I really need some help, idea suggestions welcome. How can I increase my amps, I have 13 double insulated blocks using analog DC power, I have 3 ARISTO-CRAFT POWER /PLUS TRAIN PACK 7000 INPUT 120V AC 60Hz, OUTPUT 12 V AC 1 AMP 21/16V DC 3 AMP. TOTAL OUTPUT 60VA. and 2 aristo craft 5450. I also have for optional use 3 Aristo-Craft 55470 DC Train Engineer receivers. and ARISO-CRAFT TRAIN ENGINEER WALK AROUND CONTROL SYSTEM. I recently purchased southern pacific heavy weights for Alco A B A Diesels aristo crafts
WITH smokers going light to the passengers Baggage Pullman, Coach, Diner, Observation that’s a lot of amps, without having to buy an expensive bridgwerks, can I increase my amps by running what I have in parallel or in series. I have already spent a lot of $$$$ on my layout I’ve been working on this 3 years January. Track Plan is post in my profile
55470 is the plastic case 10 amp receiver.
Hooking supplies together is not a good idea esp if they are different voltages.
Get a good DC supply and run the trains with the Aristo remotes.
Dan is right. you can hook power supplies in parallel to get more amps, but in order to protect the supplies, you would need to add diodes to the supplies so they don’t “fight” with each other.
If the power supplies aren’t putting out exactly the same voltage, then one will be working and one loafing, unless you don’t have the diodes in the circuit. In that case one will be pushing power into the other and you risk releasing the magic smoke.
You are best served in getting a larger power supply. Since you are using TEs, you could get a surplus computer power supply and use that. It would be less expensive then a true model railroad supply. Dave Bodner has done that, and does that. Hopefully he will chime in and be able to point you in a direction, if you choose that option.
Interim, here is Dave’s website page of articles; http://www.trainelectronics.com/articles.htm .
Also George Schreyer’s website may have something that fits; http://girr.org/girr/tips/tips6/prime_power_tips.html#mult
doug c
you could divide the layout into small power districts so that each power supply doesn’t see the full load of each train.
Buy a 10 amp or better Meanwell power supply, about $70.
Google the name, all kinds of voltages and amp ratings.
Greg
Gentlemen, I do sincerely thank you all for suggestions and advice, I actually bit the bullet and brought Meanwell Power supply and another crest (aristocraft) power supply. Now comes the part dividing up the power to the blocks. Has anyone really come with a solution for running not just two cab A & B however for cabs A C B D I don’t want to tie up the controller and power supply from another source interfering with other sections. Yes I have read the "How to WIRE your model railroad by Linn H. Westcott) you haven’t from in a long time because of the comment made and I read this over and over, there still some things in there that go unanswered, especially more then two cab control. it’s mentioned but completely covered. It’s always been a dream to have for each block section it own throttle directional. that can be expensive.
Jim, trying to do what you are doing will take a lot of wire and switches, and while “multiple cab” control with rotary switches could make sense in an HO layout, you are going to wind up spending too much and have a maintenance nightmare.
I’d suggest some form of track powered remote control system (battery power will cost more and clearly you can handle the track maintenance)
I went DCC, but you could go even cheaper with the Aristo Revolution system, and it’s very inexpensive and you get sound.
Greg
Rotary switches by themselves won’t have the amperage capacity you need for large scale unless they are big and expensive. I use SP3T toggle switches (rated for 5 amps continuous duty) to run three Train Engineers, but even these are now probably made of unobtanium.
But you can use rotary switches to toggle relays and let the relays handle the high current. For each block you would need the “x # of positions” rotary switch, one less than the “x # of positions” relays and a constant power source to power the relays.
The economics would depend on how many blocks you are thinking about and how many throttles you want to use.
Wow, I guess you still can get them and for even less than I paid surplus in 1997! And they are rated at 6 (not 5) amps.
If he is running as hard as it sounds, I’d want at least a 10 amp switch.
But, upon investigation, 6 amp 125v should be good for almost 30 at 25v dc?
From the specs I can find, it seems a linear relationship, but that does not really make sense…
I see 6 amps at 125v, and 3 amps at 250v for the same switch.
Any idea Todd?
Greg
Greg/Todd wow thanks by all means continue, my control box looks like a multi bird housing pack rat’s home, I know what everything is and my terminal strips are wired and labeled. As far as independently having the cab A and Cab B option with each block, I guess I could unutilized the Aristocrat’s 7000 for the switching operations. however I guess, I came up with a good one. I’m looking forward for the new power supply to arrive (Meanwell Power supply) I bet I’ll definitely be able fire up all three smoke units, heard those turbine fans running with the coach lights, will definitely take photo and video very soon. The Linn Westcott “how to wire your model railroad” was a very impressive resource in fact I have two copies one at my desk and the other out in the workshop.
There is a difference in the a/c and d/c ratings for switches. A switch that is typically labeled as 125 volts @ 6 amps and 250 volts @ 3 amps will carry a d/c rating of 24 volts dc @ 6 amps.
Recognize that the power pack can/should still have more current rating than the individual block switches because you can run trains on the same power pack in multiple blocks simultaneously, never pulling 6 amps through any single block/toggle switch.
Also, even double heading with three lighted coaches, none of my consists draw near 6 amps.
Hope this helps.
When a train derails, the current will be 10 amps due to a short on the rails!!
Always plan on worst case as Murphy’s law always comes true and at the wrong time!!
… And I’ve had this happen many times and have blown loads of fuses and later circuit breakers and have fried the wiring and circuit board traces in many engines.
But I’ve never had a switch fail during a short.
Gentlemen it finally arrived MEANWELL MODEL NES-350-24
Will have to give it a shot but it came with no instructions
did it look like this?
Wall plug black goes to the “L” (load), wall plug white goes to the “N” (neutral), wall plug green (ground) goes to the ground symbol. If you add a power switch, put it in series with the load lead.
+V is the voltage + out, and -V is the voltage - out. For convenience, they provide three taps (in parallel) for each output. The small white pot lets you to lower the output voltage a bit.
IMPORTANT! Be sure that the voltage selector is set for our voltage before powering up the unit. IIRC, the three I have came set for 220 volts.
Thank you, I will be sure to check that
Greg, Yes it looks like that, can’t believe how lite weight it is.