Post by Raeder on Dec 31, 2009 12:34:42 GMT -5
How to do amp testing on locomotives:
Things you will need:
DC power pack
Length of track
Spare wiring
Multimeter capable of showing AC amps
Here is how you set this rig up:
First of all, attach two wires to the track.
Run one wire from the track back to the power pack and attach it to one of the variable DC terminals.
Run the other wire from the track to one of the probes on the multimeter.
Run another wire from the opposite probe to the other variable DC terminal.
Multimeter Photos
Set your multimeter to read direct current amps, like this one. Note: for the purposes of this article, the words “amperage” and “current” are interchangeable.
Turn on power pack. At this point you should be able to run the locomotive back and forth on the track. If not, check your connections, and make sure your multimeter is set correctly.
When you have control of the locomotive, hold it with your hand, and attempt to stall the motor. If you can brush a finger against one of the flywheels, this would be easiest. When the motor is almost completely stalled, just barely turning, read the numbers displayed on the multimeter. The numbers displayed are your stall current for this locomotive. You shouldn’t need to do this for more than about 5 to 10 seconds.
Electric motors draw the most amperage when they’re almost stalled, or attempting to operate in installed condition. This usually happens when they’re just starting to rotate. When a locomotive is just starting to move, that is when it pulls the most amperage. After the motor is turning, the amperage load falls.
By determining the amperage load your motor will place on the decoder, you can match the decoder to the motor in the locomotive. This will prevent the decoder from being burned out by the amperage load of the locomotive.
Another thing to remember, is that all lights and other accessories added onto the function outputs will also increase the amount of amperage the decoder has to handle. Most of the time, a few more lights will not cause any problems, but if you start adding in heavier equipment, such as electromagnets or other motors, you will have to take this into consideration.
Hope this helps explain this particular procedure. I figured it should get its own thread for future searching purposes.
Kevin
Things you will need:
DC power pack
Length of track
Spare wiring
Multimeter capable of showing AC amps
Here is how you set this rig up:
First of all, attach two wires to the track.
Run one wire from the track back to the power pack and attach it to one of the variable DC terminals.
Run the other wire from the track to one of the probes on the multimeter.
Run another wire from the opposite probe to the other variable DC terminal.
Multimeter Photos
Set your multimeter to read direct current amps, like this one. Note: for the purposes of this article, the words “amperage” and “current” are interchangeable.
Turn on power pack. At this point you should be able to run the locomotive back and forth on the track. If not, check your connections, and make sure your multimeter is set correctly.
When you have control of the locomotive, hold it with your hand, and attempt to stall the motor. If you can brush a finger against one of the flywheels, this would be easiest. When the motor is almost completely stalled, just barely turning, read the numbers displayed on the multimeter. The numbers displayed are your stall current for this locomotive. You shouldn’t need to do this for more than about 5 to 10 seconds.
Electric motors draw the most amperage when they’re almost stalled, or attempting to operate in installed condition. This usually happens when they’re just starting to rotate. When a locomotive is just starting to move, that is when it pulls the most amperage. After the motor is turning, the amperage load falls.
By determining the amperage load your motor will place on the decoder, you can match the decoder to the motor in the locomotive. This will prevent the decoder from being burned out by the amperage load of the locomotive.
Another thing to remember, is that all lights and other accessories added onto the function outputs will also increase the amount of amperage the decoder has to handle. Most of the time, a few more lights will not cause any problems, but if you start adding in heavier equipment, such as electromagnets or other motors, you will have to take this into consideration.
Hope this helps explain this particular procedure. I figured it should get its own thread for future searching purposes.
Kevin
