# AirWire GP30 Drop-in with AUX LEDs



## Giant23Heavy (Jul 21, 2016)

Hey gang, 

I've been kitbashing a USA Trains GP30 to have some proper looking Southern Pacific Lighting on its nose. I've had some trouble with the AirWire 900 Drop-in board and it's AUX connectors. When I plug the lights in (in parallel), the light up but not very brightly... and all the features of the AirWire AUX function (Mars, FRED, Strobe) do not happen when messing with the CV. I'm using 3 Volt Bright White LEDs that came from Ozark. 

Thanks!


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Could you give us a little more info first on your setup? Are you using both aux outputs? What cv settings do you have for the lights and key assignments? Does everything else work ok? Do you have a spare led you could use to test with.? I have a couple ideas but lets make sure your settings are correct first.


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## Giant23Heavy (Jul 21, 2016)

Hey Paul,

Yes I can! I'm only using AIX2 at the moment, but plan to use both AUX ports at final set up. For the AUX2 port, I have CV50 set with the standard value of 4 now. No key assignment set up yet. Everything else works fine! I've only programmed speed and acceleration CV settings. I do have spare bulbs around.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

So do we address you as Giant23 or?

Are you taking advantage of the stock lighting system/boards and adding additional aux lighting for the SP light package?

Airwire can provide schematics which suggest how to utilize the Drop-ins mono-mono without benefit of the OEM system/boards, which is my preference.

Some of us feel your pain for SP lighting packages, been there and do it on every model I own, as does Paul . The stock lighting set-up is inaccurate for SP and many others I suspect.

I'd gut the beast and start over if it were me, replacing and or eliminating all stock lighting with LED's of the appropriate color and or temperaments.

Michael


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

How do you want to be addressed? Name would be nice. Sounds ok so far,but you will need a key assignmenst to operate the Aux outputs. CV's 35-46 are key assignments. Whichever key you choose it should be set to a value of 4 for aux 1 or a value of 5 for aux 2 . If that works to turn the light on/ff then go ahead and assign a light effect if you want.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Just for clarification, I am reading the title mentioning AUX LEDs.

But not all the lights in a GP30 are LEDs, I will have to go double check mine, but I thought only the classification lights were LEDs, the rest incandescents.

Does the AirWire drop in address this?

Greg


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## Giant23Heavy (Jul 21, 2016)

You guys can call me Gary. Michael, I'm utilizing the AUX features on the AirWire board with the stock lighting on it already. Paul, aren't CV's 35-46 assigned with sound commands already? I tried getting CV40 (F6 Key Assignment) set up for AUX 2 and all it did was trigger the compressor sound. I'll have to play with this more in a few days, I'm rushing out the door for a 4 day trip today! 

Gary


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## Giant23Heavy (Jul 21, 2016)

Greg Elmassian said:


> Just for clarification, I am reading the title mentioning AUX LEDs.
> 
> But not all the lights in a GP30 are LEDs, I will have to go double check mine, but I thought only the classification lights were LEDs, the rest incandescents.
> 
> ...


Yes it does! AirWire does address that all AUX lights should be LEDs.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary,
If you want to use function key 6 for Aux 2 lighting then just unassign it in the Phoenix setup. Set CV 40 to 5 and see if the aux 2 light will turn on/off. At this point never mind the Phoenix,you can take care of it later.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary,
Here are a couple photos of my GP30 that I just recently upgraded from an older Airwire decoder to a G3 and also changed from Sierra DSX sound to a P8. The low hood headlight is wired to the front headlight output on the G3 and the upper lights to one of the elite outputs and set to gyra light. The headlight also has the rule 17 headlight dimming set. I assume this is what you are looking to do.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Paul, did you retrofit LEDs to the geep?

Greg


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg,
Yes, it has leds. I first did this GP30 around 2001? and just recently upgraded to a G3 and P8. Photos are so old they are on film. In the end Gary will need to consider rewiring the front lights. The headlight should be on the low hood which would be controlled from 0 on the keypad. Right now with the factory light wiring it is above the cab. That should be the gyra light and controlled with aux 2 and assigned to function key 6 like he wants.


