luke the train spotter Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 I've had an NCE Powercab for about 6 years now and it has been through quite a few house moves and shows resulting with the wires splitting out of the wall transformer. Does anyone know where I could source a new one or if a different transformer on the market would do? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted July 12 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 12 I use one of these - and as I move it around I loop the cable and fix it to the body with PVC tape to mitigate any wear and tear. https://www.dccconcepts.com/product/18v-dc-at-2a-uk-a-medical-grade-power-supply-for-dc-dcc-systems-2-5mm-dc-plug/ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ELTEL Posted July 12 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 12 You are able to buy a replacement NCE transformer from Digitrains Lincoln. Details on there website and mail order facilities Eltel 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted July 12 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 12 (edited) It doesn't have to be NCE specification, there's nothing special about it. All you need is an adaptor that supports no more than approximately 28W and has a 5.5mm centre positive jack. Several sites (and I) recommend a 15V, 2A adaptor. That is slightly overspec at 30W but unless you are running your layout at peak load is unlikely to be an issue. The higher voltage will offset overall voltage drop if you push the PowerCab toward its limits (not so much of an issue if you have boosters). https://www.amazon.co.uk/DC-1520-supply-adaptor-quality-charger/dp/B00ECWZKDE Edited July 12 by AndrueC 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasatcopthorne Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 Coastal DCC Dave. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JohnR Posted July 12 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 12 Another vote for the DCC Concepts version. It provides a little more power than the original NCE one too, which is handy. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyPenguin Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 12 hours ago, JohnR said: Another vote for the DCC Concepts version. It provides a little more power than the original NCE one too, which is handy. Do you not have to make sure that the power supply cannot provide more power than the basic PowerCabs rating otherwise there is the possibility of overloading the handset itself or the cable ? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 1 hour ago, GrumpyPenguin said: Do you not have to make sure that the power supply cannot provide more power than the basic PowerCabs rating otherwise there is the possibility of overloading the handset itself or the cable ? Yes. The NCE PowerCab manual states.... Power Cab Specifications: Power Input Requirements: 10-15V regulated DC, 3A maximum. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grriff Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 1 hour ago, GrumpyPenguin said: Do you not have to make sure that the power supply cannot provide more power than the basic PowerCabs rating otherwise there is the possibility of overloading the handset itself or the cable ? I would have thought that the current taken by any device depends on the voltage across it. If you get the voltage correct the device will draw the current it needs according to Ohm's Law. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted July 13 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 13 18 minutes ago, grriff said: I would have thought that the current taken by any device depends on the voltage across it. If you get the voltage correct the device will draw the current it needs according to Ohm's Law. I suppose the issue is under fault conditions, if the internals of the controller are rated to 3A, if a 5A PSU is used a short on the controller output may lead to magic smoke appearing 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JohnR Posted July 13 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 13 1 hour ago, Brian said: Yes. The NCE PowerCab manual states.... Power Cab Specifications: Power Input Requirements: 10-15V regulated DC, 3A maximum. Exactly. The standard NCE transformer just provides 1.8A. The DCC Concepts provides (iirc) 2.5A so still within specification but providing a bit more power that is useful for running more locos, especially sound. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grriff Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 3 hours ago, spamcan61 said: I suppose the issue is under fault conditions, if the internals of the controller are rated to 3A, if a 5A PSU is used a short on the controller output may lead to magic smoke appearing In that case a 3A fuse should be fitted. Just because a PSU is rated at 3A doesn't mean it can't deliver 5A for a short period. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted July 13 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 13 (edited) 30 minutes ago, grriff said: In that case a 3A fuse should be fitted. Just because a PSU is rated at 3A doesn't mean it can't deliver 5A for a short period. ZenDesk state that the PowerCab case will start to deform if it dissipates more than 28W - that's why I mentioned it. For what it's worth I'm currently drawing around an amp when three trains are running with some sound and have 23 lit coaches - all N scale. The cable between the panel and handset is getting slightly warm. I have a 5A (not NCE) booster on order because I want to take that cable out of the equation as I think that it alone is responsible for a drop of at least one volt at higher currents. I'm not creating power districts - just going to send the PowerCab output into the booster and let the booster do all the heavy lifting. Edited July 13 by AndrueC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCCconcepts Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 On 13/07/2024 at 11:40, JohnR said: Exactly. The standard NCE transformer just provides 1.8A. The DCC Concepts provides (iirc) 2.5A so still within specification but providing a bit more power that is useful for running more locos, especially sound. The DCCconcepts unit is 2A @18v. We have been using these on our test and demo Powercab systems for a number of years with no issues whatsoever. Best Regards. The DCCconcepts Team 1 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JohnR Posted July 16 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 16 15 hours ago, DCCconcepts said: The DCCconcepts unit is 2A @18v. We have been using these on our test and demo Powercab systems for a number of years with no issues whatsoever. Best Regards. The DCCconcepts Team Apologies! All I know is it provides a bit more oomph and is highly recommended! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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