I got a freind of mine interested in starting a garden railroad. I have been helping him out on what his options are and think we settled on everything. My only question is power supplies. I have the LGB throttle and power supply. Under LGB’s situation I am avoiding that and cant find it anyway. I was looking at the aristo 10amp
http://www.ridgeroadstation.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=255CRE55401!255 ( 10 Amp Speed Controller)
My question is do I need a power supply for this or is this the power supply and throtle together. I never really understood this.
Is this the same thing but lower amps
http://www.ridgeroadstation.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=255CRE55466!255 (5amp regulated power supply)
The Speed Controller is just that. You need to supply low voltage DC. The second item is their newer low-end DC power supply. It would require a controller.
If you want lots of power for little money, look at the low-end ham radio power supplies and the surplus switching supplies. For these, you would need a controller (throttle) of some type.
Controller is just a controller… you need power supply…notice it says “input” 16v DC? You need to feed it DC as an input, i.e. a DC power supply.
I was under the impression you could feed it higher voltage. Normally I never trust a dealer’s “idea” of the specs, check the manufacturer’s site.
The power supply is just that, a power supply or source.
You need a power supply and a controller to have something that controls DC to the rails with a speed control, like a lever.
Regards, Greg
If I were to get the 5amp regulated power supply http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/cre/cre55466.htm
then I would need this as the throttle and would it be compatible with the 10amp control pack adapter. http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/cre/cre55401.htm I couldnt find a 5amp. Electric is my weak point. The LGB throttle and power supply was easy they told you what you needed to go with the throttle. I wish they did the same with crest etc…
To make it easier what would be a good power source for a layout of about 100ft. My friend is not looking for all the bells and whistles just something simple to run one train on one loop. Very basic and not expensive. It does not matter it could be a throttle and power supply seperate or both in one pack…
If you want simple for a small loop, the MRC G pack is power supply and throttle in one package. I used an even smaller MRC all-in-one pack on my indoor layout for several years.
That regulated supply would do nicely.
I have the 10 AMP Aristo supply and several Aristo Controllers for different sections of the layout.
No problems with over 4 years continual use.
Our neighbors use the MRC 20 controller/power supply combination – I think a 5 amp unit. It has the remote cable-connected controller. No problem handling the LGB mogul and USA locos.
Wendell
Shawn, perhaps what you are struggling with is the amp ratings.
In a power supply, it is what it can provide maximum. Like 500 horsepower… it will put out UP TO 500 horsepower ON DEMAND… just like a car, only when you ask for it…
In a “controller”, the amp rating is the maximum it can provide… so a 5 amp controller can provide UP TO 5 amps, ON DEMAND, but it needs AT LEAST a 5 amp supply, just like a car, you don’t have to use all 500 horsepower…
So a 5 amp controller will work just fine from a 10 amp supply.
The converse is a little different… if you have a 10 amp controller and a 5 amp supply, you can only get 5 amps out of it, the “motor” only supplies up to 5 amps… the controller is capable of 10 amps, but you do not have all the power it can handle. That is no problem, and will not hurt anything.
I hope this helps more than it hurts!
Regards, Greg
Shawn,
The only thing I didn’t see asked was what is your friend interested in? If his plans are a basic loop with one or 2 locos then 5amps are fine…Now if he want’s lots of power sucking equipment then he needs 10 amps or more. I’m sure I’m gonna get flamed for this but my Crest Elite with a Aristo TE works fine for me and what I’m doing, I personally like it a lot. The down side to a rheostat controller is your tied to the controller. The TE allows you to walk around and if there is a situation you have the control in your hand.
As stated a controller is just that…think of it like your house…you have your power supply coming into it(the breaker box) but your dining room lights have a dimmer switch on them so you can regulate how bright or dim they illuminate by turning the knob. All the controller is doing is regulating the voltage as Greg stated.
Jon Radder said:Shawn I have three of the monster G controllers from MRC and love them. I have hooked a Aristo TE to two of the tracks and love them as well. I would say go with the monster G from MRC. its a full 10 amps so you will have more then enought power if needed and they hold up great. They are a all in one set up and ver semple.
If you want simple for a small loop, the MRC G pack is power supply and throttle in one package. I used an even smaller MRC all-in-one pack on my indoor layout for several years.
Hope this helps
Geoff
Thanks for the info. It is starting to make sense to me. I guess where I get confused is the way everything is decribed. If it specifically said 10 power supply and then states you need a throttle to go with it. They are not all that specific I guess.
Greg: Your last comment was a big help and did not confuse me. Thanks.
Not sure if I did mention it but my friend is looking to run one train like the HLW Big John on about 100ft of track (loop) Just like the KMRR operations.
I’d say a 5 amp supply would be good, and I’ll highly recommend the Train Engineer for the walkaround capabilities. Should be enough to run just about anything(heck, even the MTH Big Boy doesn’t use 5 amps?!).
Yes! You definitely want walk-around. Forget the knob or lever or what-have-you. Go for radio.