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LOL na just 2 bones removed, the rest fused together. I will never be able to flex my wrist joint forward and backward or side to side. Which doesnt matter as I only had maybe 15% movement before the surgery due to the previous fracture not healing right.
RTR locos need lenses for surface mount LEDs or LEDs that fill the entire hole since they put bulbs in the headlight holes, so that theres no glazing for the headlights.
I built that loco while in college near the end of the last century. I didn't have any money and the nearest trains store was a couple hours away so the anticlimber is probably just a piece of Evergreen styrene cut to shape. The stantions are metal Athearn stantions with the ends straightened and stuck in holes drilled in the top of the anticlimber. Nothing sophisticated or anything.
For lenses you could use MV products lenses with the silver peeled off. Somebody else also makes acrylic lenses but I don't remember who.
The mini-leds from Ulrich Models arrived today. This is for an Athearn RTR NS C40-9w that I moved the headlight above the cab on and installed working ditch lights to. I have a NCE 13SRJ decoder hooked up to it.
As I started to hook up the ditch wires, I had a brief scare when I went to strip the wires and I momentarily lost track of which was the cathode and which was the anode (they arent tower leds). But I was able to keep them straight, and I was able to get everything spliced, soldered, and resistored in to have success lighting them up. They look outstanding. Now I just need to get the tower leds in to light up the headlight and rearlight and then cover all connections with heat shrink.
Brad
ps One thing I learned, for anyone who hasnt worked with the light gauge wire that comes with these mini-leds, is to just scrape the insolation from them very gently versus the usual trying to pull it off by stripping. All you do if you do the latter is usually cut your wire and cause yourself to cuss in frustration.
Anyone order from these guys in the past? How long did it typically take for shipping? I'm pretty sure i upgraded my shipping option and I still have no lights and its been a week.
Props to you guys who are able to solder those small ass leds. I just went nuts trying to just solder the power wires from the trucks to the tsunami board.
To solder to those surface mount LEDs, flux the tiny pads, flux the wire, and then paste it on with a blob of solder on your iron. It sounds like a mortal sin, but that's the trick to soldering surface mount components without destroying them.
Flux also helps if you're trying to solder something and the solder refuses to flow onto it.
ok so i need a thing of flux. Added to my list of things needed to do it right for tomorrow LOL. The solder I have was taking forever to melt, which makes me thing its high temp. So im going to get low temp.
How many watts is your iron rated for? Higher wattage = hotter iron. A mid-range iron would be ideal for soldering electronics. Less wattage means less heat, and if the iron isn't hot enough, it will make your life miserable.
If you have lead-free solder, consider getting some with lead in it (make sure it's for use with electronics). Just make sure to wash your hands afterwards. Lead does not vaporize when the solder is melted so theres no danger. Solder with a bit of lead in it melts at a slightly lower temperature, although a higher wattage iron should fix the problem regardless of the type of solder that you use.
A 10-15 watt iron will work good for SMD electronics. Also you dont need to use flux if you tin the pads and wire properly. Make sure your pads and wire are clean so the solder will stick to them though. Use some thin solder and not the thick stuff as it will just make a mess.
