Post by coaldrag on May 12, 2012 2:31:24 GMT -8
Well last night I got up the nerve to install an LED light kit from Ulrich Models in an Athearn UP SD70Ace. This was the first attempt at anything like this, and if it ended up being a sacrificial lamb it might as well be UP. Putting the SMD leds in the ditch lights was not anything I was looking forward to. The instructions fore warned the stock bulbs would be glued in and would require reaming it out with a #53 drill bit. Not particularly something I was looking forward to. The ditch light twisted off quite easily. Much to my surprise the bulbs literally fell out, a very good omen. Next step was to put the SMD leds in and plug up the hole with the provided putty. Simple enough right, maybe not so. Fortunately the leds went right up, but after cramming in the putty, would they still be in position or had they pulled down some. Interesting dilemma because by the time the ditch light housings were CAed in place and pulling and tugging on the wires to thread the wires back into the shell, there was no way to tell if they moved.
Next came reaming the holes for the head/tail lights. Simple enough till I looked down and seen a number board was gone (nowhere to be seen again) next to the head light housing. Then I test fitted the light tubes (a SMD led glued to a light tube and coated with black to seal up light leaks) and they set at an angle messing up getting them to install correctly. Long story short I popped off the headlight bracket and cut a notch so the tubes would be straight. The bracket would cover everything up and I wasn’t going to spend the time, if it was even possible, to straighten out the tubes. I set the tubes in the bracket and glued it before it fell apart. Next problem was putting on the headlight lenses, boy are they smallll. They suggested putting some tape or putty on the tip of a screwdriver to pick them up with. That wasn’t going to happen. I had a lens in my hand and was trying to turn the top up when it stuck to my finger. Major idea here, I repositioned it so it was on my fingertip, and put that puppy right in. Time to do the next one but it wouldn’t stick any more. So I got just a very small dab of CA on my finger to get it to stick. Number two lens in there and slid it off, I’m cooking now. Did a repeat with the rear lights, but it was even easier because there was no separate bracket, as the housing is cast on to the shell. Put some CA on the light tubes to set them in place and let it dry for a while.
Soldering the ditchlights to the light board (everything else was factory soldered to the light board)was non eventful and used supplied double sided tape to attach the light board in the shell. Attaching the female end if the wiring harness to the decoder board was non eventful even though they showed where to attach to a sound board, but not to the normal circuit board. I found out later that it wasn’t even supposed to work attaching to the normal Genesis DCC ready board.
Put the shell back on, but I didn’t install couplers or anything and headed to the basement. Dialed up address 3 and the moment of truth was at hand. Cautiously I hit the F0 and low and behold the headlight comes on, ALL RIGHT !! Hit the reverse button and the rear light comes on, ALL RIGHT !! Remember the dilemma with the ditchlights ?? Were they poisoned right, were they square in the housing
Did they pull down ?? Well I hit F1 and low and behold the ditch lights come on, that’s a double ALL RIGHT !! The only thing I was disappointed with is that the LEDs had a yellow tint to them when they were supposed to be a bright white. I had acceptable amounts of damage and learned a lot of tricks on future installations. I’m only adding LEDs to about half my fleet of ‘ACes as they will lead and the others will be relegated as trailing units. I just have to figure a more economically way to add LEDs as these kits are rather expensive. Too bad that Athearn won’t spend a few more pennies and have LEDs factory installed.
Next came reaming the holes for the head/tail lights. Simple enough till I looked down and seen a number board was gone (nowhere to be seen again) next to the head light housing. Then I test fitted the light tubes (a SMD led glued to a light tube and coated with black to seal up light leaks) and they set at an angle messing up getting them to install correctly. Long story short I popped off the headlight bracket and cut a notch so the tubes would be straight. The bracket would cover everything up and I wasn’t going to spend the time, if it was even possible, to straighten out the tubes. I set the tubes in the bracket and glued it before it fell apart. Next problem was putting on the headlight lenses, boy are they smallll. They suggested putting some tape or putty on the tip of a screwdriver to pick them up with. That wasn’t going to happen. I had a lens in my hand and was trying to turn the top up when it stuck to my finger. Major idea here, I repositioned it so it was on my fingertip, and put that puppy right in. Time to do the next one but it wouldn’t stick any more. So I got just a very small dab of CA on my finger to get it to stick. Number two lens in there and slid it off, I’m cooking now. Did a repeat with the rear lights, but it was even easier because there was no separate bracket, as the housing is cast on to the shell. Put some CA on the light tubes to set them in place and let it dry for a while.
Soldering the ditchlights to the light board (everything else was factory soldered to the light board)was non eventful and used supplied double sided tape to attach the light board in the shell. Attaching the female end if the wiring harness to the decoder board was non eventful even though they showed where to attach to a sound board, but not to the normal circuit board. I found out later that it wasn’t even supposed to work attaching to the normal Genesis DCC ready board.
Put the shell back on, but I didn’t install couplers or anything and headed to the basement. Dialed up address 3 and the moment of truth was at hand. Cautiously I hit the F0 and low and behold the headlight comes on, ALL RIGHT !! Hit the reverse button and the rear light comes on, ALL RIGHT !! Remember the dilemma with the ditchlights ?? Were they poisoned right, were they square in the housing
Did they pull down ?? Well I hit F1 and low and behold the ditch lights come on, that’s a double ALL RIGHT !! The only thing I was disappointed with is that the LEDs had a yellow tint to them when they were supposed to be a bright white. I had acceptable amounts of damage and learned a lot of tricks on future installations. I’m only adding LEDs to about half my fleet of ‘ACes as they will lead and the others will be relegated as trailing units. I just have to figure a more economically way to add LEDs as these kits are rather expensive. Too bad that Athearn won’t spend a few more pennies and have LEDs factory installed.
