problem with light bleed

     First my apologies to you all for not responding to my query on ground signals, that slipped down the priority list as we concentrated on nursing our cats through their final years.  Trevor, I had been thinking along the lines of the w-i-t method as you suggested and I did buy a couple of the Ratio kits to see if I could do something with them. First thoughts were to use a track pin as an ‘axle’, drill hole in the disc to attach wire, wire painted matt black, to a Gem lever frame. Kevin, I have bought some colour light ground signals, for Woodside Station, which I could also use at Hooton. That project will restart when I locate the aforementioned kits in the chaos that exists below the layout…

  For now, another query – anybody using Train-Tech colour light signals? I use colour lights where there is insufficient access for my version of motorised semaphores. I thought I’d try Train-Tech a while back, as a change from Eckon and Absolute Aspects, finally got around to doing something with them. Thought the idea of the narrow pcb with the leds premounted was quite a good idea, but the first three aspect I’ve built suffers from quite bad bleed through of the light from the lit led to the other unlit leds


   
  Closer inspection of another kit, the leds appear to be moulded with a deep square transparent base


  
  â€¦which must surely transmit some light as the base sits behind the signal front ….. also the leds themselves are not a tight fit in the signal, which can only add to the problem….

  â€¦. or is it me??? …. It quite often is….

  Keith

Decided to see if painting the bases of the leds could sort this problem. I removed the back of the signal so that the pcb could be moved clear of the signal. I started with the red led, as that does appear to be noticeably brighter than the green and yellow, just covering the base, all four sides and the top, avoiding the actual ‘globe’, with Humbrol matt black. Needs a steady hand and a fine brush – I’ve got the brush, not quite the steady hand, but managed it. Here it is with the green led lit


 
– you can see that the light is transmitted into the base of the led and then on to the adjacent led. The painted red led is now unaffected, just holding the pcb between the front and back of the signal, and the green led still lit



… light bleed to the yellow, but no sign on the red. With the red led lit, holding the back on the signal



… success! I then painted the yellow and green leds, and they too showed no light bleed.  This is the green with just the front of the signal balanced on the pcb



…so I reckon that’s problem solved, and now painting the bases will just become part of the assembly process. Now, with the signal reassembled



 â€¦and subject to clearance checks with the fiddle yard approach below it can it can now go at the final tunnel mouth into the loops under Woodside to provide the fat controller with the essential ‘caution’ required for running the railway. The rather untidy location board will need tidying up too.

Keith

Are these kits or the pre-made one. I have one of the premise and don’t see an issue with bleed. I haven’t used it in a while as I changed my mind and went with semaphores on Teasel. 

I have several lying in a drawer - fitted to the current layout when I bought it but now redundant although I think they're only 2 colour signals.  I must check but, on the few occasions they were lit before I removed them, I didn't notice any bleed.

  S’mae Chris / Peter


  It is the kit, as are the Eckon examples, which are my first choice. Must admit I didn’t notice any problems when I first installed the signal – it was only when I took that close-up of the signal on red I saw the bleed problem. From a distance, looks fine… but then I knew it was there, so couldn’t ignore it – ‘operational’, as opposed to ‘scenery’. It could be me, although I can’t see I’ve done anything wrong – they are so straightforward to assemble, but that said if it is me, it’s not the first time!



Incidentally have the Train-Tech signals always had the leds on a pcb?


Keith

[user=1798]Woodside[/user] wrote:

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Incidentally have the Train-Tech signals always had the leds on a pcb?


Keith

No idea Keith.  Mine were fitted by the layout's previous owner, heaven knows when.  I'll have a look tomorrow and see if they're on a board or not.  As I said though, I think mine are all 2 aspect but wouldn't be sure …………….

  Shouldn’t matter Peter 2, 3 or 4 aspect – I’m assuming they are all the same basic design. The three aspect pcb extends 1.5” below the base of the signal, a two aspect would be 1.25” below the base. So providing your baseboard is less than 1.25” deep, you should be able to see the pcb, without disturbing the signal. If all you can see are wires below the signal, then it is unlikely to be the same design as the ones I am using.



Keith

  

Hi Keith,
Thanks for sharing your get around with the light bleed. I had never thought of doing that. I have numerous colour light signals which suffer from this. Mine are all constructed and glued now so it is something I will have to live with.

I checked my signals Keith and I'm pretty sure there are only wires exiting the signal.  The PCB controls are on a separate, remote board - at least, I think that's the case.  I never used them and didn't pay much attention when I removed them but each has a separate board with push buttons on it……

  Glad to have been of some help Gary. Must admit when I build anything I tend to be very sparing with the glue, just in case I’ve misread the instructions. In my case it was quite easy to break the glue so I could get at the pcb. The Train-Tech signals use a different plastic (blend of mostly ABS instead of polystyrene – according to the instructions), and I found the standard poly glue doesn’t actually ‘stick’ as well, which in my case was an advantage.


  Keith

  Peter, sounds like they could be using just standard leds, like the Eckon, possibly an earlier version and they may well be fine. These leds fitted on a narrow pcb could be a recent change. It is the only direct contact with a pcb I’ve had thus far, and will probably be my last. The pcbs with your signals sound a bit more like the operational controls/switches for something more advanced…. DCC, maybe. At that point I’ll stop… I’m already way out of my comfort zone!
  
Keith