# Sticky  Basic Electricity and Electronics



## servoguy

I did a little digging to find a web site with some good instruction on basic electricity: http://www.clear.rice.edu/elec201/Book/basic_elec.html#SECTION001010000000000000000

This might be a help to those who are not familiar with electricity.


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## Big Ed

servoguy said:


> I did a little digging to find a web site with some good instruction on basic electricity: http://www.clear.rice.edu/elec201/Book/basic_elec.html#SECTION001010000000000000000
> 
> This might be a help to those who are not familiar with electricity.



Maybe the T man will add this to his Find a manual section, though that is in the O forum ( I Think) and this might benefit others too. 
Tanks


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## servoguy

BTW, I had do a little digging to find this site. There were a lot of them that would only have added confusion.


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## T-Man

I have found the more electrical knowledge you have the more fun it can be. Consider this tread an intro if you have no background and an interests to learn. This is how I started. afew years back I was just curious about LEDs then I wanted more. Now electronics is a second hobby to me to others it probably was a living.  If anything my purpose is to give information out to save time and generate interests. 

One thing I have learned recently is I can answer a question here and there but I have found some question undaunting, too little information given asking for a book worths. As a result a general question will give you a general answer. A specific questions gets the direct answer. A lot of information is here you just need the time to take it in. Our membership is getting larger and our depth is always increasing with it the greater assistance we can provide.

When I started I was frustated at the lack of onformation available now I have volumes, so much I can't remember it all and I have to revert to sources or my printed pages of interests. 

Anyways have fun!




After having done a few projects. People are not theory orientated. Members have been honest about their education on the subject. I can credit them with paying attention.What I have had to do, is read up on theory from other sources and then directly apply it to the hobby. So Ohm's law is discussed under the LED, to get it to work by varing the resistance. Quite a feat for me being self taught in electronics. I like any site with Basics. I had to find one with symbols to interpret diagrams. My favorite is the England Kelly Park School Electronics Club. I am a big fan.
Technical questions are scarce, I started with an LED then I made it blink. Now I can copy a diagram so I do have more talent now than before.

Let's see where this goes or let me know what you want to do?


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## servoguy

English Kelly part Electronics Club looks pretty good. This need to be put on a sticky so the neophytes can read it.


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## T-Man

OK Stick is on. Maybe we can move it. 
Thanks Bruce!


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## tankist

is this article about special type of electricity applicable only to O scale? hmm, then why is it stuck in O forum? IMHO, get in touch with the author, get his permission and re-post article in its entirety (with reference to original) in the appropriate section. that would be a good sticky


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## Big Ed

big ed said:


> Maybe the T man will add this to his Find a manual section, though that is in the O forum ( I Think) and this might benefit others too.
> Tanks





tankist said:


> is this article about special type of electricity applicable only to O scale? hmm, then why is it stuck in O forum? IMHO, get in touch with the author, get his permission and re-post article in its entirety (with reference to original) in the appropriate section. that would be a good sticky



That is what I meant to say when I posted that, quoted above.

It would benefit others too, but it is in the O gauge section and others might not see it.

What would be the right forum spot for it as a sticky?


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## T-Man

Recently I tried to switch a thread to a different forum and it didn't switch. It is not in my admin power. I made it a sticky to attract attention to decide what to do with it.


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## gunrunnerjohn

You might want to talk to the folks in charge, mods should be able to move threads.


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## tankist

T-man, you should be able to do that . but instead of moving this i ws hoping for the new thred with the article itself. a sticky topic should include more then just link


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## Big Ed

gunrunnerjohn said:


> You might want to talk to the folks in charge, mods should be able to move threads.



T man is a mod you know?
Been one for a while now.
Since the end of July this year.


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## T-Man

Being a MOD is a learning curve. All I wanted to do was edit. 

I am confused about the article. What article??? 
Should this go to Beginners forum or maybe Technical. 


