# DC Power



## BobS (Jun 18, 2015)

Okay, I purchased several MRC Dual Power transformer/speed controllers. Actually, I purchased four of them. One was bad and returned, money refunded. Third was bad, seller did not want it back, money refunded. Two actually worked, but I was not satisfied. I bought a Kato RTR set that included a Kato transformer. It worked great. So I bought a second Kato. Then I discovered the MRC Tech 7, 780. It worked GREAT and had two separate throttle controllers. Then, I bought two more Tech 7's. So, now I have enough transformers to power 12 individual trains at once. But I don't have twelve trains and probably never will, nor the track, nor the space to even set them up. Anyway, I just got orders from the wife to get the new trains off the dining room table. Sheese, I was just getting started. 

Anybody out there interested in some power?


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

Hey Bob, go ask Alice, I think she"ll know.


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## BobS (Jun 18, 2015)

Bwells said:


> Hey Bob, go ask Alice, I think she"ll know.


Don't gotta ask her, heck I'm married to her.


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

Lucky you


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Beats collecting trains. Do you take them out occasionally , connect them up and drool over them?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Cycleops said:


> Beats collecting trains. Do you take them out occasionally , connect them up and drool over them?


Or perhaps, connect them to your tongue and CAUSE drool...


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Mushrooms?*



Bwells said:


> Lucky you
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl89g2SwMh4


 I think Grace and the boys in the band had been pretty heavily into the mushrooms before this performance! Still, its a classic cut.
Thanks for the lyrics. I always loved the song, but could never figure out everything she was singing.

Traction Fan:smokin:


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## BobS (Jun 18, 2015)

traction fan said:


> I think Grace and the boys in the band had been pretty heavily into the mushrooms before this performance! Still, its a classic cut.
> Thanks for the lyrics. I always loved the song, but could never figure out everything she was singing.
> 
> Traction Fan:smokin:


TF, the key to understanding Grace was and is a large bowl of magic 'shrooms. All becomes clear in psychedelic colors. A long hookah goes well in the mix. It's all perspective, then and now. Unfortunately, poor Grace did not age well. I guess the lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock & roll took it's ultimate toll.


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## Never Get Old (Apr 16, 2016)

*I hate my MRC Tech 7, 780*



BobS said:


> Then I discovered the MRC Tech 7, 780. It worked GREAT and had two separate throttle controllers. Then, I bought two more Tech 7's.
> 
> Anybody out there interested in some power?


Note: I run N scale. HO users may have different experience.

I was just getting ready to post about this same DC throttle. Wanna sell your two Kato throttles? 

I truly hate my MRC Tech 7, 780. I despise it in fact. I have a very small layout, so I like to run my trains very slowly. All of my locomotives, including Atlas, Kato, and Life-Like all have trouble with very low speeds on my MRC Tech 7, 780. The problem is even worse if one train is running instead of two or if one is running faster than the other. It's like the power supply for one is affected by the current draw on the other, which I suppose doesn't really surprise me. Also, I find that the difference between running smoothly at slow speed and slowing down more and more and more until a train stalls is a matter of microns on the knob. The pots just seem low quality to me.

Before this I had a basic single MRC Tech II, and I never had any issues with it. So, I bought a like new one on Fee-Pay for $30. Wow, what an improvement compared to the Tech 7, 780. The pot feels very solid, and even at very low speeds, the train running on the Tech II never slows down more and more until it stalls out. I'm probably going to buy another Tech II and use them both instead of another dual throttle. They are cheap enough.

Since the Tech II's are getting pretty old, does anyone know about the Tech IV's? I'm so turned off by the Tech 7 that I really don't feel like investing in two separate Tech 7's to replace my dual Tech 7, 780. The pots just feel cheap and imprecise.

