Subject:
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Re: 9V Electric Wires / Train Power
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.loc.uk
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Date:
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Sat, 27 Oct 2001 21:31:08 GMT
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Viewed:
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492 times
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In lugnet.loc.uk, Tony Priestman writes:
> Ah. I was wondering if you wanted to run an RCX off the track. I think
> I'd use the Control Centres that I have for constant 9V. Although I've
> been collecting Code Pilots for train automation as well. Even though
> you can draw quite a lot of current from the train controllers, I'd
> still be more inclined to use a separate supply, just in case. This
> assumes you can get hold of the bits, of course :-)
> ...
> Had to give up .trains because of time constraints. The controllers
> aren't heavy enough to have much inside, although I suppose they
> wouldn't be, without the transformer. Doesn't it use a resistor ladder?
> You can tell that the power goes up in distinct steps. (don't ask me
> what a resistor ladder is. I just know that it's more high-tech than a
> potentiometer :-)
The dial just bridges tracks on a PCB. It uses an in-line resistor packet
as a 'ladder', which controls the input to a voltage regulator IC (on a big
heatsink). The output of that goes back to the controller for
forward/reverse switching.
I've just been testing mine with the cover off. The wall transformer
delivers 12V AC (despite saying 10). This gets rectified and smoothed
inside the controller, giving around 15V DC. This is dropped to between 3
and 9V when your train is going. If you're typically running at 6V, this
means the IC is dissipating one and a half times as much power again as the
train is using - and the heatsink gets pretty warm. Not enough to burn you,
but hot nonetheless.
I tap off from the smoothing capacitor and use my own voltage regulator.
Unfortunately I could only get an 8V one, but that works. It's got it's own
heatsink, but running a 9V motor doesn't give any noticeable temperature
rise on either heatsink. It's going to be nowhere near the drain of running
two train motors from one controller.
Jason J Railton
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: 9V Electric Wires / Train Power
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| On Fri, 26 Oct 2001, Jason J. Railton (<GLtzDM.30A@lugnet.com>) wrote at 20:53:46 (...) Ah. I was wondering if you wanted to run an RCX off the track. I think I'd use the Control Centres that I have for constant 9V. Although I've been collecting (...) (23 years ago, 26-Oct-01, to lugnet.loc.uk)
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