Last time I got stopped by a popup so I am sure someone else can do it.


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## tjcruiser

T-Man,

Just on my way out the door ... quick comment here ...

You should be able to move posts and/or threads with full Mod powers. When the popup comes up, I think you'll be asked to log in again ... use your standard name/password.

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

big ed said:


> T man is a mod you know?
> Been one for a while now.
> Since the end of July this year.


I know that, hence my previous statement.


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## Big Ed

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I know that, hence my previous statement.



Sorry,
I see that now, I read it wrong.hwell:


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## T-Man

The little engine said: Yes I can, I can move threads.


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## Reckers

This is a great thread! I started off not understanding electricity: now, I not only don't understand electricity, but don't understand being a Mod or how the site works! *L*


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## T-Man

Maybe one day I will too!


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## gunrunnerjohn

I moderated several computer forums for many years, so I know my way around the mod and admin features of vB.


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## kumosaru

*power*

i am just getting interested in this hobby. is there a limit to track length do to power pack limits? I am thinking about having one really long track, so can I run multiple trains on single track without them catching up to eachother?


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## gunrunnerjohn

How long a track are you considering? What scale are you thinking about?

You can run a heavy wire bus and power drops to the track and have track that circles your house, is that enough track?


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## kumosaru

oic - then thats cool. i thought the power was only connected at station concole type area. I have no idea how much track yet. thinking of starting with kit (about 4x6 scene) and using that as a base unit to run track all over house. just rough guess here but maybe few hundred feet track ultimately. This is starting now but also keeping in mind a house I am designing that will incorperate my train in its design


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## kumosaru

ok another question -- the locomotives have 0-0-0 style lables - higher numbers means higher power??


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## servoguy

Here is what the numbers mean: http://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/railway/wheelarr.htm


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## kumosaru

thanks - very good info - bookmarked


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## [email protected]

I went to BEEP school in San Diego...


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## gunrunnerjohn

What in the world is BEEP school?


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## [email protected]

Basic Electricity and Electronic Program; a U.S. Navy school that all electrical/electronics techs used to take when I was in (1977). It was at Point Loma in San Diego. The real estate became too valuable so they kicked out the Navy decades ago.


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## gunrunnerjohn

OK, I actually went through an "A" school and then a "C" school in the Navy in the 60's, don't know what they call them now. I was a Fire Control Technician, though for most of my tour I ran Special Services on an aircraft carrier.  Oh, and all of that was also in San Diego.


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## [email protected]

I was at NTC San Diego for 18 months. I went to boot there, then 6 weeks of Submarine Basic in Groton. After Groton I was never east of San Diego. I went back to NTCSD for A school, Sonar Electronics Intermediate (B School) and then C school. The rest of my 6 years was Pearl Harbor and all points west.


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## gunrunnerjohn

Whatever the base was called in SD, we were right across the river from the Marine training base.  I spent a year there in boot camp, then A and C school. Then I went East and was on the Shangri La (CVA-38) for the rest of my time, a bit over three years.


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## manchesterjim

[email protected] said:


> Basic Electricity and Electronic Program; a U.S. Navy school that all electrical/electronics techs used to take when I was in (1977). It was at Point Loma in San Diego. The real estate became too valuable so they kicked out the Navy decades ago.





gunrunnerjohn said:


> OK, I actually went through an "A" school and then a "C" school in the Navy in the 60's, don't know what they call them now. I was a Fire Control Technician, though for most of my tour I ran Special Services on an aircraft carrier.  Oh, and all of that was also in San Diego.


How cool! Boot camp for me was North Chicago, then BEEP and IC/A school in San Diego (78/79), then back to N. Chicago for CCTV school and then out into "the Fleet"!

10 years later I got out and went to work as a civilian TV/Radio Engineer and have been doing that ever since.....hence the reason I get along well with DCC!

 --We need a "Go Navy" smiley!

Jim


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## gunrunnerjohn

Here you go.










