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Transformer use

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  • Member since
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Transformer use
Posted by TrainJoe on Thursday, November 2, 2006 4:27 PM
I'm new to this forum: Have a question, Can you use a Maliban Garden light transformer with a cre-55471 receiver & cre-55473 transmitter. The layout is a overhead oval 10' x 20' in our dinner area. Would power 1 Lgb mogul & 3 cars. We use the A/C elite transformer for our outdoor layout. Would be great not to have to move the elite to both locations. Thanks for your help.
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 2, 2006 8:13 PM

Transformers are transformers and power supplies are power supplies and you need a power supply to run LGB. Say centre zero 20 V 0 20 V. S in essence the answer is no!

Ian

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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, November 2, 2006 11:36 PM
I would agree with Ian, sounds like a good way to fry a motor

   Have fun with your trains

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 9:27 AM

Buy from the place you bought the other or frind one on eBay and make sure you ask if it works and if they say they dont know, don't buy it. 1/2 Cent.

William

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Posted by Tom The Brat on Friday, November 3, 2006 4:48 PM
Ian and Vic are right. And it's not just the motor you'll fry.
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 6:16 PM

 TrainJoe wrote:
I'm new to this forum: Have a question, Can you use a Maliban Garden light transformer with a cre-55471 receiver & cre-55473 transmitter. The layout is a overhead oval 10' x 20' in our dinner area. Would power 1 Lgb mogul & 3 cars. We use the A/C elite transformer for our outdoor layout. Would be great not to have to move the elite to both locations. Thanks for your help.

 

I would also warn against using non-LGB power and especially non-hobby transformers with G locos.  The transformer should be made for hobby use, and you shouldn't skip on the quality of power when using your LGB.  Yes, some products like the MRC Control Master 20 will work pretty good with LGB, but now LGB controls are reasonably priced enough (step up another $40) so you get equivelent power with added piece of mind.  Also, the transformer can stay inside while the controller can stay outside.  If anyone is investing in a garden railway, don't skip on quality when it comes to track, roadbed and power supplies.

Regards,

 

Tom M.

 

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 6:18 PM

 Torby wrote:
Ian and Vic are right. And it's not just the motor you'll fry.

 

Hey buddy,

 

I like your train picture...nice weathering job!  Verrrrrry nice!  Wish I could do that!

Regards,

Tom M.

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 6:21 PM

 TrainJoe wrote:
I'm new to this forum: Have a question, Can you use a Maliban Garden light transformer with a cre-55471 receiver & cre-55473 transmitter. The layout is a overhead oval 10' x 20' in our dinner area. Would power 1 Lgb mogul & 3 cars. We use the A/C elite transformer for our outdoor layout. Would be great not to have to move the elite to both locations. Thanks for your help.

 

Oh! I forgot to mention...you can use your  Crest Train Engineer with an LGB power supply, then of course you don't need a controller.   But make sure the Train Engineer input matches the Power supply output (AC=AC or DC=DC)

 

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Posted by Tom The Brat on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 8:56 AM

Of course, you can power that Crest train engineer all sorts of ways:

It just needs steady DC.

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Posted by piercedan on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 11:09 AM
As long as you have DC power  for the 27mhz TE and do not exceed 24 volts, it will work just fine.

FYI, the 75mhz on board spec is 28 volts max.


The original LGB power packs were .5 amp and had half wave rectification, sound units hum when using this supply.

The 1 amp LGB power packs are good for small trains, but neither of these should be used for the train engineer as the current is too low.

I personally would never run a train engineer without at least having a DC power supply of 5 amps or more, and I always add in the optional cooling fan.

You could run the TE from a discarded laptop power pack, I have seen 20 volt 4 amp units from Dell. for indoor use.

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 9, 2006 8:35 PM

 piercedan1 wrote:
As long as you have DC power  for the 27mhz TE and do not exceed 24 volts, it will work just fine.

FYI, the 75mhz on board spec is 28 volts max.


The original LGB power packs were .5 amp and had half wave rectification, sound units hum when using this supply.

The 1 amp LGB power packs are good for small trains, but neither of these should be used for the train engineer as the current is too low.

 

The 1 amp 50081 series of LGB power packs work well with the some of Crest Train Engineers.  I have used them that way.  I am talking specifically about the Orange colored budget TE and the older 5 amp TE which I don't think they make anymore....its too bad because that 5 amp unit was small enough to fit into a boxcar.

The current needed really depends on what you have running on the rails.  I can get about 3.5 hours of constant running of a Krokodile with about 8 cars in tow with a 50081.  Then the pack will overheat and the breaker will snap....it must cool down before it will go again.  For outdoor ops, I don't recommend just using 1 ampere supply.

I have noticed LGB has changed vendors - the 50081 series has Buhler on one of my packs and Stegner on the more recent one.  Nevertheless, hook these two puppies together in series with a LGB throttle, and you get beefy power.

Regards,


Tom M.

 

 

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 9, 2006 8:38 PM
 LGBFan123 wrote:

 piercedan1 wrote:
As long as you have DC power  for the 27mhz TE and do not exceed 24 volts, it will work just fine.

FYI, the 75mhz on board spec is 28 volts max.


The original LGB power packs were .5 amp and had half wave rectification, sound units hum when using this supply.

The 1 amp LGB power packs are good for small trains, but neither of these should be used for the train engineer as the current is too low.

ADDENDUM

...I WROTE:

I have noticed LGB has changed vendors - the 50081 series has Buhler on one of my packs and Stegner on the more recent one. 

Nevertheless, hook these two puppies together in series with a LGB throttle, and you get beefy power.

Regards,


Tom M.

I SHOULD HAVE WROTE:

Hook both packs up in PARALLEL and you get good power.  The packs should not be hooked up in SERIES.

Regards,


Tom M.

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Posted by piercedan on Friday, November 10, 2006 9:52 AM
The orange (Basic TE) is still made, in fact Aristo uses this in some of their starter sets.

I have one and I use a Dell computer 20 volt 2.5 amp power pack to operate it.  Note that 2.5 amps is the spec for the Basic TE max output.  PWC only.

Good feature of this unit is it is a small receiver, and over the years they have shipped with several diffferent frequencies.

There is a sticker on the unit that reads 045 on mine.  This means the frequency is 27.045 mhz.

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 10, 2006 5:50 PM

 piercedan1 wrote:
The orange (Basic TE) is still made, in fact Aristo uses this in some of their starter sets.

I have one and I use a Dell computer 20 volt 2.5 amp power pack to operate it.  Note that 2.5 amps is the spec for the Basic TE max output.  PWC only.

Good feature of this unit is it is a small receiver, and over the years they have shipped with several diffferent frequencies.

There is a sticker on the unit that reads 045 on mine.  This means the frequency is 27.045 mhz.

 

For reliable Radio Control operation, the Basic Orange TE is fantastic!  One of Aristo/Crest's best buys!  You can take the receiver and with a little time and a fuse, convert it to battery power and put it in a trailing car to power the trains.  Or, you can of course use the standard track power way.

I have always been fond of the Train Engineer.  I bought my first in 1994.  The only thing that I don't really care for is built-in momentum (without the option of adjustment) and I am of the school that knobs are more funner to use than buttons for throttle.

Regards,

Tom M.

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