ESU LokPilot 59741 for Kato locomotives

[samusi01]

Somehow this slipped past me and I found out about them while looking for something else. ESU have shipped a new drop-in decoder for current hood models (e.g., SD70ACe, AC4400). Some vendors are currently showing them in stock whilst others are still in pre-order status.

https://www.esu.eu/en/products/lokpilot/lokpilot-5-micro-dcc-kato-usa/

Certainly much easier to do than hard-wiring a six pin to a modified Kato DC light board...

[GaryHinshaw]

This is great news (for those of us who are sound-averse).  I'll be curious to see how the headlights look.  One of the things I took pains with in my 6-pin installs was to stick with TCS sunny white LEDs using a 470 ohm resistor, for a very satisfying brightness:



But I'd love not to have to do all that soldering.

[tehachapifan]

This is great news (for those of us who are sound-averse).  I'll be curious to see how the headlights look.  One of the things I took pains with in my 6-pin installs was to stick with TCS sunny white LEDs using a 470 ohm resistor, for a very satisfying brightness:



But I'd love not to have to do all that soldering.

If it is the same as their other drop-in boards, my guess is you will be disappointed in the headlight brightness as far as the board-mount LED's go. The board-mount LED's are too small and the resistors are too high of a value to render bright headlights via typical Kato light tubes. However, this board has spots to solder on a larger LED's (likely included), which will be an improvement in overall brightness, provided there is room for the additional LED inside the loco.

[GaryHinshaw]

Well I just ordered some, so I'll report back.    This board appears to have the same form factor as the corresponding LokSound board (58741) and those SM LEDs are indeed so-so.   I'll see how the TCS LEDs look with the LokSound board I have.  The LokPilot board will almost certainly have the same specs.

[MetroRedLine]

If it is the same as their other drop-in boards, my guess is you will be disappointed in the headlight brightness as far as the board-mount LED's go. The board-mount LED's are too small and the resistors are too high of a value to render bright headlights via typical Kato light tubes. However, this board has spots to solder on a larger LED's (likely included), which will be an improvement in overall brightness, provided there is room for the additional LED inside the loco.

Argh...my main complaint with ESU decoders. Is ESU even aware of this? Considering that you can turn all of the brightness levels down via programming, why couldn't they just have them bright by default and you can dim them to taste later on?

[peteski]

Somehow this slipped past me and I found out about them while looking for something else. ESU have shipped a new drop-in decoder for current hood models (e.g., SD70ACe, AC4400). Some vendors are currently showing them in stock whilst others are still in pre-order status.

https://www.esu.eu/en/products/lokpilot/lokpilot-5-micro-dcc-kato-usa/

Certainly much easier to do than hard-wiring a six pin to a modified Kato DC light board...

I'm glad ESU finally did this, just like they did with a V4 decoder (LokSound 73199 made into a LokPilot 54650).  To me that LokSound to LokPilot adaptation is a no-brainer, and they should really do this with other similar decoders.

The LokPilot 59741 appears be basically the PC board from LokSound 58741 with all the components used for sound depopulated.

I need to get my a$$ in gear and finish my write-up for 58741 to also include 59741.  Yes, the locations for adding standard 3mm LEDs at the ends of the board are very handy.  All one has to do to is to add the LEDs and remap the headlights to the AUX functions controlling those outputs.  They you will have brighter headlights.  Isn't a pair of 3mm LEDs included with the 59741?

[samusi01]

Isn't a pair of 3mm LEDs included with the 59741?

Yes, a pair of 3mm are included. No other items included aside from the decoder itself and a printed insert directing one towards ESU's site for instructions (which as of last night I was not able to find anything for the 59741 there).

Physically, so far as I can tell the only difference is the 59741 is missing a couple of chips as compared to the 58741.

[peteski]

Yes, a pair of 3mm are included. No other items included aside from the decoder itself and a printed insert directing one towards ESU's site for instructions (which as of last night I was not able to find anything for the 59741 there).

Physically, so far as I can tell the only difference is the 59741 is missing a couple of chips as compared to the 58741.

Exactly.  It is a "dumbed down" LokSound 58741.  The headlights cab be remapped to the AUX outputs driving the 3mm LEDs.  As far as updated documentation goes, ESU is not on the ball keeping their documentation current. It can take quite some time for ESU to document their newly released decoders. For remapping AUX functions just use the documentation for 58741.

