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Subject: 
Re: Reducing voltage
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.trains, lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:13:35 GMT
Viewed: 
21553 times
  
In lugnet.trains, David Laswell wrote:
Our club lets kids run the controller for one of the lines when we do certain
events (like, right now, with Detroit Festival of Trees), but we could use a way
to forcibly limit the speed on the line that they're allowed to run.  One way
that's really easy is to just build physical stops onto the top of the regulator
so the dial won't turn as far in either direction, but that makes it difficult
to actually operate the dial and won't be much fun for the kids.  The other
solution I just came up with would be to maybe limit the voltage going into the
regulator.  And that's where there's a problem.  LEGO power adapters, for some
odd reason, output in ~9vAC, not DC.  Finding an AC-AC power adapter is
difficult at best, and the only two that I can find through Radio Shack (the one
place I knew of that _does_ sell them) run 9-13vAC or 18-24vAC, which is not
going to help at all.  They do sell an adapter that goes as low as 3v, but it
outputs in DC instead of AC, and I'm not having much luck doing a generic
internet search for adapters that output in AC below 9v.  Does anyone know where
I might be able to find such a beast?

Years ago PNLTC used to do this for the kids table at the show.  From what I
recall, we just drove a screw though the controller at about the 4th notch in
the black area on each side to keep it from turning too far.  It is a very long
lasting, inexpensive and easy solution.  Any old PNLTC guys out there remember
exactly how this was done?

If no one pipes up, I would unscrew a controller and see where the screw would
stop the dial without damaging any internal components

-Matt :)



Message is in Reply To:
  Reducing voltage
 
Our club lets kids run the controller for one of the lines when we do certain events (like, right now, with Detroit Festival of Trees), but we could use a way to forcibly limit the speed on the line that they're allowed to run. One way that's really (...) (15 years ago, 23-Nov-09, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.robotics)

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