# BEST power pack known to man ....for HO scale...



## redlinetrefitty

thank for everyone on here that taught me so much about model railroad...currently after some research i found out that my layout is way too damn big for just a regular DC train to pull certain load... i have to run 2 power pack for 10 feet length layout ...so i come down to two power pack ...but i read so much info and research on them and seem like i dont know which one to get ...

the mrc tech 4 260 : which have good power transfer unit...........aka Accutec Technology… Throw a switch, turn on a town full of lights, challenge a
steep grade and your loco responds prototypically. Constantly monitoring
feedback from the layout, Accutec Technology in Tech 4 train controls detects
sudden changes in load and instantly compensates for the new demand by
delivering the power needed to sustain a realistic reaction without a drop
off in power. Train controls with Accutec Technology enhance slow speed
control, power output and other control characteristics. Only MRC's Tech 4
train controls have Accutec Technology.


Runs HO, N, TT, Z and other DC scales. We've endowed the 260 with a huge power reservoir plus momentum...two of the most important features serious modelers insist on to coax maximum enjoyment from their railroad.

Accutec technology
Momentum
Pressure sensitive braking
Proportional Tracking Control
Direction control
Power indicator light
Futuristic, ergonomic design, rugged engineering resin housing
Momentum indicator light
Overload indicator light
Fixed AC terminals for accessories
UL listed
5-year limited warranty

or i can go with power pack-a-punnch lolbut no reserve power for other challenge like steep hill and such 

Big Power...30VA gets you going — ammeter and voltmeter put you in control

Runs HO, N, TT, Z and other DC Scales. Meters monitor your layout to optimize railroad performance. They can tell you what’s happening. For instance, if the meter indicates your loco is drawing too much, maybe you should lubricate the gears to overcome friction before it overheats. Or both ammeter and voltmeter flutter, a sure sign of intermittent contact...clean the track. High current and low voltage appear at the same time...maybe there’s a short somewhere. The 9500 puts you in control.



Momentum control with on–off switch
Fixed AC terminals for accessories
Fixed DC terminals for expansion
LEDs indicate momentum, power output and overload conditions
Advanced Proportional Tracking Control for maximum realism
Spring-loaded brake switch
Direction control switch
5-year limited warranty


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## New Berlin RR

ok im a little lost here (and maybe its because im up at 0100 in the morning reading this) but are you asking what power pack is better (if yes what are the two you want to compare?) or are you asking for assistance on what power pack to get?

I see your asking about the MRC tech 4 but whats the other power pack your wanting info on or wanting to compare? or are you asking something completely off base?


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## redlinetrefitty

what im asking is that i want to compare which one is better then the other and what disadvantage and advantage tat both have..


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## norgale

Somebody needs to tell him and me what the best HO transformer is to buy. Pete


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## redlinetrefitty

The mrc tech 4 260 is the best one for us right now norgale.... Lol cause it hve a power reserve unit...


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## gandy dancer#1

Hey I got recommendation from gunrunnerjohn for the mrc 280. as i have more than one train and needed 2 throttles, read the specs on mrc and believe they are the best out here right now escpecially for my operatios, one is in my future!! just my 2 cents worth!!


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## Gansett

Oh boy, this looks similar to a good ol' Chevy vs Ford discussion coming up. 

We need a popcorn icon


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## Lee_R

JackC said:


> Oh boy, this looks similar to a good ol' Chevy vs Ford discussion coming up.
> 
> We need a popcorn icon


Or Windows vs Mac vs Linux...

(hey, pass the popcorn please!) :laugh:


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## sstlaure

JackC said:


> We need a popcorn icon


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## New Berlin RR

JackC said:


> Oh boy, this looks similar to a good ol' Chevy vs Ford discussion coming up.
> 
> We need a popcorn icon


I will take a good ol Ford any day (older then 1998) any day, that was back when truks were built as trucks...not cars in truck bodies?...oh wait...where did the pop corn go to.....


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## Gansett

New Berlin RR said:


> I will take a good ol Ford any day ...


I'll push my Chevy before I ever own another furd again.
My friend bought a 04 or 05 F-150 and it went back to the dealer a number of times for warranty work. My 05 Chevy went back too, once to have the headlights aimed.
He's since bought a Dodge, out of the frying pan and into the fire.


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## cv_acr

redlinetrefitty said:


> what im asking is that i want to compare which one is better then the other and what disadvantage and advantage tat both have..


You mentioned the MRC Tech 4 260, but I did not catch what the other unit is that you're actually trying to compare to. You pasted the advertising copy but not what unit you're actually talking about.

The MRC "Tech" series are pretty reliable analogue power packs. Hard to go wrong with them. I had an MRC Tech II for controlling my old 4x8 layout about 20 years ago. (I'm sure the power pack is actually still in a box somewhere.)


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## redlinetrefitty

The 280 is powered by both train... And ill buy the 260 and for each train that 520 power and i want it to pull 20 plus cars... Plus my dd40ax is in the mail so the power pack sjould be good for it


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## manchesterjim

JackC said:


> Oh boy, this looks similar to a good ol' Chevy vs Ford discussion coming up.
> 
> We need a popcorn icon





Lee_R said:


> Or Windows vs Mac vs Linux...
> 
> (hey, pass the popcorn please!) :laugh:


No extra butter.....but plenty of salt for me! :laugh::laugh::laugh:


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## Midnight85

I'm just a noob here but I did quite a bit of research before I settled on my power pack(s). I am running a passenger mainline and 2 freight mainlines along with a switching yard so I have 4 of the MRC Tech4 260's. I added power connections to about every 10 feet of rails on all lines and the power packs have got more than enough in them to get the job done. For realistic speeds I am at less than half throttle for a freight passing through and speeds are constant all the way around my layout. One thing I have noticed is that when I move a train from one mainline to another I can set the corresponding packs at the same speed on the dial and my transition through the switches are perfect with no increase or decrease in speed.


