How many sound engines should a Digitrax 5 amp power supply be able to handel? Getting into sound engines and have had the power supply thermail protection kick in a few times.
I typically run 6 Pargon BLI F7’s 5 with QSI sound, a BLI SD 7 with Rolling Thunder and a couple none sound PK 2000 SD 7. When I run the PK’s is when I have the shut down. I all so have a few engines on the rails not being ran but have power to them.
The power supply I am guessing is around 9 years old, just getting old?
I think you found the issue. The P2K engines are the current hogs. Could be gummed up lube, bad gears or motors. The Alco PA-1’s were notorious current hogs.
I have 19 or 20 sound engines running off of a Digitrax 5 amp unit with no issue…
I agree with Jim. Your system should handle what you have. I would start by servicing the units causing issue. See if you can measure their current draw before and after servicing.
Far as the PK 2000’s SD’s being power hogs I had suspected them for sometime now. Takes close to 50% power to getting too run a fair clip say around 20 Scale MPH.
None of them are new to me and have ran the heck out of them.
Tested a Bessmier PK 2000 SD 7 last night on DC and running aginst barricade it was pulling .37 to .38 amps and stalled at .88 amps.
The ‘light board’ in some P2K units have leaky diodes and can cause issues with decoders. I remove them and ‘hard wire’ my decoders with a 9 pin JST connector or the new 28 pin LOK style connector…