I finally broke out my old Athearn BB Super Weight F7A that I started to convert to DCC 2 years ago. I had the harness installed but got side tracked and forgot about it.
I have a RTR DC Chip that I plugged into the harness to check the amps the motor pulls with it fully assembled. I used alligator clips to hold the engine in places on the rail and ran the test.
1 At full throttle and wheels spinning the motor drew 0.40 amps.
2 Stalled the engine by pushing down on it and got a stall reading of 0.98 amps.
Readings where stable. So am I good to GO, I HOPE?
I tested the B unit and got the same readings.
I have never tested a motor this way and want to make sure the gearing of the engine does not make a differences in the needed readings. I don't think it should, but I want to be safe.
Thanks for the coming answers and for your time.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
You're good. Gearing makes no difference - if the motor is stalled, it's stalled. It might be harder to stall by stopping the wheels rather than the flywheel, because the gears increase torque to the wheels, but if themotor's not turning it doesn't matter
Those Super Weight Athearns just have an extra weight that sits over the motor, it's not screwed on or anything. Not only does it make them heavier, it hides the motor which makes them quieter too. That old, it will have sintered iron wheels, for better pickup (at the expense of some traction - but with that weight it won;t matter much) you might want to repalce them with NWSL nickel-silver wheels, if they are still available, or new Athearn wheelsets if the newer RTR and Genesis wheelsets fit the old blue box axle gears.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
What is a RTR DC Chip? I have DCC decoders.
What you are doing is fine. The only time I do a stalled current test is when I can hold the flywheel or motor shaft. The stalled test might be hard on some gears. Why ask for trouble. Don't forget, the gears are in the equation even if just holding the loco in your hand.
Those readings are fine.
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.
Rich, the chip I am talking about is the chip that comes with Athearn RTR engines so you can run it on DC.
Randy, I have the newer model of the Super Weight, one piece weight that screws on to the chassis, Hex Head Drive Shafts and Nickel Wheels.
Thanks for the answer folks.
Ken
cudaken Rich, the chip I am talking about is the chip that comes with Athearn RTR engines so you can run it on DC. Randy, I have the newer model of the Super Weight, one piece weight that screws on to the chassis, Hex Head Drive Shafts and Nickel Wheels. Thanks for the answer folks. Ken
Ok, a dual mode DCC decoder.
Actually I think Ken means the standard DC light board.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
Close Simon, it is the chip that plugs into the standard light board when they come DC.
The 'dummy plug' with a bunch of diodes for directional lighting. Dunno that I'd call ones like the Athearn with components 'dummy' plugs - some brands do use plugs that are nothing more than some traces connecting the track power pins with the motor and light pins in the 8 or 9 pin socket.