# power supply ?



## 41-willys (Jan 7, 2000)

What do you recommend? What features should I look for?


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## Mike(^RacerX^) (Mar 15, 2003)

I got one from Alan Galinko,the one on the top:

http://www.slotcars.org/hodra/ag&gProducts2.htm

I have a fairly good sized four lane setup,and this one hasnt let me down yet.

I suppose there are better ones for more money.But for the most part,I just race casually with friends and family,and this one fits the bill perfectly.

Hope that helps.

Mike


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## hoslotfrance (Mar 6, 2006)

1 tyco power unit per lane and 3 feeders . It's OK for us ( stock racing...).


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

I have a small adjustable Lambda unit that has a max rating of 10 amps, with a regular output of @ 6-8 amps. It's a nice filtered unit and I got it cheap from Mr. Cozee with some track, but running 4 modified cars at once is a bit much for the rated amp output, even with 9 power feeds of 18 ga wire over an 83 foot lap length. It seems pretty good for SG+ cars and some Patriot P3's. If you plan on running Hot Stock or polymer magnet series type cars or higher you should consider more amps per lane. I can't say just how much though.


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## Turbo880Kawasak (Feb 9, 2005)

I bought mine from
http://www.trackmateracing.com/ 
http://www.trackmateracing.com/shopexd.asp?id=54 
Power Supply 0-30v 10Amps
the best investment i made so far my cars run cooler 
and you can adjust the power 
Paul


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## 41-willys (Jan 7, 2000)

Thanks guys, I am looking into both of them.


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

Just an FYI.....


I would stay away from a cheap chinese power supply....

Anything made/marketed by TrackMate, MG, TEK, Astron, or any other tin box manufacturer has the clock ticking on it from the day you first plug it in.

The Lambda described above is far superior to any of the slot car specific marketed power supplies....and the guy who he got it from obviously knows the difference.


In short, the point is you can pay 300 bucks for a cheap chinese supply that someone bought wholesale for 75 bucks, and resold for exponential profit and get a unit that is a disaster waiting to happen OR you can pay 300-400 bucks for a used lab grade unit that originally cost $3000-$20,000 new and get a supply that will be orders of magnitude better than ANYTHING China could produce even for their space program.

It really is a very simple concept and process to follow.

I would use batteries outside and a charger before I plugged a smelly chinese power supply in under my roof.


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## Autotech (Dec 13, 2004)

*Good Ones Can Be Found!*

My son Sly found a Lambda on E-Bay for $200. New it was around $2000.
It was a 0-36 volt 0-34.5 amp adjustable continuous both for amps and volts.
The only glitch if you can call it that was it was a 230 volt input supply. We just added another breaker and a dedicated outlet and all I can say is it sure 
rounds out that new Buck Scorpion  Dave


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## 2.8powerranger (Dec 13, 2004)

I was reading an article on atx power supplys from a home computer ,it seemed to be pretty stout some have 300-500 watt and can varry from 7 volts to 24 volts ,heres a link

http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-a-Computer-ATX-Power-Supply-to-a-Lab-Power-Supply

from what it describes it pushes about 12.8 amps ,,if im correct ,thats 3 amps per lane.i was wondering if you could install a reostat to it to fine tune it?
5V ,7V ,10V, 17V,24V.The supplys also have a fan in them,,brand new you can pick them up for about 20-25 dollars.if you get any kind of durability out of it ,,it would be worth it ,even keep a couple spares on hand.ive read on the web where guys are using them for ho trains. :thumbsup:


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## Mike(^RacerX^) (Mar 15, 2003)

AfxToo said:


> I dunno, all my Chinese slot cars seems to run like a top powered by my Chinese power supply.
> 
> I guess they like home cooking.


Yep,same here.No complaints.

Mike


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## amxbmw (Apr 8, 2006)

A set of 4D batteries, a good charger and a safe place to set them up. You will never go back to a conventional power supply!


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

I guess if you don't mind the fire risk PLUS the PCB filled transformers and other toxic stuff they put in them then there would be no problem.


I guess for some folks Harbor Freight tools are just as good as SnapOn too....

And Squire and Epiphone Guitars are the same as Fender USA and Gibson....


But for those who appreciate the difference there are the real instruments, tools and components.


