TB-LCB-1

Train Buddy™ Products

A subsidiary of K.A Parker & Associates, Inc.

1200 Jenkins Road

Wake Forest, NC 27587

Phone: 919.369.2373

Thank you for purchasing a Train Buddy™ Product. We know that you, like countless others, will be delighted with your new TB-LCB-1 (Train Buddy™, LED Cross Buck, 1^st revision)

If for any reason you should decide that this product does not meet your expectations of quality and function, please call immediately for service or remedy. This product has been designed to meet our very high standards of quality. It has been designed to provide many years of excellent service.

DESIGN FEATURES:

The TB-LCB-1 has several features that you may want to know about before you put it into service.

Power:

This product is meant to work flawlessly with 2V, 20ma ONLY. The auxiliary or accessory power terminals of any power pack designed for model railroads would usually provide EXCESSIVE power. Any other DC voltage may provide power as long as the appropriate resistors are added. See the specifications below for details.

This device is designed to operate specifically with a TB-ICD-A1 or TB-CD-1 (Train Buddy Crossing Flash units) that has a specific LED load and LED orientation. However, you may have an existing flasher or you may want to make your own. This is covered in the specifications below for this product.

INSTALLATION:

1. We recommend that you use a 3-position barrier strip, not included. We suggest the European-style because it is easier and faster to install. Plus, it is less prone to shorts from stray wires. Also, it can hold multiple wires in each position. It is readily available at most Radio Shacks®. The Radio Shack® stock number for the 8-position one is 276-678A. See tips and tricks.

2. Find a spot under your track work, close to the crossing that you want to control. Mount the circuit board and the barrier strip. Do not apply excessive pressure to the board while mounting. Connect the barrier strip connections as follows:

Mounting:

The cross bucks are installed in a 0.096” hole. This is a 7/64” (0.108) or a 1/8” (0.125) drill. The wires are quite small and fragile. The cross bucks are made to exact dimensions and should be

Electrical Inputs:

These LED’s are high intensity and will need approximately 2 volts and 20ma each. This is higher than most LED’s but will still give very bright lights at 1.8 volts.

(1) red (+volts),

(2) blue (-volts/switched ground) and

(3) white (common, blinking)

These are to be connected to the red, blue and white wires respectively on the TB-LCB-1 (LED Cross bucks).

SPECIFICATIONS:

Voltage:

1.8 to 2.0 Volts DC only

LED’s:

We use a T-1 size for HO gauge. The LED’s are connected with opposing polarity to the center or white/yellow wire. They are also connected with the correct polarity for Train Buddy™ Product circuits.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

1. Buy a few cheap small screwdrivers (#1) and file the sides of the blade to fit into the European Terminal Barriers.

INDICATIONS AND ………………………..REMEDIES:

Power is on but the cross bucks do not flash.	Check wiring to the cross buck. It may be backwards. The red wire should be connected to a positive source. The blue wire must be connected to a negative source. the white wire on the cross buck is a switched, positive then negative source.
Both LED’s come on and flash but do not alternate.	Check the white wire. If it is not a switched source and you have connected the positive and negative as specified then both lights will be on at the same time.
One of the lights on the cross buck flashes but the other one does not.	Check your wiring for the light that does not flash.
Both lights are on steady.	Check the white wire. If it is not a switched source and you have connected the positive and negative as specified then both lights will be on at the same time. You may have reversed the blue and red wires. This will make them both stay on all of the time.
The LED’s get VERY BRIGHT and may make a loud popping noise and then nothing works. There may be a very pungent smoky smell in the air.	You blew up the LED’s by applying too much voltage to the input. You did not believe or did not read the caution about maximum voltage. We have many more in stock for you to purchase.

ALTERNATE WIRING AND FEATURES:

You may have or want to buy other flashing circuits. There are typically three types. Please call to see if we have a circuit that matches your situation. Do not use some other manufacturer flashing unit without knowing the specifications of the circuit.

You may want to use a flashing circuit that is not solid state. If this is the situation then wire the relay as follows:

Common: to the white wire. Please put a resistor in series with this connection and the white wire. Appropriate values are:

Normally Open: contact to positive

Normally Closed: contact to negative.

Again, please call to find appropriate circuit matches if you don’t know the circuit specifics.

FINAL REMEDY:

If all else fails then we apologize and feel that we have not done our job in properly documenting or communicating the limitations of this circuit. Please contact us for additional help.

Contact us at 919-562-4378 or e-mail:info@trainbuddy.com

This page was last updated: 2011-12-03