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## redlinetrefitty

Midnight85 said:


> I'm just a noob here but I did quite a bit of research before I settled on my power pack(s). I am running a passenger mainline and 2 freight mainlines along with a switching yard so I have 4 of the MRC Tech4 260's. I added power connections to about every 10 feet of rails on all lines and the power packs have got more than enough in them to get the job done. For realistic speeds I am at less than half throttle for a freight passing through and speeds are constant all the way around my layout. One thing I have noticed is that when I move a train from one mainline to another I can set the corresponding packs at the same speed on the dial and my transition through the switches are perfect with no increase or decrease in speed.


how the heck do u run power throught the track to keep it constant power then..


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## gofisher2

I wouldn't touch this thread for anything.......Oh dang, I touched it. Hey, whos hogin all the popcorn.:laugh:


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## Midnight85

I am a long time Corvette owner and member of a couple of Corvette forums and something tells me this thread is looked upon the same way we look upon a "which floormats are best" thread. But, being a noob I've already committed myself on this one trying to give back a little of the help I have received here so here goes.
You can buy rail connectors with wire leads soldered to them or you can make your own which is what I did. Every 10 feet or so I put in a pair of connectors with leads, then tied the whole loop of track together so you are getting a "new" source of power every 10 feet, or so.


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## norgale

Then how do you stop the power to a given block to stop the train? pete


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## cv_acr

norgale: 

You attach feeder wires frequently to the rails for reliable power. The copper wire conducts electricity better than the rails, so there's less voltage loss farther from the power source.

You run all the feeders from one particular block into a main bus wire that runs back to your control panel, and the bus wire from the layout connects to the block switches.

Or in reverse, you have your power pack(s), which are wired to the track block selector switches. The wire running from the switch to the track splits off into several wires connecting to the track at various points *within the same block.* Repeat for each block. This is the best way to wire a layout; mulitple feeders provides less voltage drop, and less chances for a loose rail joiner to cause an entire section of track to be completely electrically dead.


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## Swhite503

Good informative thread. I thought that was the way to do it but
haven't got that far on my track build. Still just playing with my simple
tempoary build til I figure just how I want my permanent track which will
have 3 trains running at one time. 
Btw do I get any popcorn or do I have to rag on your floor mats first?

Steve


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## Lee_R

Hep yersef, Steve!









Like you, I'm in the "early stages" of layout design, and while I've known about the extra feeder lines concept, this is the first time I've read a "How-To" about it. Good information to have! I've also heard of soldering the track connectors, and coupled with the "block" layout that should keep a pretty good current running throughout the track - assuming you don't get any "cold" solder joints, which can be a wooly booger to pinpoint!


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## Midnight85

Swhite503 said:


> Good informative thread. I thought that was the way to do it but
> haven't got that far on my track build. Still just playing with my simple
> tempoary build til I figure just how I want my permanent track which will
> have 3 trains running at one time.
> Btw do I get any popcorn or do I have to rag on your floor mats first?
> 
> Steve


I don't even know where the popcorn is but I do know you best leave my floormats alone. :laugh::laugh:


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## Gansett

Hey guys, whatever you do don't let Midnight know I sold my '59 Vette for $2600, he might get all twitchy or somethin'.


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## Midnight85

While I like all Vettes I don't get too worried over a '59. Now if you had said you let a ZR-1 go for that I would be changing my shorts right now.


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## Midnight85

norgale said:


> Then how do you stop the power to a given block to stop the train? pete


I have quite a few areas I wanted to kill so the train could sit still while another one was on the same track. I used the plastic insulating joiners at each end of the area I wanted dead, then I put another set of metal joiners with leads in the middle of that area and ran the wires to the power source with one of the wires routed through a toggle switch. That way I could use the switch to kill that area, then when the track is clear, flip it back on again to let the idle train continue on.


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## New Berlin RR

Midnight85 said:


> I am a long time Corvette owner and member of a couple of Corvette forums and something tells me this thread is looked upon the same way we look upon a "which floormats are best" thread. But, being a noob I've already committed myself on this one trying to give back a little of the help I have received here so here goes.
> You can buy rail connectors with wire leads soldered to them or you can make your own which is what I did. Every 10 feet or so I put in a pair of connectors with leads, then tied the whole loop of track together so you are getting a "new" source of power every 10 feet, or so.


hey if you wanted, we could always make it a Ford vs Chevy type deal  id rather not (yea I know I love my Ford pickup from 1995) but Im just saying it could always go that route if needed!! Just saying


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## Midnight85

Wellll, can I have some time to think about it? ................................NO!


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## New Berlin RR

trust me I see enough of them Ford vs Chevy threads at the Ford forums and the Chevy forums im on so I agree with you on this one ...plus I don't think Ford or Chevy ever made a train.....


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## Midnight85

But sadly, they have demolished quite a few of each.


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## Lee_R

Not half as bad as the trains have demolished them!! :laugh::laugh::laugh:


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## Mopar Matt

Where's the love for dodges?


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## Smokinapankake

New Berlin RR said:


> ...plus I don't think Ford or Chevy ever made a train.....



Not quite true. General Motors' Electro-Motive Division has made a few locomotives here and there....


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## New Berlin RR

ok so we have EMD....still hardly grounds for Ford VS Chevy when it comes to trains....


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