The end result
Having read about the works of a Swedish model railroader Bo, who has made some interesting work with Swedish signals in H0, I felt that I wanted to give it a shot. Since I model the PRR I wanted to make a simple position light. Early on I decided that I just wanted to make a signal that just shows one aspect; this to keep it simple. But what to use as target? I had my mind set on a sheet of thin brass that I had seen in the shed at my mother’s but naturally I forgot to look for it last time I was there. About a week ago I bought a new ink cartridge for my printer. As I wrestled with the plastic “box” that covers the cardboard box that contains the cartridge (Why, I ask, why these multiple packaging?) I came to look at the top of the plastic. You know the part that the box is supposed to hang from in the rack in the store. I realized that I was holding in bit of plastic that was rather sturdy and cheep, that is if don’t consider the ink cartridge.
I grabbed my hole punch I made a couple of 10 mm discs. Admittedly they should have been about 8.2 mm but I felt I needed the extra space. Having done this I just marked lines for the holes. I realised that this was easier to do if I had given the disc a coat of paint. I had to discard a couple of discs before I figured this out since the holes didn't line up properly.
I then had make holes for the light. The diodes are mounted on the back of the target. I had some 0.6 mm drills (too small) and some 1.5mm drills (a bit too big). But as had gotten into the mood I didn’t feel like go looking for drills. So on with the 1.5 mm drill.
(The little grey aardwark-looking thing is bluetac the hobbyists friend)
I then had to get the diodes into place. This was a bit tricky since they are quite small, approx 3x1.5 mm. I got them from a supplier in Sweden, but I have found them in the US as well at Mouser; make a search for Search for: 1206 15-21.
After remembering to check if the diodes were the right way; anode to cathode I began soldering. The diodes are conected in a series since this a fast way to solve it. I took a brass tube and threaded one cable from a phone cord (RJ45 type) through it. Another piece of cable was soldered to the tube which serves as a conductor. Finally I soldered a 820 Ω resistor at one of the cables.
Then I had to test it and it worked, I was a bit worried that I might have damaged the diodes when I soldered but they seem to have survived. Now this signal has just one aspect but I guess that it could be modified to show more aspects. But since I am electronically challenged I’ll leave that to another day.
/Peter
Joined: 2005-05-28