AC / DC Power Supply

[michael.hamilton]

I note that my Elite and Select controllers require a 15 volt DC power supply whereas my Bachmann controllers require a 16 volt AC input. I was wondering what would would happen if I connected a controller to the wrong power supply.

[sparkhill]

Paint one Red and the other Green so they don't get mixed up, I would hate to see your Select go "Boom" or your other controller burst int "Flames" yikes.

Just be careful and use the right power supplies then you wont have to worry, pretty hard to make a mistake when they don't even look like each other.

[Augustus Caesar]

The voltage of 16 will pass too much to one unit but the 15v one will be OK on the other. It'll also depend upon ampage so be careful. Colour code the wiring as suggested above and you should be OK. You could also colour code the individual sockets on each controller so red to red, black to black, green to green etc... therefore even less chance of a big bang and the universe being recreated from scratch... now you wouldn't want to be held responsible for that would you? lol

[Teedoubleudee]

As one is AC and the other DC I don't think it would be a good idea to get them mixed up. If they were both AC or DC I shouldn't think 1 volt would cause concern.

[Augustus Caesar]

One volt wouldn't normally cause too much of an issue but on certain lappies for example that one volt will stop a machine running if it is too high... even if the ampage is correct. I've had this numerous times and makes don't enter the equation here. If I understand it correctly I believe it is down to the voltage regulator on the board. This latter part I do understand to a certain extent but it is something I only began to learn off one's esteemed older brother in the last few months... and what he doesn't know about this stuff isn't worth knowing.

Of course you are right TWD about mixing AC and DC... defo not recommended! So labelling is vital wouldn't you agree?

[Teedoubleudee]

 

Of course you are right TWD about mixing AC and DC... defo not recommended! So labelling is vital wouldn't you agree?

 

Indeed I would sir. ;-)

[poliss]

Doesn't matter with my non-Hornby controller. It has a full wave rectifier inside and can be powered by either AC or DC. The voltage isn't too important either, as long as it's within the upper and lower range.

[Michael_A]

All sorts of issues would arise, depnding on what happens in the controller.

 

If you connect an AC power suply to a DC controller, then unless it has diodes or a rectifier built in, you will likely damage the controller. (Remember as well that 15v DC is 15V 'peak'. 16v AC though will be over 22v peak to peak, so is highly likely in any case to damage the controller)

 

In principle 15v DC connected to a controller designed to take a 16v ac input may not be damaged, but is unlikely to work as it will have some sort of rectifier or voltage converter inside, reducing the 15v DC further.

 

So in summyry, don't do it! If the plugs do happen to fit the wrong controller, colour code them as suggested. Hopefully though they wont even fit...........

 

[morairamike]

Surely the easiest way out of this is to paint or lable one BACHMANN and the other HORNBY.

 

Bit like the story of the two farmers who had a new calf each and wished to put them in a field together. "How will we tell them apart" says one,  "We will have to think about and discuss tomorrow" say the other. So next day they turn up and one says "I cut one of my calf's horns off" "So did I" say the other "which one?" "the right one," "so did I" So the calves still looked the same. Eventually after cutting off other bits they decide that farmers ones calf is WHITE and farmers two calf is BLACK. LOL

[DameDyslin]

May i know what is the Bachmann Controller? Always there will be the problem if you will use the wrong supply to your controller? 15V output of any charger will not work for the 16V input controller.