridges the two leads together. Break the bridge and you will separate the circuitry. You also have to flip the clear LED because they are wired in opposed to work
in a DC track and operate when the polarity/train changes direction. You will need to use a de-soldering tool.   

More details...

de-solder pump.



You really need a sturdy vice to hold the board. I always try to do it on a flat table and it becomes a waste of time so I use a vice so you don't have to fight with it.     

Hope this helps.

Inobu

[Bernard]

Off topic - Inobu, where did you get that de-solder pump? Sure beats mind which is a round bulb with an opening.

[inobu]

Bernard,

I got it from a company called Orvac. You can get them from the real electronic stores.

Inobu

[Spaceman Spiff]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I once again seek knowledge ala Decoders for Dummies :) please bear with my dumb questions. As I understand things I need to:

1) Flip the white LED over.
2) Solder the blue wire from the decoder as indicated.
3) Scratch the pad as indicated.

So far simple enough for a decoder dummy like me. Now the questions,,,

1) White & Yellow wires were mentioned. The decoder a TCS FL4 doesn't have leads of those colors. I have attached the decoder PDF.
    Link:  http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Literature/Decoders/HO_Scale/FL-Series/FL4.pdf

2) I take it the red LED requires no modification?

3) I am to split the circuit the removing the solder. Where exactly am I to do this?

4) The red and black decoder leads need to soldered on to the long strips that connect to track power. Is this correct?

Thanks to everyone for their help and putting up with my questions.

Spiff

[CaptOblivious]

1) White & Yellow wires were mentioned. The decoder a TCS FL4 doesn't have leads of those colors. I have attached the decoder PDF.
    Link:  http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Literature/Decoders/HO_Scale/FL-Series/FL4.pdf

Just use the purple and green leads on the FL4. No real difference as far as your needs go. Just remember which one you wired to which LED so you can program the lights to work right.

2) I take it the red LED requires no modification?

Shouldn't. You just want the LEDs to have their anodes wired together, and to the blue wire; and the cathodes not wired together, but to the green and purple function leads.

3) I am to split the circuit the removing the solder. Where exactly am I to do this?

Uhm, not sure how to answer this one.  Inobu?

4) The red and black decoder leads need to soldered on to the long strips that connect to track power. Is this correct?

yep!