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If you have this signal I wanted to know if (and how) the back cover is removable to access the LEDs?  I am looking to replace my now defunct Atlas CPL signals (greens failed) with the MTH 30-11005, but will need to gain access to the LEDs to rewire  them to conform to the Custom Signals/Atlas system standard (5V  common cathode configuration).

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Martin Derouin posted:

Any progress on this thread???   Curious minds want to know...

Marty

I ordered one off flea bay for $49 and should be here by 4/27.  Surprisingly there are no more MTH 30-11005 CPLs out there for sale that I can locate.  Seems odd that MTH doesn't churn out signals as bread and butter items.

Game plan: I will modify by removing its electronics and wiring a phone cord to the vacated leads.  The "drum head" will be opened and the Led pairs re wired in parallel with 1/8w ballast resistors and configured as anode driven, common cathode grounded, so they will work with the Atlas/Custom Signals 5V system.

Updates to follow

Thanks

Martin Derouin posted:

Sounds pretty ambitious to me,  good luck.  I have one of the signals and the  board is screwed,  On the top head, no green, yellow stays on and red works when train goes by it,  been in place about 5 years with no problem....oh well...

Marty

 

Marty,

Are you talking about the 30-11024 two headed 3 vertical over 3 vertical signal?  If so I have a board for that.  Or are you actually referring to the 30-11005 single head color position signal?

Marty

I do have a 3 over 3 replacement board .  Be warned, you need a really fine tip solder iron, fine gauge solder, steady hands and magnifier head gear, as the solder pads are small and most likely too much heat will lift or destroy the copper traces.  Unfortunately I cannot guarantee the board will work (they did when removed), but price is free except nominal postage.

I do have someone who wants them all but I can pull one out if you want to try fixing signal.  I will ship them in next day or so if I don't hear from you.

Finished modifying (steady hands and magnifier required) the MTH CPL this weekend to work with Custom Signal/Atlas control boards.  Given the way the traces ran on the "drum head" circuit board, I found I could reverse one LED of the pair and use fine wire to connect the other now open LED leads.  LEDs were wired in parallel omitting resistors because too tight fit.   Did this diode reversing for all three pairs then connected the leads to the 6 wire flat telephone cable.  I then inserted a current meter and adjusted the LED resistor value until current was about 12mA (one half the 25mA absolute current output of a PIC processor pin).  I then fine tuned each value eyeballing LED brightnesses. 

Last step will be installing on the layout.  Fortunately it is in out of way  location, so not as noticeable contrasted with the three Atlas CPLs that are being re-LED-ed by a gentleman in Florida.

Stay tuned.

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