Maybe this is better?


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## Xnats

The first reminds me to much of SP's. I guess the second one is better :laugh:


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## [email protected]

Here's one we could use...


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## servoguy

Two types of boats in the ocean: Submarines and targets.


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## JohnAP

I just read through this thread for the first time. Seems we have a nice little group of twidgets in here! I went from Western NY to Orlando FL for boot camp, up to Great Lakes IL for BEE and ET A school, out to San Diego CA for a few months between schools, on to Mare Island CA for Nuclear Power school, out to Idaho Falls Idaho for prototype, then all the way back over here to Norfolk, VA and the CGN 36 for the rest of my time. Got out mid Dec, 1980, came back down here to go spring turkey hunting with a buddy of mine from the boat, and here I am still!


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## Lee_R

"Join the Navy to see the world, and get stuck in a gall-durned submarine!" :laugh:

No, not really. Although I'm an Air Force brat (father retired MSgt.), I wanted to go Navy. ALL of my classes from Jr. High on were geared towards either A.) Annapolis; or B.) enlist and go into nuke propulsion (specifically, subs - couldn't decide if I wanted boomers, or F/A's!). Unfortunately, once it got down to the wire we discovered I was 4F.  But I'm still Navy at heart, so can I play?

Anyway, last night I stumbled across a couple neat little pages. Can't find most of them now - I was doing the whole "get lost in link hell" thing and forgot to bookmark them - but the one I "did" bookmark is a page with a java-script calculator for finding what size current limiting resistor(s) you need for LED's. It's got a calculator for single LED's, one for LED's in series, and one for LED's in parallel.

Is this something that someone might be interested in?


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## breezy8

I need to remotor some GP9's I have. any good suggestions on a source for motors. I am going to DCC and need 1A or less stall current. Thanks


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## Nuttin But Flyer

I posed this question in the S-Scale section but thought I might get more results here from a larger crowd....

I am searching for multi-conductor cable to use for wiring my American Flyer items on a 
4' X 8' layout. The track terminals are 2-conductor, the remote switches are 4-conductor as are some of the action accessories. I know I could use speaker or simple "hook-up" wire. But I wish to avoid running separate wires for each conductor when it seems easier to run a multi-conductor cable to each item. I also like that using multi-conductor cable will have each conductor color-coded for easier wiring. I had thought of thermostat, intercom and phone cable as well as computer CAT5 cable. My only problem is that locally in Home Depot or Lowes, I can find these in large spools of 500' or 1000'. It would be rather expensive to buy that much and it's more than I need for now. Local hobby shops and Radio Shack do not carry large enough quantities of multi-conductor wiring, if they have it at all, and it is even more expensive to buy those compared to the suggestions I listed above. About 100' to 150' of each type would be all I would need. Any thoughts out there??


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## waltr

Try DigiKey
http://www.digikey.com/
or Mouser
http://www.mouser.com/

One possibility is to use flat ribbon cable. This can be obtained with each conductor a different color.


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## servoguy

Ribbon cable has very small conductors. You would have to limit the current to less than 5 amps to be safe.


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## Nuttin But Flyer

YES !!!! -- Digikey has what I'm looking for and at a reasonable cost. Still need to place order to see shipping cost and delivery, but it looks like there are my source. Thank you very much.


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## Nuttin But Flyer

Mouser has what I need also....thanks again.


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## Nuttin But Flyer

While searching for multi-conductor unshielded cable, I ran across this website.......

http://www.wesbellwireandcable.com/fire-alarm-wire-cable.html

I decided their Fire Alarm Cable was good enough for my needs and the cost is very easy on the pocket. I ordered the 18ga. wire -- 100' in 2-conductor and 100' in 4-conductor.


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## HardcoreABN

I just bought a 500' of thermostat/door bell wire at Home Depot- 18ga. I wanna say it was $50ish.


