For those who are familiar with MTH
How essential is it to have a Proto Sound 2 Battery Charger ???
I see it on e-bay and listed with dealers, and the cost is minimal. The MTH docs that I located on-line, imply that the battery charges as the engine is run.
Never the less is it important to have this charger ???
Ken
PS…and yes I am having big fun with my first MTH/RK steam engine.
You don’t have to have the charger but at some point in time if you let the engine sit for weeks or months the battery will need to be charged before you can run the engine again. Without the charger you would have to leave the engine on a powered track to recharge the battery(with the smoke unit turned off) A recharge can take up tp 12 hours. There is a after market replacement called a BCR that replaces the battery and then no charger would be necessary. You just turn the engine on, wait one minute and off you go.
While not essential if the engine is run regularly and sufficiently long each session, it would be beneficial to have one. The original equipment NI-CD battery holds a charge quite well, but after several months of non-use, may drain enough to hamper engine start up. Also, a battery can be drained by frequent playing of station announcements while transformer is set below 10-12 volts.
The battery may also be fully charged by leaving engine in neutral at 10 or more volts, for 12 hours or so–though unnecessary wear is sustained by bulbs and electronics, using this method.
If you notice that the engine shutdown sounds are not playing for six or more seconds after power is shut off, a recharge is due.
edit: this posting written while sir james 1 posted his comments [:)]
I only have one MTH engine, it is a NYC Hudson. I have never put her on the tracks, but will do a BCR change when I do. If you are not interested in a BCR, I think OGR had a article on how to build a battery charger for a MTH engine. They actually cut a hole in the tender for the receptical. I am sure someone here has the exact information on which OGR or perhaps a Backshop video where they show how to do this.
Dennis
Agree, I’ve got one and never have had to use it [knock on wood].
As indicated in the original post, the cost is minimial. IF you have one MTH engine and it is fairyly new, and gets some routine long runs will probably not need it for a while. BUT, if you have multiple MTH engines and they are a little old it sure is convienent! I have used it on two engines leaving them on over night. Made things really easy. I was reluctant to leave layout power on overnight unattended, to charge the battery. But again I’ve only used it twice, but the peace of mind I got was worth the $14, I paid retail at a LHS.
I bought the MTH charger as well, I don’t like to leave the track power on when not in the room. My power company can be pretty bad at times for drop-outs and surges, I have FPL Florida Power and Light a.k.a. “Flickering Powerless and Lightless!”
Surge protection is a must have for a layout down here!
Lee F.