Author Topic: ditch lights  (Read 2640 times)

nortoneye

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ditch lights
« on: March 02, 2018, 10:18:45 AM »
I have used 2 buttons to enable flashing ditch lights-is there a way to keep them on continuously?

KPack

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Re: ditch lights
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2018, 10:42:11 AM »
Read through (the other) Tim's ditch light guide: https://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php/topic,207.0.html.  It's nicely explained in there!

-Kevin

G8B4Life

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Re: ditch lights
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2018, 11:10:39 AM »
I do need to update that user guide, I have much better pics and some of the info has changed due to new lighting effects, which I'll explain here now.

What hasn't changed:
The rules in the guide have not changed. You must use the button pictures and place the effects in the order as per the guide.

What has changed:
There is now a rear ditch light button.
The bug in the guide has been fixed.
The light effects and names are changed.

Instead of "On/Off" effect you'll need to use "On/Off 1sec Rev 2" (do not use On/Off even though you can still select it!)
Instead of "Ditch" effect you'll need to use either "Ditch Rev 2" or Ditch Finish On Rev 2" depending on your needs (below)

The ditch light effect (alternate flashing) is not smart enough to remember the previous state of the outputs when the ditch effect finishes so RE made two versions of the effect, one ensures the lights finish in the off state and the other ensures the lights finish in the on state,  so if your ditch lights are always off before you want to flash the ditch lights then you want to use "Ditch Rev 2" for the effect. If your ditch lights are always on before you want to flash the ditch lights then you'll need to use the "Ditch Finish On Rev 2" effect.

If you use Ditch Rev 2 effect and the lights were on beforehand they will turn off when the effect finishes. You'll need to turn them back on by yourself.
If you use Ditch Finish On Rev 2 and the lights were off neforehand the will remain on when the effect finishes. You'll need to turn them off by yourself.

Also, now you do not need to use a button for each ditch light, you can use the On/Off 1sec Dual Rev 2 effect to turn two outputs on at the same time. You can still flash them with the ditch effect.

- Tim

nortoneye

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Re: ditch lights
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2018, 02:40:40 PM »
thanks Tim_ I'll reconfigure

jim

UPDATE:  Thanks Tim, works great!
« Last Edit: March 03, 2018, 09:55:31 AM by nortoneye »

CPRail

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Re: ditch lights
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2018, 02:53:45 PM »
As a modeller of Canadian roads, I don't need the flashing ditch lights, but I've run into an issue where the lights don't turn off after pressing the button. This is also happening for the headlights. They usually go off after pressing said button another two times (on and off essentially), but it's a little bizarre. The units in question are Bowser SD40-2s, which at the moment are my only units with working lights.

Any thoughts on what may be the issue?
Ian Lisakowski
Modelling CP Rail & VIA in the early 80's

G8B4Life

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Re: ditch lights
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2018, 07:23:47 PM »
Ian,

Check if the light effect is "On/Off" and if it is change it to "On/Off 1sec Rev 2" (which you might need to download). The On/Off effect, while still the default for a setting up a new light button exhibits this weird behaviour with the latest software revisions (at least 2.04 and up.).

- Tim

KPack

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Re: ditch lights
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2018, 10:19:27 PM »
Also be sure both the HC and LM's are fully up to date, so you can take advantage of the new lighting effects.