I just purchased over the internet an ho scale police car with flashing light bar and head and taillights. Some of you are probably familiar with this sellars items. This particular item requires a 12 volt power supply. I was wondering what other buyers of this item are using and if anyone has a suggestion for a cheap 12 volt power supply.Thanks for all the help I get from this forum. It’s greatly appreciated. Joe Voisin Sr
I use this:
Using an old 12 volt power pack works. You can also use those 12volt wall plug in transformers that come with phones, radios, toys ect. by cutting off the connection plug and using the two wires for power. Just make sure that the milliamp output on the power supply matches the equipment you want the power for.
I agree with cwclark. I use the ‘‘wall warts’’ to power most everything on the layout except the track itself. Go to a Goodwill/Salvation Army type store and see what they have. A while back I bought 5 of them for $1 each. I had to look thru a box of them and found 5 of them that range from 1 amp to 2 amp. I have enough power to do a layout nearly 3 times as big as what I have. Another place to look would be garage type sales. Hope this is of some help. Mike
I’ll ask here instead of starting a new thread. I just ran acroos a 12v AC 3200Ma power supply from and old Xmas tree. Would that be enough for around 25 Atlas switch machines? Or do those need DC?
loather, I would think that a 3.2 A power supply would work fine to power the turnouts. Especially being that you are probly not using them all at the exact same time. Others will have more info, but I would not be afraid to use it, maybe install a 3 amp fuse to make sure. think The turnouts care if they are powered by AC or DC . Mike
Loathar,
If you’re using the double-coil solenoid Atlas switch machines, they will work on either AC or DC, if you set it up accordingly. However, I recommend you use a Capacitance Discharge unit with them instead of straight AC. The CD unit will send a brief, high voltage burst of DC energy through the coils. The risk with using straight AC is that if you accidentally hold the button down too long, you’ll burn out the coils. This doesn’t happen with a CD unit, because the capacitors in the circuit dump their entire charge instantaneously.
To read up on CD units, check out these websites:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/CDPSU.html
http://www.awrr.com/cdsupply.html
You could build your own, but I think they’re also available from commercial sources. Do a Google search to find sellers if you don’t want to build your own.
The Atlas switch machines will spike at 2.7 - 3.1 amps each @ 18 volts A/C.
Your amperage rating is good but the voltage is low. Try it out and see how it works however, it may be okay.
Jim
TWIN COIL switch macines (such as Atlas) take an instantaneous PEAK surge of 3 amps @ 12V to move the internal slug, and quick, momentary, shut-off to prevent melting internal small gauge magnet wires.
18V (AC or DC) 2.25 amps should work. I use 24V @ 1.5 amps to throw a crossover (2 machines) simultaneously. Again with momentary contacts.
Problems occur when throwing multiples at the same time - such as a double crossover. Normal power packs can’t hack it. (I use an 18V 8,00mfd capacitor discharge for that).
NOTE: twin coils (aka ‘selenoids’) work on AC or DC, but DC is quieter.
JOE: A model police car with flashing lights should take very little power (milliwatts) by comparison, as long as it is 12 volts. AC or DC is determined by the makers circuit. IMPORTANT.
3 AMPS!!![:O] I thought these things were rated in milliamps?? Holy Crap! For a twin coil, that’s just a quick 3 amp jolt, right? Then the magnet in either of the twin coils holds it, right?
So if I have 25 Atlas switch machines wired to one power supply, only the one or two that I’m flipping at any given tine are drawing any current. (right) Other than that, the circuit isn’t drawing any current??
WRONG. A spring is required to maintain positive contact. Most all twin coils have them: atlas, Peco, NJI, Tenshodo clones, Tru-Scale, etc. or you have to fabricate one. Lo-current Motorized switch machines ‘stay on’ to maintain pressure.
:
RIGHT. One Atlas switch machine will use an instantaneous peak of 3 amp @12 volts each, so if 25 are are thrown at the same time (unlikely), you need 75 peak amps - otherwise some will be ‘sluggish’ or make incomplete throws.
Diode matrixes, Single & Double crossovers, throw multiple twin coils simultanrously are where one needs to be concerned…
I use a 12 volt AC power transformer, I bought at Radioshack, for 9.95, to power my turnouts. I have over 40 turnouts, but only two ever draw current at the same time. I have several crossovers, that use two switch motors on the same button, other wise only one at a time throws. They snap right over, no problem. I also have some lights working off the transformer, and there is still plenty of power left to throw switches.
Yes.
No magnets, plastic detents are used inside the machine.
You are correct.
I use an old Lionel SW twin throttle transformer with one of the throttles set at 18v. This bangs them pretty good. [8D] The other throttle is set at 12v for lighting.
Jim
GENTLEMEN:
You are all correct, but …
A Twin Coil switch Selenoids might take AC or DC amps to throw, but wouldn’t a flashing light circuit (original post) probably need a capacitor and milliamps (but DC) to operate?