I got my mitts on a couple Crest 10 amp supplies and a few train engineer trackside boxes with remotes. I see that the supplies have a clip at the end running to a controller, but the TE‘s have bare-ended wires for receiving juice from the power box. Is there a special clip or dongle I need to come across so that wires stay where they are suppose to?
One of the TE’s is unopened/unused, so I have a test box there.
Clip? do you mean connector? like a 2 pin white plastic molex connector?
picture please…
anything that will secure the wires is fine, you could find a mating connector if you wanted (I’m guessing on the molex)
I assume you mean this supply (called the ultima) you can see the molex connector… you can get these most places, allelectronics.com is a good place
Exactly it!! Thanks for understanding.
For indoor use the Ultima is great. Just remember this is old technology and the more cyrrent you draw from this unit, the lower the voltage output as it is not a regulated supply.
For outdoors I like a real regulated 24 volt supply and I have found great prices for these at MPJA.com. For steam it does not matter, but modern diesels and electrics do need the higher voltage and curretn a regulated supply gives you.
Which trackside boxes? If the metal case units these are only 3.5 amps at best.
The plastic units are 8 amp linear and 10 amp PWC, but over 3 amp Lewis suggested a fan and at over 5 amps a fan is required.
The picture below may be like the system that Bill has. The Train Engineer base station has the optional fan.
If interested, I did some tests more than ten years ago on this system:
“Aristo-Craft’s Pulse Width Control (PWC) test measurements”
The affects of the unregulated Ultima power supply can be seen on an oscilloscope in some of the tests.
-Ted
Was able to mate an Ultima to each of the engineer boxes I had. Now trying to get the remotes i brought with me to pair with any of them is the next step.
I do get that it’s a bit dated tech, but I’m not looking to do more than run a single block, get unattached from a single spot, and provide enough juice for a Lionel GP without taxing my 1.8 amp Aristo boxes on it.
I have an unused TE like the one pictured above, but the batteries started to heat up almost immediately. So now I’m wondering if there was a wiring problem in the handheld controller.
Success!!!
Success!!!
Pivoting off of this, any recommendations as to how to protect these from the elements?
The flower bed that the layout resides in has a 3.5-4” lip off of the side wall. First thought was a box with both ultima and receiver, but that means either leaving the leads exposed from the track or the receiver.
Ted Doskaris said:
The picture below may be like the system that Bill has. The Train Engineer base station has the optional fan.
If interested, I did some tests more than ten years ago on this system:
“Aristo-Craft’s Pulse Width Control (PWC) test measurements”The affects of the unregulated Ultima power supply can be seen on an oscilloscope in some of the tests.
-Ted
Keep doing what your are doing an have fun Bill!
Put everything in a water proof container and then add a fan for cooling. The better way would be to change the locomotive to battery and use the non track power. Two benefits is you do not need to clean the track and you can always run on anyone else layout. Just my two cents.
I have the Ultima and 27 mhz receivers located in a metal water proof cabinet outdoors in South Eastern, Massachusetts. These have never been in my house in the winter, outdoers for over 15 years!!
Also is the 55475 switch controllers. I do keep the transmitters indoors. Metal cabinet is not a problem as the receiver wires hang out the bottom.
Strange as this may sound as the TE trackside unit is part of an RC system I keep it and my Crest 20amp power unit indoors and out of the sun in the kitchen on the sideboard. I crack the kitchen window open and feed out the output leads from the controller, that are spliced into a conventional 2 pin splittable garden cable connector that has its other end and cables attached to the rails. The TE’s trackside controller’s ariel is stretched out and held up by the handle on the window frame.
I also have my compressor indoors for my pneumatic switch and signal system in one of the kitchen units underneath. Its 1/16" ID flexible pipe is bound to the same cables with miniature cable ties and that also has a Q/R connector placed alongside the electrical one outside. All works fine and everything is protected indoors.
Just unhook the connectors when not in use, one end inside the other hanging down outside so water does not get in. The pneumatic pipe Q/R connector, left outside, has a plug put in to stop the ingress of any moisture
On my two units I use this wire from the TE unit to the track…
some put an inline fuse as well .My units are in an old metal meter cabinet …
Like Dan, i keep my exactly same system in a waterproof box, first one of those plastic deck boxes from big box store, now in a custom built outdoor shed. Been working fine for 6 years now. I have spares of everything if something fails on me.
Hope it works well for you.
Jerry
Hint : make sure you get a good supply of these
The Ace store near me has them on hand. I don’t mind replacing them as it‘s a relatively easy part to get to.
Sean McGillicuddy said:
Hint : make sure you get a good supply of these
You’re going to go threw a lot , until your track work and learning curve is over… Keep a good supply near bye. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
