hooked it up to my small circle (O-54 track) anyway if I run my engine in conventional mode ( Lionel 6-18563 NYC GP-9 with tmcc) it runs great if I try hooking up tmcc to it the engine will just make it around the circle no mater what I try. unhook the 1033 hook up the zw all is fine unhook zw hook up 1033 runs fine in conventional mode but let me hook up the command base and there goes my engine just to a little over a craw and won't speed up any all bells horn couplers strobe on strobe off sound up sound down revs up revs down all work fine. is tmcc to much for this transformer? as its only 90 watts.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Make sure you are using the right outputs on the 1033. A-C is a fixed 16 volt tap. A-U will get you 5-16 volts. B-U will get you only 0-11. Eleven volts would probably be enough for that engine in conventional, but won't cut it in command. The Command Base is really designed for 20 volts input, but 16 should work OK, with this caveat: In my experience, you don't get 100% of your input voltage through to your engine in command mode. So, if your engine runs adequately in conventional with the throttle wide open, then I would expect it to NOT run adequately in command using that same transformer.
Yes I know A-U is what I need to hook to but also thought as you both said it probably is under power now i know or have been told tmcc will work with 14 volts but I was not sure what the lower end off watts should at least be and it is very obvious this transformer is well under that so I guess thats my answer.
Thanks for the inputs
First off, the standard voltage for TMCC is 18V, not 20V. In point of fact, the ERR TMCC stuff warns you that exceeding 20V will void their warranty. I strongly recommend you do NOT run it over 18V maximum.
Next, TMCC equipment runs fine at 12V, AAMOF I've run my Legacy SD-80 at 12VAC at the transformer and it ran fine. I'm sure it didn't have near the pulling power as with 16-18V, but TMCC/Legacy will run fine at lower voltages.
Many folks run at 14-15 volts just to minimize the welding that sometimes happens in a derailment. The short circuit current goes up sharply between 15V and 20V.
I have run my TMCC test track using a 1033, and it functions just fine for anything I've put on it.
question gunrunnerjohn what would happen if i had the wires hooked up backwards could that be the symtom I got I know the outside rails is supose to be U and the inside is A or what ever your using I have it packed away now but was wondering if that might be the cause
I'm not that electrical minded so just asking I've also heard about ( seeing this plug isn't polarized ( think thats the right wording) if it was pluged in backwards
Guess I need to get a meter another expense but I know you can get some low cost ones so may look into that next time at lows or HD
RT,
The 1033 is labeled backwards from other transformers like the ZW. With the ZW, U is common to posts A-D, where on the 1033, A is the common post to the others.
So, with the 1033, the center rail is connected to U and the outer rail is connected to A or B depending on the desired voltage range.
As far as the TMCC/Legacy question, it doesn't matter which way the transformer is connected. As long as you the the TMCC/Legacy command base connected to the outside rails, life is good.
that may of been the problem as i hooked the base to the U with the one wire so if it went to the center would that make it do what I was experincing I only ask this as now not sure but thought I was hooking it up right but the transformer seems to work fine in all other aspects so if the base did goto to center rail would it give me hardly any power to run the engine. But all other aspects would work ie bell/whistle ect
Okay heres what the latest with this is. I switched test engines ( you say and I say shouldn't matter but it does) (all engines are tmcc equipped)
with the GP-9 it has a pul-mor motor TMCC (by Lionel befor they bought out ERR)
with the trainmaster it has 2 cam motors and ERR TMCC upgrade
GP-9 in conventional horn will not sound engine sounds work and transformer control for fwd-neutral-rev all work.
trainmaster in conventional the bell rings when I hit the whistle button so as probe said I need to reverse wires (haven't yet) and all the other function that should in conventional mode.
GP-9 everything works in tmcc except speed it will go just over a craw
trainmaster everything works as it should including speed
so the only conclusion I can come up with is
1 the GP-9 draws more power from the track
2 the transformer doesn't put out what it says it should (my guess is due to age and ware and tear)
3 everything is actually working correct with the transformer except the peak power it should have my guess is just at 12v reason one engine works the other doesn't ( need to get a voltage meter of some type so i can test in the future it would probably solve all the questions here from the beginning)
reversed wires as Probe suggested got horn to work in conventional mode on the GP-9 so now the only thing is the speed so again maybe the pul-mor or/and the original tmcc just draws to much for this transformer to handle again it seems to boil down to a power output problem more than anything else.
By playing with this off and on I have learned a lot even if its not practical in every case theres ways to figure out things ( long way around) even without a meter and yes we can't be sure unless I go get a meter which I probably will look into the next time I'm in HD/Lowe's
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