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## Mike(^RacerX^) (Mar 15, 2003)

AMX said:


> And Squire and Epiphone Guitars are the same as Fender USA and Gibson....


Actually some of the Epiphone and Squire guitars are pretty darn good for what you pay.A guy whose house my band rehearses at picked up a Squire Tele,and I'll tell you what,I'm impressed.

And on the power supplies,whatever,we went through this once already and everyone knows you hate the cheap ones.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=135627

Mine works fine.

Mike


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## Pomfish (Oct 25, 2003)

MY Galinko "Time Bomb" has been working flawlessly for 6 years. I know at least 10 other guys that have no problem also.

Has Anyone had one of these units cause a Fire?

If having a Lab Grade USA power supply makes you sleep better at night, great.
But don't slam everyone else for not being up to your "Standards"


One more thing, I own 7 Guitars, One is a USA Gibson Les Paul. 
It is a fine guitar, but my Korean Kramer outplays it all day long.

Not stuck on Labels.
Later,
Keith


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

I like my little Mean Well high speed switching supply,it's twice as good as the battery supplies it replaced.
I know of a couple hobby shops using the Professor Motor Power Supplies,they've been using them for quite a few years,if they don't burn up in that enviroment,where they're turned on for 12 hours a day,i can't see there being much wrong with them.
AMX,you are a master of doom and destruction aren't you


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

No it is just a simple fact that Harbor Freight tools are junk, Chinese or Korean power supplies are junk and there is no comparison any where in the world between a dimestore guitar and a major league American manufacture instrument like Gibson or Fender. Even in the junk post CBS years Fenders are bringing far more than any overseas guitar. All Gibsons including the bad years Norlin ones are at least 2 grand for a decent one with the high end ones being about a half a million bucks.


I won't waste any more time arguing. Some people just have it in there minds that totally sub standard stuff is as good as the high end item it is copied after. A Harbor Freight tool will break and hurt you, mess up what you are working on, or become useless midway through what you are trying to do forcing you to replace it with another one , or a more expensive tool to get the job done.

Those cheap power supplies will do the same thing. There is enough info on the web to support this. You can't give them away used. They have ZERO resale just like a used Harbor Freight tool or a cheap used Asian guitar.

Most people that are up to speed on these components just know this. I guess since the main slot car suppliers SELL these items and so many have BOUGHT these items that there is a desire to defend them. I smelled one being plugged and it smelled just like a Harbor Freight tools store inside....cheap and oily.


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## 41-willys (Jan 7, 2000)

Guys 

I didn't want to start a fight. I just had some questions, wall power verses power supplys. what to look for. and thinkgfs like that. I can't afford a power supply that is 200 and up. I am new to this and I am still trying to get my track and some other stuff you need for a nice starting layout.


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

AMX:You apparently haven't bought tools for awhile,Snap-on ain't the best in my opinion anymore,and i make my living twisting wrenches.
Nobodies gonna give you hell for believing what you believe is good quality,but it's your death and doom tactics way of getting your message across,that's getting to most guys Steve,i think it's Steve,if i've got you pegged right,but i've been wrong before.
The AMX handle has me intrigued,i take it you're a AMC fan


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## Manning (Mar 2, 2004)

just put a separate stock set powerpack on each lane and forget spending the big bucks on a power supply.......

A power supply can wait for the next layout or sometime in the future. They aren't really necessary for most cars.


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## Mike(^RacerX^) (Mar 15, 2003)

AMX said:


> there is no comparison any where in the world between a dimestore guitar and a major league American manufacture instrument like Gibson or Fender. Even in the junk post CBS years Fenders are bringing far more than any overseas guitar. All Gibsons including the bad years Norlin ones are at least 2 grand for a decent one with the high end ones being about a half a million bucks.


Really?????? Then you're pretty out of touch with the world of guitars then my friend.Some of the Mexican made Fenders play AS GOOD as the MIA ones do.The Japanese Fenders are also highly sought out by players and collectors alike.As are a lot of the early Ibanez guitars.

The junk that Fender made post CBS and Norlin Gibsons are still garbage.They're still canoe paddles with strings as far as most players are concerned.They now fetch the money because people who dont know better and have more money then they know what to do with pay the big bucks for them because there is an urban legend in the guitar trading world that "older is better".

