Second power supply (for Digikeijs DR4018)

[coolartur]

Hello

I use RM and eLink. But I have a lot of motor point. Can I use second power supply?

RM works with Digikeijs DR4018. He have place to second power supply.

In manual Digikeijs I have:

But I don't have DR5000.

I have eLink. Can i do that?:

I don't want to burn it. I want more power for point motors.

Now no one will write me back, because England - Senegal 3:0 ;-)

[RDS]

@coolatur

Welcome to the Forum

I have removed your duplicate thread. All pictures and 1st posts from a new member need to be approved by a Moderator before they are displayed.

(I don't use the DR4018 but I have a completely separate power supply for my points)

[P-Henny]

Yes you can connect a separate PSU to the DR4018 as shown in your second image. The DR4018 manual on Page 27 is very clear on that. The 15 volt DC supply you show is within the 12 - 18 volt supported range stated in the manual. The only thing the manual advises is to preferaby use a supply higher than 12 volts which 15 volts is. However that said, the nearer the external voltage is to 18 volts the more robust the Solenoid point motor operation will be. 18 volt DC supplies at 3 to 5 Amps are listed on ebay.

Another reason for using an 18 volt DC supply rather than 15 volts, is that the power input connection on the DR4018 feeds into a bridge rectifier to allow support for AC. This diode bridge will lose 1.2 volts across it, thus a 15 volt supply is reduced to 13.8 volts for the point operating circuit. An 18 volt supply would be reduced to 16.8 volts.

In fact I would go further and advise that you only operate the DR4018 with an external power supply. The reason for this is that the DR4018 does not have any integrated CDUs on board. Thus if you use the option in the manual where the DR4018 power input is wired to the DCC output of the controller in parallel with the DR4018 signal input, then the eLink power supply has to provide a significant current spike when a point is operated. The resultant spike in current draw could then easily impact on loco operation.

Using a separate power supply that is appropriately sized for the points, will therefore provide greater DCC reliability. The lack of integrated CDUs means that the power supply needs to supply a high current capacity. The DR4018 manual states 3 Amps as being the minimum, but I suggest that the minmum should be 4 or 5 Amps to provide a little leeway. This high 3 Amp minimum current is stated precisely because there are no CDUs in the DR4018 product.

[96RAF]

I would say yes providing you understand that right hand programming track connected to the eLink PROG terminals must be completely isolated from the main track.

I think this subject has been covered before so a forum search on DR4018 may find it, but the accompanying images may have been lost when the forum was updated.

[Fishmanoz]

Mods, you might like to add to the title “for Digikiejs DR4018”

RDS Mod Note: Thanks Fishy but I changed the spelling of the manufacturers name from your version. I hope that is right.

[Fishmanoz]

I bow to your greater knowledge.