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WALL WORT >>>>> What Do I Have ??

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WALL WORT >>>>> What Do I Have ??
Posted by superbe on Sunday, May 23, 2010 8:27 AM

Verizon replaced my wireless modem complete with power supply.

The old power supply is described as follows:

Class 2 Transformer.

Input 120VAC 60HZ  22W

Output 12VDC  1.0A

I've never used a wort before but understand that a regulated supply is best. Is this a good one to use on the layout?

Comments appreciated.

Bob

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, May 23, 2010 11:14 AM

12 volt DC 1 amp. More likely then not unregulated and probably non-filtered as well. The regualtion takes place in the modem, and there is likely also a large filter capacitor inside right where the power supply plugs in.

What you have is fine for Tortoises and building lights.

                                    --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Sunday, May 23, 2010 11:25 AM

Add a 120 ohm 10w potentiometer and a DPDT toggle and you have a quick and dirty DC locomotive controller with more capacity than the typical Life-Like or Bachmann toy train pack.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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Posted by richg1998 on Sunday, May 23, 2010 11:56 AM

 This wall wart "might" be filtered and regulated if from Verizon. If not regulated, the voltage with nothing connected to it will be around fifteen volts DC. Put your multimeter on it to see what the voltage is.

This will be good for the switch machines and a bunch of LED or light bulbs.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Sunday, May 23, 2010 12:18 PM

It's free power, but one thing I discovered about wall warts is that they have no circuit breaker protection:

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/174295.aspx

If you overload a wall wart for long enough, it will simply stop working.  There's a built-in fuse, but it's not accessible.  It's only there to keep your house from burning down.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by richg1998 on Sunday, May 23, 2010 12:34 PM

Figure what you will need for amps and don't go over 50 percent of the wart, or 0.5 amps in this case. I usually go with 75 percent of the power supply capability but in the case of warts, I stick to 50 percent.

Some years ago I had a wart start to melt at near 75 percent of the amps indicated on the case.

Buy and learn how to use a multimeter. You have learned how to drive a car, you can do the same with a multimeter.

A multimeter for model railroad use can be obtained for about $10.00. I have an expensive Fluke but hardly ever use it as the $10.00 meter does everything I need for model railroad use.

I even gave one to our club as some people just seem to refuse to buy one for electrical trouble shooting.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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Posted by superbe on Sunday, May 23, 2010 5:12 PM

superbe
Is this a good one to use on the layout?

 

From the responses the wort will be usefull with slow motion switch machines and bldg lights. Since I'm using Peco motors right now I'll keep the wort on hand and try it with lighting.

I do have a multimeter which meaures both DCV and ACV  with a range from 0 to 250. It also has an OHM adjustment wheel whatever that is. It cost around $25 at ACE hardware. The selection was rather limited at the time and I didn't really know just what I would need.

Thanks for the comments and happy railroading.

Bob 

 

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Sunday, May 23, 2010 6:30 PM

richg1998

Buy and learn how to use a multimeter. You have learned how to drive a car, you can do the same with a multimeter.

Yeah, but try picking up girls with a multimeter.  Whistling

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by richg1998 on Sunday, May 23, 2010 7:13 PM

MisterBeasley

richg1998

Buy and learn how to use a multimeter. You have learned how to drive a car, you can do the same with a multimeter.

Yeah, but try picking up girls with a multimeter.  Whistling

 

Always someone with a challenge. Big Smile

Rich

 

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, May 23, 2010 10:04 PM

 Well there were like 4 girls in my EE classes back in college....

                                        --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
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Posted by richg1998 on Monday, May 24, 2010 11:50 AM

Yeah, those were the days when women began entering the engineering/technician field.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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Posted by Seamonster on Thursday, May 27, 2010 11:55 AM
superbe

superbe
Is this a good one to use on the layout?

 

I do have a multimeter which meaures both DCV and ACV  with a range from 0 to 250. It also has an OHM adjustment wheel whatever that is.

 

That wheel is to compensate for declining battery voltage as the battery ages when you're making resistance measurements. Sine the battery is used only for resistance measurements, unless you store it in the ohms position with the probes touching each other, the battery should last its shelf life, but its voltage will slowly decrease. To set the ohms scale for an accurate reading, select the range you want then hold the ends of the probes together. The pointer will go all the way to the right, or almost all the way. This indicates a short circuit. Keeping the probes together, adjust the wheel until the pointer is on the last mark on the scale. Now the meter is accurately calibrated for that scale with that battery voltage. When you can no longer get the pointer to the last mark on the scale, it's time to replace the battery.

..... Bob

Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here. (Captain Kirk)

I reject your reality and substitute my own. (Adam Savage)

Resistance is not futile--it is voltage divided by current.

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Posted by superbe on Saturday, May 29, 2010 7:52 AM

Seamonster
it's time to replace the battery.

 

Seamonster,

Thanks for the explanation for the use of the OHM adjusting wheel. I must have misplaced the instructions for the multimeter and if my memory is correct the print was so small I stopped reading and just figured out how to measure watts. After following your instructions the needle only quivered so the battery is evidently dead.

Happy railroading,

Bob

 

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