I have no desire to engage you in a duel of wits when it comes to guitars because you dont even have a clue who you are talking to or what you are talking about.You might be "up to speed" as you say on components,but not guitars.Not to mention that this is a slot dl.And the power supply issue is beat into the ground.

My Galinko supply works great,as they do for countless others.

Im done.

Mike


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## rodstrguy (Feb 14, 2002)

Take it from Some eone that live just a few miles from both Snap On tools and the home of Les Paul and the home town of Harley Davidson, not to mention The company once named American Motors... 
Snap On has most of their tools made overseas, A good guitar, is a good guitar, I would rather ride a Jap bike all week, than work on a Harley during the week so I can ride it on the weekend, and there are not too many AMC's I'd own nbecause around here AMC stood for Alcohalics Making Cars. 
I'll go back to what I said in a previous post AMX, if these inexpesive power supplies were so bad, everyone would know it by now! They would not be UL approved and you would not be able to buy them in the U.S.A.

AMX, Apparently you are the only person "UP TO SPEED" on this board...


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

Mexican Strats were originally made from poplar unitil the outcry from Fender purists FORCED a change to more acceptable tone woods....now they are just made from multiple pieces of smaller tonewoods like the more tradtionaly acceptable alder, and to a lesser degree, the prefered ash.


Poplar flat out sucks for tone wood. Poplar...the cheapest hard (actually soft) wood sold at Home Depot and used for a guitar body. So bad it had to be laminated over with veneer to even finish, and I am not even going to waste my time comparing a 1/2 million dollar Les Paul, or the $6-20,000 copies of it to any other Asian guitar INCLUDING Orville, Tokai, Greko, Ibanez, or any other knock off manufacturer. History has already proved my point here. 

A Jap Fender will bring almost original music store prices 20 years after the fact...what claim to fame is that? This has ONLY been perpentuated by the internet. I will take old wood any day over fad wood for investments sake....You still wanna argue that point? It isn't like I don't own over 150 guitars ...mostly vintage....bought over the last 40 years....you know when the real deal was available in the stores....



FACT- a Cheap Chinese slot car will retain its value far in excess of a cheap Chinese power supply. In other words a 20 dollar slot car may easily be worth several times its purchase price in a few years where a sub standard low grade power supply will fall in value. Argue that for 1 secaond. You can't.


A lab grade unit will fall to a certain secondary market level and remain there forever. 50+ years as long as it works. AND its specs will hold as long as a hack didn't disturb its original component parameteres. Cheap overseas power supplies used can't be given away.



As far as tools, there is no comparison between cheap third world built tools even if manufactured under ISO standards, and quality controlled operations like SnapOn and other high end tools. It starts with the raw materials and filters down all the way through the final finishing operations. The US Military will not grant mil spec standards to ANYTHING like a cheap asian tool nor will standards used by NASA, SAE, or any other regulating body including lower level standards like UAW or simple unions.

Therefore they simply must suck. Which they do....

And this translates into my point on power supplies....



FACT- you can take any 10 MG, Trackmate, TEK, ASTRON, or whatever off brand power supplies, pull one leg of a specified value component, and find a WIDE VARRIANCE BETWEEN THE NEXT COMPONENT OF THE SAME LABLED VALUE.

If you want to argue this, then go do the research and prove me wrong. Some are off by 200%. Thats why they blow up so often and easily. Some are labled one value, but would spec out quite well at a value completely different. If that is piss poor quality control I don't know what is. 

No major company including the low end ones that peddle their stuff at Walmart would get away for very long with those types of manufacturing irregularities. Many have tried in the past, but they are long gone. It is only the niche market that allows this type of product to survive.



But I think you should NOT listen to me and continue on collecting $200.00 guitars and $5.00 drills and wrenches and roll the dice with junk electronics equipment.


I have tried to convey real world factual accounts and they have not been received very well, so I will leave you to your own luck and fate with these horribly engineered, cut rate, low end devices. Kind of like all of the Kraco and Lloyds stuff of the 70s....and we all know where it is today. I am sure their were pre internet neighborhood arguements on why person "A"s Lloyds stereo was as good as person "B"s Marantz unit. I wonder how those arguements ever panned out..........