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## JerryH

*how much wire*

You will be amazed how much wire one can use on a small layout. I have installed over 700 feet on a 6x11 HO layout. Bus lines, feeders, switches, signals and other stuff sure adds up. Check out My Layout section "Granite Gorge and Northern". It doesn't look like that much, but it is. Post 11 shows the start of the wiring. It all comes together by post 53.


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## choochoo.72

Based on the recommendations of this forum I found Mouser Electronics. I am looking for a buzzer that I can connect to the outer rail being grounded out to activate that will sound when a train enters a station. It can up with literally dozens of options. Any recommendations?


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## gunrunnerjohn

What scale are you running? Need to know something about the environment. Are you looking for something that buzzes continually until you leave or the buzz is timed?


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## choochoo.72

Hi, I am doing this on a 0 scale 3 rail Lionel Fastrak layout. I want the buzzer to sound only while the train is on one particular piece of track. Also in the Fastrak catalog there is an accessory activation piece, know nothing of it. However, my first challenge is to find a surfadce mount buzzer that is easy to hook up.
thanks
Frank


gunrunnerjohn said:


> What scale are you running? Need to know something about the environment. Are you looking for something that buzzes continually until you leave or the buzz is timed?


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## gunrunnerjohn

I think we covered that in the other thread.


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## Lsmith

So I'm little lost on wiring. Iv researched all I can. I'm going to run ez bachmann dcc. My question is I have seen layouts were they run power all around the track. Is this mandatory or can I put positive and negative in one spot and be ok. It's on a 4x 8 h.o


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## spoil9

Lsmith said:


> So I'm little lost on wiring. Iv researched all I can. I'm going to run ez bachmann dcc. My question is I have seen layouts were they run power all around the track. Is this mandatory or can I put positive and negative in one spot and be ok. It's on a 4x 8 h.o


Not mandatory, but it's recommended to have power feed to several parts of your layout to increase reliability.


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## Lsmith

I guess my main question is my dcc system is coming in any day now and I'm itching to try my layout will be ok to test out with just one connection to the track.


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## JohnAP

If the layout is already built, it should be pretty much a plug and pray. If you are building as you go, it doesn't take much additional time to add power feeds around the layout. Make sure you trace the track around to ensure you don't get the power supply connections crossed to diferent sections of the track. ie....+ on inside track - on outside track, or vice vrsa, consistetly. Happy Thanksgiving all!


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## spoil9

Lsmith said:


> I guess my main question is my dcc system is coming in any day now and I'm itching to try my layout will be ok to test out with just one connection to the track.


Yes, you can test/play with your new DCC system with only one wire connection point. You won't break or hurt anything. If it's a big loop of track there is a chance that your trains will slow down as they move away from the power source, but again you wont hurt anything.


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## hokie1525

spoil9 said:


> Yes, you can test/play with your new DCC system with only one wire connection point. You won't break or hurt anything. If it's a big loop of track there is a chance that your trains will slow down as they move away from the power source, but again you wont hurt anything.


On 4x8, one train should work fine with one power source. If you want to run multiple trains simultaneously, you may need more feeds.


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## spoil9

I know you said you're running a Bachmann system, but to give you an idea of what you can do...
I use an MRC Prodigy Squarred system. I could run 3x Athearn BB F7's for a bit before the system got hot. On a different day I tried an A-B-B-A set of Athearn BB F7's and the system shut down with a "Current Over-Draw" error. 
These were simple Bachman decoders with no sound nor lights at the time. (I've since upgraded to TCS T-1 decoders in my old BB diesels)


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## DonR

Spoil

Are you saying that your Prodigy system shuts down when
you run 4 HO locos for a while?

I do that all the time on my 1 amp Bachmann DCC controller
and the power supply remains a normal warm, with no
shut downs. In fact, the only shut downs I've ever had have been
due to a short circuit because of a derail.

It's my style to run trains on the slow side, so each loco is
drawing less than a typical .5 amp. All my locos are
Bachmann, including 2 F7As.