-Never Get Old


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## BobS (Jun 18, 2015)

You may have a bad Tech 7. I have three, one purchased from Trainworld (they don't have anymore) and two purchased from ModelTrainStuff. All three of mine cost in the mid sixty dollar range. The price for the one at eBay should have told you something. I have no trouble with any of mine and slow speed operation is just fine. I can crawl the trains if I so please or increase them, smoothly up to full throttle without any difficulty. 

The older MRC Dual Pack's will run trains slowly but not as nicely as the new Tech 7 780's. 

Perhaps you should spring for a new one (I think ModelTrainStuff may still have some in stock), and just chalk up the eBay purchased one to a bad experience. I went through several such bad experiences buying on the used market, but that was only because i opted to buy on the cheap and got burned in the process. 

And, I really don't want to sell the Kato's. One is used for a test track and the other will be used for temporary setups.


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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

Never Get Old said:


> Note: I run N scale. HO users may have different experience.
> 
> I was just getting ready to post about this same DC throttle. Wanna sell your two Kato throttles?
> 
> ...


If your interested, I have 3 1300 and 1 1370 that I could sell you, for a very good price. They are just sitting here collecting dust (none are more than 3 months old), as I converted to DCC and no longer have a use for them.. And I read them with my mixed N and HO scale layout. Just pm me if your interested as I'd really like to get them to someone that would use and appreciate them like I did..









Sent from my Note 8


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## Never Get Old (Apr 16, 2016)

BobS said:


> You may have a bad Tech 7. The price for the one at eBay should have told you something.


I think you misread my post. I paid about about $70 for the dual Tech 7. I paid $20 plus shipping for the old - but excellent condition - Tech II.



BobS said:


> The older MRC Dual Pack's will run trains slowly but not as nicely as the new Tech 7 780's.


My experience is exactly the opposite.

The old single Tech II that I bought for $20 is so much better than the $70 dual Tech 7 that it amazes me. Tech single II has: 1) Better potentiometers. 2) Better (very much better) at maintaining low speed over long periods with no speed ups or slow downs. 3) Not affected by another train running.

I had another single Tech II that I never had any problems with for many years. I bought it back in the 1990's. I never should have sold it. I switched to the Tech 7 dual throttle to save space, and I hoped to get "state-of-the art" power compared to my aging 25 year old Tech II. I got just the opposite.

I should have kept my old single Tech II and run two of them instead of trying to save space and "upgrade" (actually a downgrade) with the Tech 7 dual throttle. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

-Never Get Old


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

MatroxD

One or more of your DC power packs would
be ideal for powering your turnouts, lighted
buildings and other accessories.

But if you want to sell them, post in our
free For Sale or trade Forum with the pics you have.
Put a price on them, each or as a group, and
state your payment and shipping terms.

Don


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## Never Get Old (Apr 16, 2016)

You gotta hand it to Kato. Look at how simple their design is. Start with an almost fail-proof 17 volt AC "wall wart." It's so easy to troubleshoot and replace if it ever does die.

I'm no electronics genius, but sumidacrossing.org made it fairly simple to understand.

No need for a power supply capacitor. A high quality pot is fed "rippled" (unfiltered) DC from a simple rectifier built from what appears to be four very robust diodes. Add a resistor and a transistor and that's all you need to power the track. Add a resistor and LED to indicate power and a reversing switch. Done. Brilliant. K.I.S.S.

I sure like the K.I.S.S. simplicity of the Kato design, and people say that they run well. They aren't cheap but they aren't budget busters either at $60 each. Compare the cost of two of them to the cost of a single locomotive.

Thanks to sumidacrossing.org for the detailed explanation and diagram here:

http://www.sumidacrossing.org/LayoutElectricity/ModelTrainPower/PowerPackTesting/

I'll skip the MRC Tech IV series because my search revealed that in N scale the output voltage is such that only half of the throttle range is usable.

Based on my experience with my Tech 7, I think I'll skip buying any more of that series too.

Oh, and the Tech II that I bought used and works so well is clearly labeled, "Made in the USA." Go figure.

-Never Get Old


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