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

Wait...I think I found out....

A quik search of the favorite ebay listings for Lloyds comes up with the highest price for a vintage sold item of $33.00

Marantz for a vintage sold item of- $9000.00 

Hmm...

Squire (Jap Fender)- $300-500
Gibson- $17,900 (and that was just the last 22 days with an asking price of $80K for one)



Astron - $200.00
HP/Agilent - $2700.00 (must be a bad month, gas prices you know)


There is no comparable data between the tool manufactures because the sellers of Harbor Freight tools REFUSE to lable the items they sell as actually being from Harbor Freight. Snap On is as you would suspect....very expensive.


Just a bit of info compiled from the last 30 days of available data......


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## rodstrguy (Feb 14, 2002)

AMX, not everyone buys stuff so they can resell it for more than they buy it for, I buy things so I can use them. When I buy a car I drive the wheels off it, my last car had over 180,000 miles and in an accident before I got rid of it, it was totaled. I buy slot cars to race, not sit and collect dust so they will go up in value,that's why I still have AF/X and old Aurora cars from the '70's and '60's. I also know the value of a dollar and know how much I want to spend on things... a power supply for $1000 means I can't spend about $850 on my real cars.


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

Yeah but they don't cost 1000 bucks...they cost about the same as the junk ones...


All you have to do is look and find one. Power supplies that cost 10 grand new can be bought for 300-500 bucks all day long. And in 20 years it will still be worth what you paid for it and still be working without repairs. Some can be gotten for as little as 200 bucks. A few year old asian unit especially one made specific for slot cars will be worth almost nothing especially if it has had to be repaired.


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## Mike(^RacerX^) (Mar 15, 2003)

AMX you have way too much free time.

Keep spewing about the guitars.I find it comical.

Mike


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## NHawk52 (May 16, 2005)

Ahh... a true capitalist. "It costs more, ergo it is better." The wonderful American perception that $$$ equals perceived usable value. By that reasoning, Levi's are better than Wranglers (same factory), Mitsubishi 3000GT's better that Dodge Stealths (same car), old Dodge Darts better than Plymouth Valiants (again, same car). And the Shell gasoline down here at the corner mini-mart must be better than the Mobil gas katty-corner because it is 5 cents higher per gallon...


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## okracer (Mar 11, 2002)

come on guys give it a rest both have made points and on both points theres no right or wrong either you want to save money and buy the cheaper unit or you dont im not going to throw my hat in and say which one i would buy but i am going to say both of you are right now shake hands give each other a kiss on the cheek and get outside and play nice will ya lol thats what my grandmother "god rest her sole" would say ENOUGH ALREADY !


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## newbombturk (Dec 2, 2000)

Grab 4 racing friends and race any 4 similaqrly matched chassis. Try an asian supply first and then borrow a friends Lambda or HP supply and hook it up to the same track.. You will immediately notice a difference in power, driveability and core chassis temperature for similalry prepared chassis. asian supply is adequate but American supply is performance superior....Hands down....no contest. Try it and see/feel the difference. 
newbombturk65 aka Rocky


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## boss9 (Apr 19, 2002)

I’m in total agreement with you—




okracer said:


> thats what my grandmother "god rest her sole" would say ENOUGH ALREADY !


Sorry to hear about her pet fish too.  





Cheers


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

A properly wired track,will offset that to quite a degree.
I've raced on a track that had 5 jumpers for a 62' track,with a very expensive power supply,and i've raced on tracks that were drop wired every 2 or 3 sections,and used wallwarts as power,the lower wall wart powered tracks with lots of jumpers were far superior to the track that had a $4,000 power supply,but only 5 jumpers.Doesn't matter how expensive your power supply is,if it isn't making good contact with every piece of track it won't make any differance
If it was me,i'd drop wire as much as possible and then use what i could afford for powering it,and not worry about it.
This American thing is getting to me,lol.
You guys do realize where the last GM Camaro's and Firebirds were built don't you,wasn't in the good ole US of A,ya better look north.