How fast were you running your train when it shut down?

Don


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## spoil9

Don,
It was 4x older Athearn BB locos so each was drawing about an amp as I moved the throttle up.
And if Im not mistaken, motors draw more current at slower speeds.


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## gunrunnerjohn

Actually, the current draw depends on the loading. A free-running DC motor will draw more current when you run it faster, which makes sense as you have a higher applied voltage.


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## DonR

spoil9 said:


> Don,
> It was 4x older Athearn BB locos so each was drawing about an amp as I moved the throttle up.
> And if Im not mistaken, motors draw more current at slower speeds.


Well, no wonder. An amp per loco would quickly load a
power supply. Mine are new model Bachmann locos that came with
factory DCC so they draw less than .5 amp at slow speeds.

To John's point about amp draw with loading..happened to me...old Mehano
loco, 1 amp decoder. I added electric pickup wipers to the power truck that that
had none. The additional friction increased the load on the
motor and after about a minute of running there was a puff of
smoke from the decoder...th, th, that's all folks.

Don


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## gunrunnerjohn

I'd think an amp for an HO locomotive is pretty excessive! I have plenty of O-gauge stuff that doesn't draw an amp!


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## DonR

John 

I just checked the current draw on this old Mehano sw-1 
made in Yugoslavia I've been working on. Laying on it's side, no load on the
wheels, it drew 1.5 to 1.7 amps at 10.5 vdc. No wonder
the 1 amp decoder went bye bye.

Don


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## gunrunnerjohn

Sounds like a defective motor! I can suspend a locomotive truck with the Mabuchi 385 motor with no load and the motor only draws a couple hundred milli-amps just spinning the wheels at 9 volts. I can load it by applying friction to the flywheel until the motor is almost stalled and the current draw is right at one amp. Freewheeling at 12 volts, the motor was drawing about 350ma.

The Mabuchi 385 is way bigger than any HO motor!


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## Shifty1

Wow! All these skimmers n bubbleheads!

FT2 (ss) 88-98

SSN 721
SSBN 728 (Blue)


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## gunrunnerjohn

Shifty1 said:


> Wow! All these skimmers n bubbleheads!
> 
> FT2 (ss) 88-98
> 
> SSN 721
> SSBN 728 (Blue)


What thread did you want to post this in?


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## Shifty1

Lol any i guess, just saw you guys talking navy earlier in the thread


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## Shifty1

Apologies as it was off topic. Lol.


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## gunrunnerjohn

No biggie, it just came out of left field, I don't think we saw it coming.


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## Shifty1

Lol it happens.

Speaking of electrical... is there any common rule of thumb on spacing power wires to the track for z gauge? I've heard, and read every 3 to 4 feet of track for n gauge is optimal. Does that change with z?


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## DonR

If you are running a typical coffee table size Z layout 2
track connections should be plenty. Add another for each
addition 4 or 5 feet of track.

I'm guessing you won't be running more than one
loco at a time.

Don


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## Shifty1

Layout base is 68"×41" ill be setting it up for dcc. Ill be running a seperate power supply and buss for lighting.

4 feet off it will sit 2.5" lower than the 20" or so that make up the portion utilizing my computer desk.

Ill utilize 1 inch rigid foam for the base on the comp desk, cutting raceways for the wiring on the underside of the foam for the wiring. Im mounting the 2" foam on the 4 foot section on a thin piece of veneer or likewise thin wood so I can mount the power blocks etc.


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## JTW-BNSF

I am new and would like to be able to chat with a couple of experienced folks about how to work on your loco's etc... I decided to learn how to do it myself, now I just need some schooling from the old timers. I have an n-scale Kato layout w/Digitrax zephyr for the command station.


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## DonR

I'd suggest moving your thread to the N Scale forum
or start a new one there.

Then post a pic of the loco you want to work on and
ask for advice as to shell removal and whatever
problem you may have.

