|
|
Post by tom on Sept 13, 2014 14:21:44 GMT -8
Picked up a Soundtraxx Current Keeper and installed it in an Atlas GP40 today. Seems to work very well as advertised. For those not familiar with it, it is basically a capicitor that stores energy so that when the locomotive hits some dirty track there is no flicker of the lights or problems with the sound.
While I do not have big problems keeping the track clean I do seem to clean the track kind of often which is not very fun. The Atlas engine that I installed it into was not any better or worse than my other locomotives but had enough room inside that installation was easy. The engine now runs without any flicker at all and I of course picked it off the track and let it run on bare plywood. It ran about 18" on the plywood without any other power other than the CurrentKeeper! The engine does run slower as the power runs out but this on plywood.....not noticable at all when running on powered track.
I think that I will slowly equip all of my locomotives with the CurrentKeeper as this seems like it should mostly eliminate the fustration that occurs when instead of running my trains I have to clean the track. Track will still need to be cleaned but the interval between cleanings should be very long. I will be doing testing with it for a while.
The only real problem is that it is bigger that I thought it would be. I hope in the future that the size of these could be reduced and I hope some day they could come already built into a decoder.
|
|
|
|
Post by gmpullman on Sept 14, 2014 21:10:50 GMT -8
Hi, Tom I have also become a big fan of these "stay alive" capacitors. My first install using one was on a TCS WOWsound decoder. Since then I have installed several other non sound TCS ones. They are a blessing for light or short wheel-base engines. I'm not going to bother with any of my heavier 4 and 6 axle units, especially ones that I MU frequently but for switchers and the occasional brass engine with minimum wheel pick-ups they are perfect! Have you looked at YouTube "stay alive" demonstrations? Digitrax now offers their Power Xtender and TCS has the KA series Keep Alive decoders.
I have a bunch of the MTH passenger cars with caps to keep the lighting "flicker-free" and now with so many sound engines and these keep alive caps I'm wondering when I'll need to use welding cable for a power buss! Hopefully the current inrush will be buffered enough but I am starting to see more "false shorts" when I reset power to the rails. I'm wondering if I will have to apply power in stages as I have eight power districts off of two 8 amp boosters?
Ed |
|
|
|
Post by Mark R. on Sept 14, 2014 21:31:00 GMT -8
One thing that would help is to not have all your engines live at power up. Even though my layout is DCC, all the tracks in my engine terminal and all my staging tracks can have the power shut off to them. Unless there is power (engines) left on the main, there aren't too many units drawing on my system when first turned on.
Mark.
|
|
|
|
Post by gmpullman on Sept 14, 2014 23:29:18 GMT -8
I like that Idea, Mark. Even though I switched to DCC from a DC block control wiring I eliminated almost all my block isolation switches except in a few areas (Staging and Union Station) but when I wired my circuit breakers I used isolation switches so I could kill all eight breakers and then power up each power district one at a time.
If I continue to have any more issues when I power up the whole layout I will go with additional isolation sections so I can power them up progressively, or as needed. Maybe it's time for another booster?
Thanks for the input, Ed |
|
|
|
Post by nebrzephyr on Sept 15, 2014 6:20:16 GMT -8
One thing that would help is to not have all your engines live at power up. Even though my layout is DCC, all the tracks in my engine terminal and all my staging tracks can have the power shut off to them. Unless there is power (engines) left on the main, there aren't too many units drawing on my system when first turned on. Mark. Agree on the ability to "power down" tracks in engine terminal, etc. Here's one of my panels where I can control which service tracks are "hot". Bob  |
|
|
|
Post by nebrzephyr on Sept 15, 2014 6:22:48 GMT -8
On the "keep alive" units.....is the capacitor supplying power to the whole decoder? In other words, if I installed one could I also expect it would eliminate the flicker if using light bulbs for head/tail lights?
Thanks. Bob
|
|
|
|
Post by Mark R. on Sept 15, 2014 9:24:28 GMT -8
On the "keep alive" units.....is the capacitor supplying power to the whole decoder? In other words, if I installed one could I also expect it would eliminate the flicker if using light bulbs for head/tail lights? Thanks. Bob Yes, the module will maintain power to motor, lights and sound (if equipped). Mark. |
|
|
|
Post by nebrzephyr on Sept 15, 2014 12:06:53 GMT -8
So I looked at Soundtraxx website and I do not see any doc on how to install the CurrentKeeper. Am I correct in assuming it must be soldered into the decoder at specific spots and thus, each installation would be different depending on the specific decoder??
The thing sounds interesting but just trying to understand the complexity of installation. Thanks. Bob
|
|
|
|
Post by Mark R. on Sept 15, 2014 12:53:56 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by nebrzephyr on Sept 15, 2014 13:37:22 GMT -8
Mark.....thanks for the link. TCS assumes that one is using their newest decoders and that is not always the case for a lot of us. Bob
|
|
|
|
Post by tom on Sept 15, 2014 18:36:18 GMT -8
So I looked at Soundtraxx website and I do not see any doc on how to install the CurrentKeeper. Am I correct in assuming it must be soldered into the decoder at specific spots and thus, each installation would be different depending on the specific decoder?? The thing sounds interesting but just trying to understand the complexity of installation. Thanks. Bob It takes two spots to solder two wires to the decoder....and one is the common marked "C". I found the specific spot using a quick internet search and was able to connect the CurrentKeeper to my NCC DA-SR decoder very quickly....and I am certainly no expert. Worked great on my first try! Here is the link that I followed: www.members.optusnet.com.au/mainnorth/alive.htm |
|
|
|
Post by tom on Sept 15, 2014 18:37:51 GMT -8
Mark.....thanks for the link. TCS assumes that one is using their newest decoders and that is not always the case for a lot of us. Bob As you can see that is the link that I followed too! |
|
