# power supply



## wyatt641 (Jan 14, 2012)

recently i purchased a 4 lane ho vintage model motoring track.mounted on a 4 x 8 sheet plywood..with the old steering wheel controllers..powered by a old aurora 24v power pack for all 4 lanes..it does not seem to be quite enuff power for the track..all 4 lanes work but there does not seem to be enuff power to get the ummpff out of the t jets you get on newer power packs i.e tyco/autoworld..
should i add a seperate power pack for the other set of lanes??having a power pack for each 2 laner???thanks ..
dave:wave:


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

Probably wouldn't hurt that's for sure.
Ideally you could even put a seperate power pack on each lane,then you'll have no power surges on the lanes when another car comes off.
Takes a bit of modifying of your terminal tracks to do individual lane power though,and you'll need 4 terminal tracks,one for each lane,unless you know how to install jumpers.:thumbsup:
Rick


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## Franko (Mar 16, 2005)

I recently upgraded to a fancy Astron power supply for my 4 X 39' lane track. Threw away the wall warts. It has made a huge difference. The regulated transformer eliminates all surges when another car flies off. Adjustable V for beginners and diff't types of motors. A tremendous upgrade.


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## Franko (Mar 16, 2005)

BTW, I noticed power surges even with separate wall warts for each lane.


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## TK Solver (Mar 18, 2004)

If using one wall wart per lane you will still see surges when one car deslots unless you isolate the lanes by modifying the terminal track pieces.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Hornet said:


> Takes a bit of modifying of your terminal tracks to do individual lane power though,and you'll need 4 terminal tracks,one for each lane,unless you know how to install jumpers.:thumbsup:
> Rick


Rick, it sounds like he has original Aurora MM track, which means the terminal tracks already have lane isolation (there are four places to attach the wires, not three). Therefore, two terminal tracks are all that is necessary for four lanes, unless you need jumpers.

I have one Aurora 20v-22v pack per lane on my layout and have found the power sufficient for T-Jets. Actually, for a well tuned pancake car, the voltage seems too high.

However, original Aurora MM track has the weakest electrical connections in my opinion, so you may be getting a lot of power loss as you move further away from the terminal track. I noticed a significant power loss when I used MM track unless I had a number of jumpers.

Joe


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

Thanks for the heads up Joe,:thumbsup:
Rick


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## neorules (Oct 20, 2006)

I would reccommend everyone that has more than just a casual interest in HO racing to upgrade to a larger variable volt and 5-10 amp or more power supply. It is really a matter of getting the most fun and enjoyment out of this hobby--- if you are going to spend much time with the running of the cars why not make it Quality time. Get the most out of your time spent. The power is first in upgrades, then a high quality controller next. These two things will change your experience immensely for the good. Ask the guys who have done it-- I'm guessing none would go back.


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