Don


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## JTW-BNSF

Don,
Thanks for the info. I will move the post asap. I am brand new to forums, so I am trying to also figure out what I am doing as well. I received a little help at work today and will be purchasing an ohmmeter-ampmeter to start the elimination process. The loco in question is an Athearn F-45. After looking on the internet, I was not sure if the wheels were just crudy or something else is wrong. Thanks again-JTW-BNSF.


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## Bwells

Is there an easy way to lower AC voltage from 18.6 to 16 volts? My transformer puts out 18.6 but I would like to feed my CDU with only 16. Do I use a wallwart to do this or can I still use my transformer with some resistors maybe?


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## highvoltage

Bwells said:


> Is there an easy way to lower AC voltage from 18.6 to 16 volts? My transformer puts out 18.6 but I would like to feed my CDU with only 16. Do I use a wallwart to do this or can I still use my transformer with some resistors maybe?


A transformer might be overkill. A voltage divider network would do the job.

Here's a link to a voltage divider calculator:

http://www.ohmslawcalculator.com/voltage-divider-calculator


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## wvgca

Bwells said:


> Is there an easy way to lower AC voltage from 18.6 to 16 volts? My transformer puts out 18.6 but I would like to feed my CDU with only 16. Do I use a wallwart to do this or can I still use my transformer with some resistors maybe?


Several ways to lower the voltage ...
resistors as mentioned, polarized caps in same type of AC circuit, or just a couple of diodes in line will work as well


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## Bwells

Highvoltage: I checked your link and it looks like a 100Ω and a 680Ω would do it but is that for AC as well?
Warren: caps in an AC circuit? Also, would the diodes change it to DC and the voltage drop across 2 would give me 16 DC?


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## highvoltage

Bwells said:


> Highvoltage: I checked your link and it looks like a 100Ω and a 680Ω would do it but is that for AC as well?
> Warren: caps in an AC circuit? Also, would the diodes change it to DC and the voltage drop across 2 would give me 16 DC?


Resistors don't care if it's AC or DC. And those resistor values are common, should do the trick.


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## wvgca

Bwells said:


> Highvoltage: I checked your link and it looks like a 100Ω and a 680Ω would do it but is that for AC as well?
> Warren: caps in an AC circuit? Also, would the diodes change it to DC and the voltage drop across 2 would give me 16 DC?



If your intended use is a CDU module, it doesn't matter much if it's fed 16V AC or 18.6V AC, it will work fine either way  
A LED is nice to add to that, it will give a visual indication of when it's ready to fire again


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## Bwells

Yep, I added an LED and ran it to my panel and labeled it CDU Status. My concern was that the 2 2200µF caps are rated at 25 volts and not 35. I hooked it up and so far so good.


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## highvoltage

Bwells said:


> Yep, I added an LED and ran it to my panel and labeled it CDU Status. My concern was that the 2 2200µF caps are rated at 25 volts and not 35. I hooked it up and so far so good.


You should be fine, still some head room for that cap.


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## ErnestHouse

*411 on Soldering*

After a bazillion years struggling with crappy soldering skills, I set about understanding it as a way to go about getting better. I wanted to know what a good joint was vs a bad one; what causes bad ones; what the heck was flux really for; how to choose the right soldering tip; and how to use the various techniques to desolder. 

I found a series on soldering from Pace Worldwide and spent a couple hours going through the various episodes. It's fantastic and everything clearly explained. I watched it sped up on YouTube. YMMV. It was well worth the time and my next soldering job was instantly better. Here's a link to part 1.





I was also at the end of my rope with my 3rd hand setup and tool organization. I wanted a better way to hold my stuff. This is what I've used for a few years:






​
I decided on the Panavise 350 as it's flexible enough to handle small stuff as well as big and sits on a versatile ball joint. What I love about it that I didn't realize until my first project was that the vise rails are great for resting your hands when soldering. It's much more steady and at my age, that's a welcome help. YMMV. 





