Battery power

[SNOWSHOE]

I know nothing about electric so this may sound stupid. Is it possibly to convert something like a small like a stainza or a porter into battery power.  Here is the catch. Can it be done by just adding a batterie pack with a basic on off switch.  What is the max for batteries for something like this.  How would I go about hooking it up? 

[Curmudgeon]

Yes.

Done it.

Place the loco on the rails, apply power until you get the speed you want, place a voltmeter across the rails, and e-mail me with the voltage.

TOC

[Marty Cozad]

I have 3 things run with a 9.6 volt battery with on/off switch. runs about 25 mph scale speed

[calenelson]

Yes.

Done it.

TOC

 

Done It...Me too!  Thanks to TOC!  I have a HLW Mack with 9.6v and a DPDT switch...Dave helped "Big Time"...I'm sure he'll do the same for you! 

 

Nice Avatar!  from a former High Angle Rescue Team Member! 

 

cale 

[SNOWSHOE]

Yes.

Done it.

TOC

 

Done It...Me too!  Thanks to TOC!  I have a HLW Mack with 9.6v and a DPDT switch...Dave helped "Big Time"...I'm sure he'll do the same for you! 

 

Nice Avatar!  from a former High Angle Rescue Team Member! 

 Your good.  What area did you do rescues in?  Im on the Delaware water gap National park team.  Its a joint state park and national park team. Sorry for going off topic. 

 

cale 

[SNOWSHOE]

Yes.

Done it.

Place the loco on the rails, apply power until you get the speed you want, place a voltmeter across the rails, and e-mail me with the voltage.

TOC

That sounds good.  I have to get a volt meter first.  When I get it I will let you know.  Thanks again.  Im still in my planning stages for my RR but I saw a guy on mylargescale has a set, backwoods RR and he runs the smaller trains this way or something similar.  I really liked his set up and toying with a similar idea.  Seems a little more cost effective.

[altterrain]

I am going to be doing that very thing with some 7/8n2 projects I have planned.

I'm going to be using these lightweight Li Ion packs -

http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=508

and 25 watt (fine for small locos) motor drivers kits I found on eBay for $10 -

http://cgi.ebay.com/25-watt-PWM-Driver-Dimmer-KIT-fits-all-Luxeon-Star-Leds_W0QQitemZ250204315917QQihZ015QQcategoryZ66954QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

-Brian 

[hoofe116]

Brian,

This sounds exactly like what I've been looking for on the web. Please verify that it controls motor speed. I'm not knowledgeable with the new terminology or technology.

If it is useful as speed controller, I suppose that pot shaft is the speed/ brightness controller? Wonder how one would hook one of the infra-red tv controller receiver boards to it to make it remote? I've been beating thru the web looking for that info. I can't get it straight in my head how everything fits together. (Ya gotta consider, I remember when R/C model airplane transmitters and receivers had small vacuum tubes in 'em.)

All I need is like, two channels. One for speed, one for fwd/rev. Maybe a whistle/bell?

These 'beginning electronics' books tell me things I already know, like how to solder, etc. I want block diagrams of how the various boards interconnect, what their named and what they do. Schematics would be even better.

Got a source to point me at for that info? Lastly, what is a 'soft switch' as Peter Jones described having in that cardboard critter a couple of issues back? I assume it is a push on/off switch that doesn't use much pressure? Where would one obtain them?

Sorry 'bout all the questions, but you really hit on the one area I haven't found anything out about, yet.

Thanks,

Les W.

[altterrain]

Brian,

This sounds exactly like what I've been looking for on the web. Please verify that it controls motor speed. I'm not knowledgeable with the new terminology or technology.

If it is useful as speed controller, I suppose that pot shaft is the speed/ brightness controller? Wonder how one would hook one of the infra-red tv controller receiver boards to it to make it remote? I've been beating thru the web looking for that info. I can't get it straight in my head how everything fits together. (Ya gotta consider, I remember when R/C model airplane transmitters and receivers had small vacuum tubes in 'em.)

All I need is like, two channels. One for speed, one for fwd/rev. Maybe a whistle/bell?

These 'beginning electronics' books tell me things I already know, like how to solder, etc. I want block diagrams of how the various boards interconnect, what their named and what they do. Schematics would be even better.

Got a source to point me at for that info? Lastly, what is a 'soft switch' as Peter Jones described having in that cardboard critter a couple of issues back? I assume it is a push on/off switch that doesn't use much pressure? Where would one obtain them?

Sorry 'bout all the questions, but you really hit on the one area I haven't found anything out about, yet.

Thanks,

Les W.

Hi Les,

Yes, its a simple motor speed controller with PWM (pulse width modulation). The kit is just a small pcb with about a dozen components. It should be pretty simple to put together. Its rated 25 watts so it should be good for 16 volts at 1.5 amps. It would need an on/off and a dpdt switch hooked up to it for on off and reverse. I'm just going to have a simple on/off toggle since the trains I'll be using it for will be running pretty slow anyway.

You can find a variety of push button switches at allelectronics .com -

http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category/700325/Pushbutton.html

Beyond that, I have no idea!

-Brian 

[Marty Cozad]

Heres a simple way I set it up for my grand daughter.

 

 

The she can turn it on/off at will.

 

[SNOWSHOE]

Yes.

Done it.

Place the loco on the rails, apply power until you get the speed you want, place a voltmeter across the rails, and e-mail me with the voltage.

TOC

 

I got a volt meter (I think it is)  Here is a picture of what I got.  It measures everything.  My guess is I want to measure DC.  The DC starts at 0 and goes up to 250.  Here is the thing it has a dial that goes from 500 to 10.  What should it be set at.  Acording to the directios (are not good at all) says to start the dial at the highest # 500 and work down until the pointer reads in the upper half of the cale.  I have no idea what to do or what it means.    It is a Sperry SP-10A.  If you can help me to work it that would be great.  It was the only thing I could find without spending  over 30 bucks.  Thanks  here is a link to the manual

http://www.awsperry.com/sperry/documents/sp-10a.pdf

 

[altterrain]

The picture is pretty fuzzy (and huge on blow up!).

Set the dial to DC voltage somewhere  in the 20 - 100 volt range on the dial (I can't read the markings). Put your train on the tracks and turn it up to speed to where you want to run it. Stick the probes up to the rails (one probe on each rail) and read the voltage. It will read positive or negative voltage depending  on which rails you attach the probes. That's about it.

-Brian 

added - I just looked at the manual. Set it to the 50v setting. 

[mgilger]

I use batteries from Harbor Freight. They are only $9.99 or less and seem to work ok. They are 18 volts and probably around 1.5 - 2.0 amp hour. I remove them from their case.  Hard to beat the price.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93655

[altterrain]

I use batteries from Harbor Freight. They are only $9.99 or less and seem to work ok. They are 18 volts and probably around 1.5 - 2.0 amp hour. I remove them from their case.  Hard to beat the price.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93655

The HarborFreight batteries are only 1.3 Ah

-Brian 

[izzy0855]

I purchased all my batteries from Cordless Renovations in Iowa.  They manufacture custom-built battery-packs for G Scale Trains with high capacity and high mah cells.  If I'm correct, they are the battery-manufacturer for all of RCS of NE Systems.  Check them out www.cordlessrenovations.com