I recently installed a RRampmeter and noticed that my DCC-powered engines draw only between .02 and .04 amps, according to the meter. Am I correct in assuming this is correct? (Engines: Walthers H10-44, Stewart VO-1000 w/ ESU decoder, BLI SW-7, and Bachman 44 tonner with ESU decoder.)
TRNJ
Sounds about right, especially for the Stewart, Now put a decent size train behind them and check again - it will be higher, but not that much. Sorta confirms my overkill theory - no you do NOT need an 8 amp booster to run 4 HO or N scale trains. You don't even need a 5 amp booster.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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trnj I recently installed a RRampmeter and noticed that my DCC-powered engines draw only between .02 and .04 amps, according to the meter. Am I correct in assuming this is correct? TRNJ
I recently installed a RRampmeter and noticed that my DCC-powered engines draw only between .02 and .04 amps, according to the meter. Am I correct in assuming this is correct?
I could be wrong, but I suspect the decimal point is a typo/misread. I would expect readings from 0.2 to 0.4 amps for most modern HO locomotives. If the 0.02 and 0.04 amp readings are correct, then there is an error somewhere.
just my experiences
Fred W
David
After doing some checking, I have concluded you are right and I was wrong. I did not believe that newer drives had gotten below the 100ma threshold under normal conditions. Doesn't matter whether on DC or DCC, the average current draw of the motor should be the same. This analysis assumes decoder current is negligible in comparison, which should be correct for a non-sound decoder. If decoder current was significant, decoder overheating would be an issue.
In checking, I noticed that Model Railroader reviews no longer include DC current draws while running - just slip and stall. I had to go back to my '90s issues to find reviews that included current draws while running light. And lo and behold, I came across several examples of reviews of locomotives drawing 20-40ma while running light.
my apologies
Very interesting information. How, exactly, would I measure amp draw on a locomotive using a standard mulit-meter?
Put it in series with one rail and use AC mode. The values will not be precise due to the waveform but are OK for relative indications. You might want to borrow a DCC meter for comparison and create a conversion chart for your meter.
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