[GaryHinshaw]

I finally took some time to install one of these new LokPilot boards in a loco.  Overall I'm very happy with the convenience of it compared to the way I was doing things previously.   As expected, it was necessary to add the 3mm LEDs to get a decent head-light and tail-light brightness, but that is straightforward.  I also added a TCS KA-N1 keep-alive to the board, which is much easier than with the small LokPilot 59826 (with its tiny ground pad).  Here is the result:



(I'm using the same printed keep-alive holder I used with the 59826 because I had them on hand, but it is not necessary.)

My only residual issue is the light brightness.  With my previous Kato retro-fits, I was replacing the stock Kato (560 Ω) resistor with a 470 Ω resistor and was replacing the stock LEDs with TCS sunny white LEDs (which have a very good colour temperature IMHO).  The result was a brilliant headlight that I loved.  I used the same TCS LEDs on the board shown above and the brightness is good but not great.  So my question is: can anyone here ( @peteski ?) suggest a way to bypass the AUX1 and AUX2 resistors on this LokPilot board (and the corresponding LokSound 58741 board) so I can use a 470 Ω resistor instead?  (For reference, the TCS LEDs are rated 3.2 V / 20 mA.)

For completeness, here is a montage comparing the different LED arrangements (shot on my poorly lit LokProgrammer track - sorry):




The on-board LEDs are worthless.  The rear light is so far from the light tube as to not show up at all, and the colour temperature is a bit off.   The TCS LEDs on the stock board are good, but I've been spoiled by the brighter version on the right.  The difference is not so obvious in photos, but it is very obvious on the layout under normal lighting conditions.

Here is the only documentation I can find on the ESU site (for the LokSound version):



and a semi-close-up of the front half of the board:



Perhaps it is the circled component?  Thanks for looking.

[peteski]

No that is a Zener diode in the U+ circuit.  The resistor is very tiny, in that general area.  Basically if you follow the trace from the positive pad for the LED, the first tiny component is the resistor.

I really need to get my a$$ in gear and finish the writeup for this decoder. I have all the photos and diagrams ready - just missing some details in the text.  I also have a solution for adding your own resistor to better control the LED current without having to deal with that tiny (SMD 0201 size)  component. It will be in the writeup.

[GaryHinshaw]

^Thanks - I look forward to your write-up.  Based on the discussion here I'm guessing you're going to suggest bridging the resistor with a wire and adding a suitable replacement between the bridge and the LED lead.  But I'll be (somewhat) patient.

[peteski]

Well, I can give you some quick written instructions.  That LED circuit does not use U+ (12V) as common positive at the on-board resistor end. It uses 5V.  A simplest way to increase the brightness would be to connect another resistor between the LED's positive lead and 5V pad.  That would result in two  resistors in parallel, reducing the total resistance. But the 5V internal regulator does not supply a lot of current (going by my experience as no specs for the current rating are supplied).

The safest way will be to stop using the 5V common positive and utilize the U+ (12V) source, which has ample current capability.
To do this, either cut the positive trace coming from of the LEDs anode (+) pad, or much safer is to unsolder or cut the LED's positive lead, leaving it hanging without touching the decoder.  The single  lead on the cathode side should be robust enough to mechanically support the LED.  That isolates the LED's anode from the on-board resistor and the 5V connection. Then connect your 470 Ω resistor between the end of the hanging anode lead and the U+ pad on the decoder. Same can a also be accomplished using a small 1/4W leaded resistor. You can of course do this for both the front and rear LEDs.

For the cleanest install I recommend just soldering either 0805 or 1206 size SMD 470 Ω resistor to the end of the dangling lead, then running some thin magnet wire between the other resistor end and  the U+ pad.  That way the resistor is basically integrated with the LED.

Edit: Increased the resistor wattage ratings because it will dissipate around 0.17W.
Also, in the example you pointed to earlier where I recommended bridging the on-board resistor, that resistor is inserted in the negative (AUX side) of the PC board where on this decoder it is inserted on the positive (+5V) side.  It makes more sense to at the appropriate value resistor tat the LED and connect it to U+ voltage.