# Life Like SW1200



## northlander30 (Mar 26, 2014)

Hi everyone, I am having a considerably hard time trying to info for installing lighting using the NCE decoder for the Life Like SW1200. This is the only decoder specifically made for this unit and I want to install a flashing beacon and have independent front and rear lighting instead of the usual directional lighting. I know all of this needs to be assigned to different decoder functions, I just don't know how to do that. Can anyone help?

Thanks 

Ian


----------



## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I believe that it is possible to have constant non directional lighting with a NCE decoder, there is a tutorial on YouTube but I can't find the link. It was by conrailSD40guy. I have the video on my tablet but my downloader won't show the link address. Anyway I copied the values and they are:
CV33 - 1
CV34 - 1
CV35 - 2
CV120 -32
CV121 - 36

This also allows for dimming. Does your decoder have an accessory lighting function? This would be nessecary to operate your beacon. You say this is the only unit made for your loco but any will in fact fit, so you may need to change it if you want to release this feature.
Functions 4 & 8 control the f/r dimming, that's on a NCE controller.


----------



## northlander30 (Mar 26, 2014)

Thanks for the reply, The decoder itself is a 3 function and supports different lighting. This is taken from the NCE description of this decoder. "_*All 3 function outputs have lighting effects Full support for LED lighting including resistors already on the decoder Decoder programming lock mechanism"*_ Am I to assume that the 3 functions are mapped out or numbered on the decoder?


----------



## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

The functions will be mapped out to keys on your controller. You will have to activate the flashing beacon by programming in the correct values for the relevant CVs or CV and soldering the wiring from the beacon to the correct wire or terminal on the decoder. There is not much info on the NCE Site regarding this so your best bet would be to email them and they will come back with the definitive answer.


----------



## northlander30 (Mar 26, 2014)

Thanks for the information I appreciate it. I guess I should have just read the 8 page manual that came with the decoder lol. I read it and it didn't give a CV that I could find only the value. I read that manual cover to cover 3 times until I noticed a part I must have skimmed over and it said for flashing beacons set CV 122 to a start value of 12. Well I did that and wouldn't you know it, it worked! Mind you I didn't care for the flash rate of the beacon so I sat there and punched in every number after 12 until I found the flash I wanted. Which was a value of 20. I now know how to set up ditch lights on their own function something I have been wanting to do for some time now. 

Thanks again!


----------