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## Giant23Heavy (Jul 21, 2016)

Hey Paul,

I am considering doing this now to make the GP30 more accurate. In terms of replaceing the USA Trains Incandescent bulbs with LEDs, what kind of bulbs did you use and did you use any resistors with the LEDs? Or does AirWire not have any resistors for the original lighting? This is becoming a much bigger project than planned, but I'm okay with that!


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## Giant23Heavy (Jul 21, 2016)

And jut to clarify for everyone, I have two 3V Ultra Bright LEDs plugged into AUX2, wired in parallel, that are just on whenever the AirWire Board is on. Not having any luck changing the effect or turning them on or off.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Gary

You may want to consider WARM WHITE verse ultra bright LED's... More period accurate for our modeling needs. I use warm white 3mm and 5mm LED's. Depending on the application and light intensity desired, i.e., voltage in play, headlights, steps, number boards, ditch lights and such the resistor value will likely be a variable.

Yes, you need to utilize the appropriate resistor, see the link below for more info.

AirWire Drop-ins and LED's
file:///C:/Users/Engineering/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/IE/REXQ6P36/r1_LED_Lites.pdf

Michael


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary,
You will need to assign aux 2 to a function key in order to turn on/off. Even if at this point it is double assigned with a Phoenix function. You can take care of that later with the Phoenix setup Personally I like the yelo glo leds from Miniatronics. I usually order them direct from Walthers in 3mm or 5mm. When I look at the drop-in literature it looks like the current limiting resistor is built in to the aux outputs.
Not GP30's but the lights are yelo glo leds.









One more.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary,
Gp30 drop-in has 750 ohm current limiting resistor built in to aux outputs. You should be able to connect leds direct. Someone correct me if I'm seeing this wrong.
http://www.cvpusa.com/doc_center/R1_GP30_Errata_Sheet.pdf


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Paul

I concur with your resistor finding, apparently updates are in play. I used resistors in my installations, but those installations predate the April 2016 revision #R9. Good catch....

However it might make a difference if an older Drop-in is in play.

Michael


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Sure looks like it, that resistor should give about 20 ma at 16-18v on a white led.

Weird that AUX1 is wired in reverse polarity from AUX2.

Also, half of the frequencies are NOT available for the GP30 drop-in?

wow...

Greg


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## Giant23Heavy (Jul 21, 2016)

GUYS! I GOT IT. Looks like there was a reversal in some of my CV commands. AUX2, which was supposed to be CV50, ended up being CV49 which was supposed to be AUX1. Very odd. My LED set up is plugged in to AUX2. So I've got that going for me now... 

I did know about that 750ohm resistor on the AUX features, but I still think I need a resistor for the LED conversion with the USA Train incandescent bulbs.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg,
There are 16 frequencies available with the GP30 drop-in's. CVP's drop-in manuals can be confusing. With the GP30 the first drop-ins used the old rotary switch for frequency selection. That is gone from the newer versions and is set from the transmitter. Thus there are two manuals for the GP30, which is confusing. I have never used a drop-in. Just prefer to rip out everything and start over with a G3.


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## Giant23Heavy (Jul 21, 2016)

Update: This is actually pretty odd. I have the two AUX ports. One for the upperMars light and one for the normal headlights. It seems as if both are connected to only one CV (CV49). I tired to assign a mars effect to one and a steady brightness to another, but it appears I can only do one for both ports. Has anyone else had this issue? I'm going to shoot an email to CVP about this. In the user guide, it says each AUX feature is independent.


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Giant23Heavy
I have to ask did you hook the led's in aux2 backwards to aux1?
cheers


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## Giant23Heavy (Jul 21, 2016)

Negative. I wired the LEDs up correctly for AUX 2 as specified in the User Guide, then when I wired up the lights for AIX1 (as specified by the user guide) they wouldn't work. I tired flipping the wires around for AUX 1 and it worked perfectly. What I'm sensing is there are two AUX ports, both are wired the same, and they are not independent of each other.


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