QUOTE: Originally posted by Noah Hofrichter So what is a good powerpack for running multipe athearn engines? One of my accessory powerpacks blew and the Loco one is the same type, just a trainset powerpack, so I'm going to buy a good powerpack. I was thinking a MRC 240 or 260 powerpack, but whats really best?
QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy Originally posted by Noah Hofrichter Then again, you can never have to much power.[;)] Some of the Kato units now have a warning on the carton"do not operate in access of 12 volts" which I never caught until the latest uproar about the about the AC4400 board fryiny Go to www.modelrec.com and click on train controls, then tech 4, which should display four models. Click on the picture for an exploded picture and details. There are other models as well and you should be able to pick up a pack at 25% off thru Trainworld. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 29, 2004 8:17 PM I run a matched Proto set of A-B-B-A FA-2's off a Tech4 this throttle has the power to move em. This is probably going to be the biggest power I will run on the layout. I will be doubleheading some small steam but the impact is minor compared the the proto units. I do have a Athearn Cow and Calf from the late 80's Both have power in them and I replace couplers between em regularly. Drawbars lift one power truck too high for traction at grades. This is all DC nothing to do with DCC. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 29, 2004 8:52 PM I have a Tech 3 Power command 9500 (30 VA), and a Sound n' Power 7000. It has 30 VA on DC and 60 VA on AC. The variable AC on this is for running G scale, which I don't use. I use both of these power packs on my layout. Among the engines I run are 2 Kato GP38s. I've never had a problem with them ever getting hot, but then it hardly takes any voltage to run them. To get the full voltage that either of these two power packs have, one has to turn the trottle up all the way. The most I've ever had to turn the thottle up on either one of these packs is maybe between a fourth and a third of the way. But that's only when I'm running four of my atherns together, as these draw a lot more power than do my Atlas or Kato engines. Years ago when I first got into the hobby, an old modeler once told me that an engine will only be as good as the power pack that is running it. He was right. I didn't listen to him and had to learn it the hard way. I run multi engines most of the time, sometimes even when just switching cars, as this is what I have observed the real railroads doing time and again. I used to have a problem with power packs getting hot. I would have to keep switching power packs to counter this. This restricted me from what I really wanted to do. Now I don't have to do that anymore. I can spend an afternoon moving cars around the yard and then dropping them off and picking others up at businesses along the line while using multi engines, and at the same time be running another multi engine frieght, or a two or three engine passenger train along a main line at a scaled 40-50 MPH on a continuous run and neither one of my power packs nor any of my engines will get hot. These power packs weren't cheap, but darn it, I wanted something that would satisfy my needs, and these two do. Reply Edit lupo Member sinceNovember 2003 From: the Netherlands 1,883 posts Posted by lupo on Sunday, May 30, 2004 3:48 AM Be sure to have enough power when running MU on DC, the largest consist I ran was an P2K F-3 ABBBA set, ran ok but after 5 minutes it stalled, I cut the power ran a few feet and stalled, pulled out the track cleaner, nnothing, took of 2 B units, it ran OK, tested the other units, it ran OK, put together all 5 and it stalled again, [xx(] It took me some time to realise that is was the thermal protection in my powerpack that kicked in when running 5 engines, after a few seconds the thing cooled down and reinstalled power. I test if locomotives can run together by putting om track with a couple of inches between them, let them run, and watch the space between them, if the running speeds is allmost equal I couple them together. BTW: in power I mean not the maximum volts the powerpack can give but the Amperes ( or VA ) L [censored] O Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 30, 2004 5:35 AM lupo I don't have any literature on the P2K F3s but my P2K E7 draws approx .50 amps at the high end of 14 volts. If I were to run five of those , my MRC tech 2-9500, 30 VA rating, would register 2.5 amps, darn near the 3. amp capacity. What pack are you using for the five locos? My P1K -F3 draws .25 amps. For my four F3 A-B sets totals out to be 2.00 amps, well under the max of 3.0- capacity on my 9500. Reply Edit lupo Member sinceNovember 2003 From: the Netherlands 1,883 posts Posted by lupo on Sunday, May 30, 2004 5:52 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by locomotive3 lupo I don't have any literature on the P2K F3s but my P2K E7 draws approx .50 amps at the high end of 14 volts. If I were to run five of those , my MRC tech 2-9500, 30 VA rating, would register 2.5 amps, darn near the 3. amp capacity. What pack are you using for the five locos? My P1K -F3 draws .25 amps. For my four F3 A-B sets totals out to be 2.00 amps, well under the max of 3.0- capacity on my 9500. I am using a Fleishmann 712 ( German 2 rail DC manufacturer ) powerpack rated at 28 VA ( 2A x 14V ), so that figures why after some time ( app. 5 minutes) the themal protection kicked in, and kept switching the power on and off afterwards. Those five engines take about 2,5 A and the powerpack only is rated a 2 A L [censored] O Reply Noah Hofrichter Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: Reedsburg WI (near Wisconsin Dells) 3,370 posts Posted by Noah Hofrichter on Monday, May 31, 2004 9:26 AM Thanks again to all of you. Now I've got to go power pack hunting (actually, I had to anyways) I'm going to try the local hobby shop and maybe Ebay, so wish me luck, Noah Click the image above to visit my website, Badger Rails. My Model Railroad Club's website: http://sandhousecrew.webng.com Reply lupo Member sinceNovember 2003 From: the Netherlands 1,883 posts Posted by lupo on Monday, May 31, 2004 9:34 AM go for it Noah, the higher VA rating the better ! you might not be needing it right away, but you won't regret it later, when you want to add lighting and other energy consuming gadgets on your lay-out [8D] L [censored] O Reply Subscriber & Member Login Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more! 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Originally posted by Noah Hofrichter Then again, you can never have to much power.[;)]
QUOTE: Originally posted by locomotive3 lupo I don't have any literature on the P2K F3s but my P2K E7 draws approx .50 amps at the high end of 14 volts. If I were to run five of those , my MRC tech 2-9500, 30 VA rating, would register 2.5 amps, darn near the 3. amp capacity. What pack are you using for the five locos? My P1K -F3 draws .25 amps. For my four F3 A-B sets totals out to be 2.00 amps, well under the max of 3.0- capacity on my 9500.