# Massoth LED Lighting Boards



## KGierman (Jan 21, 2008)

I finally decided to add lighting to my passenger cars used outdoors. After looking at the options, I decided to give the new Massoth LED lighting boards a try. They have 8 yellow-white LED's and are very customizable for a variety of installations. My first install was in an LGB 3280 coach. I had to modify a couple of straighteners by cutting notches in them to allow the board to set flat in the coach roof. The boards have a number of mounting screw locations so mounting was a matter of looking to find which holes lined up with the mounting holes in the roof and screwing it in place. I installed one of my last remaining LGB ball bearing wheelset on one axle of one truck and connected the wire from the pickup to the lighting board (soldering required). My next install was in the LGB 3281 combine. I only wanted to light the passenger end of the combine so I cut the lighting board in half to give me 4 LED's for that end. The boards are marked for several cutting locations so that was easy. I also had to make clearance in one of the ribs in the roof as on the coach. One more ball-bearing axle installed, connections made and the cars were ready for tryout.

All I can say is wow. These boards provide the most realistic lighting I have mainly because they LED's are not overly bright and there are 8 of them in the case of the complete lighting board. There is a nice warm glow that comes from the coach windows that reminds me of the full scale passenger cars of the 1950's. I should mention that I am running track powered DCC so the boards are getting 22+ volts. I can't say how they would look with other power sources. While Massoth doesn't advertise it, both halves of the board can be used when they are cut in half so nothing is wasted for me. This now has me thinking about replacing all the LGB lighting kits installed in my Christmas cars with these. I have always felt the LGB lights were too bright.


I had considered using the Dallee boards but ater seeing them in York in March I thought they were too bright. Until reading the Kevin Strong's review in the new Garden Railways, I didn't realize the brightness was adjustable. I still am very happy that I made the right choice for me due to the 8 LED's vs. 4 and the slighlty lower price for the Massoth board at $27.50 each vs. $29.95 each for the Dallee board. 


Keith


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds nice.


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

How about a couple of photos of what they look like and the install? Later RJD


----------



## KGierman (Jan 21, 2008)

Here are some pictures of the installation of the lighting boards in the combine and coach.
Combine










Here is the installation in the coach









Close up showing the notches cut in the clerestory ribs. I didn't want to cut all the way through for fear that the clerestory windows would not stay in tight.










Hope this helps clarify the original post.

Keith


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the photos. Later RJD


----------



## KGierman (Jan 21, 2008)

I finally had some decent (not raining) weather last evening and was able to get out and take some pictures with the LED boards on. This was trial and error for getting the exposure since the camera, in auto exposure mode over exposed everything. I don't think I have ever been under attack from so many mosquitoes at once but I guess that is to be expected given all the rain we have had recently.










I included the LGB Mikado in the background for comparison of the coach lights to the cab lighting in the Mike.

Keith


----------



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Very nice!

Now where are you buying these? I can't find either the massoth boards or the dallee boards. Dallee's website describes them but doesn't have a way to order them


----------



## KGierman (Jan 21, 2008)

I am buying the lighting boards directly from Massoth USA in Cumming, GA

Keith


----------