​
Next was the 3rd hand. I thought it would be clever to get one of the Hobby Creek ones built specifically for the Panavision 350 but when I got it, I could see it was junk and returned it immediately. The screws to attach it to the base tray weren't long enough and I had to make my own from 1" stock. Their assembly process stripped the screws holding the arms so it would be a bear to reposition them and lastly, the threaded holes for attaching the Panavise head were very poor quality and buggered up the screws.





​
In the end, I switched to an QuadHandsWorkbench model by Alphidia that's also build for the Panavise. The QuadHands Workbench is made in the US and is light years better quality. The arms are precise and the alligator tips can be locked into position. This model as well as other Alphidia models use very handy rare earth magnets on the arm bases that make repositioning them a snap yet they hold them firm as can be. There are other Alphidia models with fixed attach points. 





​
The only remaining problem was what to do with the nice Panavise weighted tray base leftover after mounting the Panavise on the QuadHands Workbench base. For that, I built a soldering tool caddy dedicated to just stuff for soldering and all the little bits that go with it. It's way better than before. YMMV





​


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## Lemonhawk

Definitely a skill that helps you in Model railroading! I've built a lot of Eico kits, an Imsai8080 computer and never really improved my soldering. I finally got a good solder station and that was a key to me spending the time to learn to solder better. Making my own turnouts was the first real test! All worth the effort. Nice to see a link to a good course on soldering.:appl:


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## ErnestHouse

I'm loving those QuadHandsWorkbench big time. I forgot to mention a nice large high powered lighted magnifier.


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## gunrunnerjohn

You want a high powered lighted magnifier? Here's one. 

Digital HD 600X Microscope 4.3 Inch Display USB Endoscope Magnifying Camera, $48










Here's an example of some images from the unit. The actual component is about 3/8" wide.

Low resolution










High resolution


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## Fire21

WOOF!! I'm not sure what I'd use it on, but I want one of those anyway, just cause!!


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## traction fan

*Super magnifier*



gunrunnerjohn said:


> You want a high powered lighted magnifier? Here's one.
> 
> Digital HD 600X Microscope 4.3 Inch Display USB Endoscope Magnifying Camera, $48
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's an example of some images from the unit. The actual component is about 3/8" wide.
> 
> Low resolution
> 
> View attachment 470906
> 
> 
> 
> High resolution
> 
> View attachment 470908


 This might be just the thing for some of our older members! :smilie_auslachen: Oh wait, I am an older member!

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## gunrunnerjohn

I love mine, it's very handy for some tasks, and no problem seeing small things now.


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## wvgca

i bit and bought one ... just to try it, lol
same price, a little different stand, adjustable to 1000x


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## tankist

Nice . I went with cheapo one, without integrated screen. plugs to PC. does the job.


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## gunrunnerjohn

I like the screen as I use it on the bench to examine small stuff. I have one of the USB jobs around here somewhere, but I found I never used it as it was not convenient.


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## Lemonhawk

That is a nice stand! I got one for free, but not as nice a stand.


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## tbg0519

Anyone have a guidance on O-gauge power supplies and track length? Planning to set up my dad's old Marx (with some new switches and more track acquired), and not sure if the 50w supply he had will suffice. I was thinking of running 14g wire from the supply to two different connections on opposite sides of the track to help reduce power drop. Whole thing is set up on a 4x8 but has a pretty good distance of track, incorporating a crossover and a total of 4 switches. Do I need to step up to a 100w supply?


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## ErnestHouse

Rule of thumb you will read here is to place power drops about every 6 feet of linear track. I found that to be true with my tubular track. You need to make sure you keep the phase of the power exactly the same on each drop. 50W seems insufficient to run very much especially if there's inclines. You *might* run one train across all those drops but adding accessories ....

You CAN add transformers together so you aren't wasting a pefectly good transformer when you pick up another one. Search here for articles on how to wire it


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