Ditch Light wiring withour a decoder

[NSGP38HiHoods]

Hey everyone,
      Can someone help me out on how to wire up ditch lights without the use of a decoder?  I know you have to drop the voltage through dropping resistors, but I don't know which ones to use and how to wire the kit up.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Craig

[Hoydie17]

It's going to depend on the wattage of the bulbs or LEDs that you're using.   

If you don't plan to have them flash alternatively, you should be able to just crimp the wires directly to the wire for the front lightbulb.

I'm not sure how you would make the ditch lights work without DCC though.  I converted a few years back and haven't looked back. 

[scooter3798]

Craig,

     The best thing that I have found for ditch lights, either for DCC or straight DC, is Circutron's Mitey Lites bulbs and their corresponding dropping resistors. The ones that I use most often and I feel look the best are their part number 800-7414. They are 1.4 mm 1.5V, 30ma. bulbs, and they use part number 800-9414 dropping resistors to take the track power down to the correct power for the bulbs. Hard wiring them is also fairly easy as all that you need is a basic competency with soldering some heat shrink a pair of pliers and a little time. After you do a couple of them they become pretty easy to get in. As for constant lighting or flashing ditch lights, there are a number of kits available through Circutron, Utah Pacific and a couple other manufacturers that produce a myriad of different effects with out the need for a DCC decoder.

Hope this helps,

    Scooter