DCC Controller - New Power Supply?

[RDS]

Hi everyone. 

I am new to model trains, and have just boulight a second hand layout that came with a Hornby Digital Select DCC controller (R8213). However the controller didn’t come with any power supply or leads for the track. Does anyone know if I can buy the power lead separately please?  on the back of the controller it says it needs 15v input DC, but doesn’t Mention amps?

thanks

Charlie Boy. 

[96RAF]

Welcome

You can use either the Hornby P9100 1-amp or the P9300 4-amp power supply units with your Select. Which one you choose will depend upon your budget and/or how many trains you want to run at the same time.

See here for details of how to connect to your track https://www.hornby.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Guide-to-Getting-Started-with-Track-Extension-Packs-Dec-16.pdf in particular the DCC section. You can either use the Hornby power track/clip or you can solder a suitable gauge wire (twin speaker wire is OK for a simple track layout) direct to the rails.

[RDS]

Hi Charlie Boy and welcome to the Forum

Yes, you can buy the Power Supply separately. 

 

It comes in 2 power ratings, either 1 Amp which is the one originally supplied with the Select Controller, or a 4 Amp version that is supplied with the Elite Controller.  Both are compatible with your Select Controller and as you could be limited by what you can run with the 1 Amp version, I would suggest that as you have to buy one anyway, going straight to the 4 Amp version.  It is Hornby Part Number P9300.

 

With regard to the leads from the controller to the Track, most 2 core wire is suitable and a lot of people just use bell or speaker wire.  You can either connect this directly to the track by soldering it underneath, or by using one of the Digital (not analogue) track connectors, either the R8241 or the R8242.  If you already have a track connector you can check if it is the Digital version by flipping open the plactic cover and ensuring that there is NO capacitor across the terminals.  If there is a capacitor, just snip it out as this is not required for a DCC layout.

 

Please let us know how you get on.

 

[Chrissaf]

The official Hornby replacement power supply for the Hornby Select is the P9300 4 Amp 15 volt DC power supply (click this link).

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The power pack that would have been supplied with the Select when purchased new would be very similar to the P9300 but only rated at 1 Amp to keep costs down. This 15 volt DC 1 Amp supply is not, and never has been, available from the Hornby Shop as a separate product purchase, but may be available in the 'pre-owned' market. It should be noted that the Select actually functions far better with the uprated replacement P9300 4 Amp supply and is recommended. Because the Select is compatible with either the 1 Amp or the 4 Amp supply, this will most likely be the reason why the current is not stated on the Select label as you have mentioned.

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The Hornby shop link included above shows the P9300 as temporarily 'out of stock'. But some are available on ebay.

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Although technically you could use a non Hornby 15 volt DC 4 Amp power supply. I would advise against it, and certainly not if the power supply current was higher than 5 Amps else you risk damage to the Select when shorts occur on the track, which they will. Another reason for using the official Hornby power pack, is the DC connector it uses. It is not a common size, so non Hornby power packs with the correct connector are also difficult (but not impossible) to source. For information, the correct DC connector size is 6.3mm / 3.0mm positive centre pin. For comparison the most common DC connector size on low voltage power packs is 5.5mm / 2.1mm or 2.5mm.

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TIP: As this is your very first post, just be aware that the 'Blue Button with the White Arrow' is not a 'Reply to this post' button. If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

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See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

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EDIT: Others posted whilst I was busy researching and typing my reply.

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PS - The PDF document (downloadable) that Rob is recommending you read was written by me. I suggest you read Chapter 6

[Seacommander]

I use my Elite on a number of stand alone layouts and successfully and safely use appropriately rated laptop power supplies (permanently wired into the layouts) in addition to the Hornby one supplied with the Elite. Toshiba make some 15 volt 5 amp supplies with, as luck would have it, a jack plug of the correct dimensions and polarity. These can be picked up on a well known online auction site for about £10.