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

> Grab 4 racing friends and race any 4 similaqrly matched chassis. Try an asian supply first and then borrow a friends Lambda or HP supply and hook it up to the same track.. You will immediately notice a difference in power, driveability and core chassis temperature for similalry prepared chassis. asian supply is adequate but American supply is performance superior....Hands down....no contest. Try it and see/feel the difference.



Exactly...thank you. Far better regulation, filtering, tighter specs on the current period...

On the guitars....what would you like to know? You want the serial numbers of all of the 58 & 59 Les Pauls I have owned? You want some obscure detail like who the inspector was written in pencil in the neck pocket of my 50s and 60s Strats?

You want to know which PAFs are in my Gibson Jazz boxes?

What would you like me to tell you? You want to know what Spraque caps are in what amps? Ask me anything.

Anyway Newbomb, how is the pie wagon?


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

> You guys do realize where the last GM Camaro's and Firebirds were built don't you,wasn't in the good ole US of A,ya better look north.



Yes but let me tell you this....EVERY power supply in the Northern GM plant was built by either ELGAR, SORENSEN, HP AGILENT, EMI, TCR, KEPCO or ACOPIAN. This is pretty much true of Honda, Kawasaki, Toyota and a few other foreign auto plants I have seen be retooled or liquidated. Delphi just sold thousands of them.

Absolutely NONE were Asian. These supplies are used to plate the plastic and the metal in the cars, calibrate the ECUs, airbags, antilock brakes, instruments, sensors etc. etc. etc.

I am not saying you MUST have one, I am just saying they are orders of magnitude better and far superior for the application be it slot car motors or ham radio or anything in between. And they are far more safe when it comes to shorting out and shocking you, damaging what you have it hooked to or catching on fire


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## T-jetjim (Sep 12, 2005)

All this has been great stuff, but if my track was routed using American made guitar strings as power rails, would I have to use American power supply? 
Secondly, if I can't sing or play the guitar what power supply would I use?
Thirdly, are wall warts contageous. And if my TM finds out I have wall warts, will she wonder where I have been?
LOL
Jim


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

Hey these are million dollar toy cars,must be,if we require everything AMX wants us to have :thumbsup: .
AMX once you figure out how to wire a track properly,maybe you'll come to the conclusion a very expensive power supply is maybe a tiny bit overkill.
Sounds to me like you're trying to compensate for poor wiring with a massive overkill on the power supply,ain't gonna work


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## Mike(^RacerX^) (Mar 15, 2003)

Hornet said:


> Hey these are million dollar toy cars,must be,if we require everything AMX wants us to have :thumbsup: .
> AMX once you figure out how to wire a track properly,maybe you'll come to the conclusion a very expensive power supply is maybe a tiny bit overkill.
> Sounds to me like you're trying to compensate for poor wiring with a massive overkill on the power supply,ain't gonna work


He has an agenda.He SELLS the things,so of course he wants us all to buy them.

Well,Im going to head down to the basement and do a few thousand laps.
If you guys happen to be looking east towards my house later and see a mushroom cloud,its probably my Galinko power supply. :wave: 

Mike(Ice9)


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

Actually all of mine are sold, and the bottom feeding slot car market did not account for more than 2% of the sales....

Lots of happy Hams, labs, platers, and technitions, but only a couple happy slotters  :hat: 


I can only try and help...if you don't get it or refuse to want to get it, then proceed accordingly.

Fact is, your armatures, brushes, shoes and rails will wear out so much more faster with dirty power that the cost of a decent supply would be paid for in a short while....

So keep cleaning all that black gunk off your com plates and shoes and watch all those blue arcs......I gave up on that years ago.


Oh, and also, by the same logic.....don't buy oil that ISN'T attracted to heat....keep using that stuff sold "specifically for slot cars" that runs right to the hot brushes and com plates.

The combination of dirty current and heat wicking oils makes a nice mess of the working parts. Good luck :tongue:


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

> AMX once you figure out how to wire a track properly,maybe you'll come to the conclusion a very expensive power supply is maybe a tiny bit overkill.


If you take a decent ohmeter (lab grade of course) and test for any resistance between your power tap points and find no more that you would find in the same length of wire I see no better way that power taps could be placed.

If you have a continous rail track with several taps then what is the point?

The resistance of the wire feeding the rail is probably greater than the rail itself....



Also a little bit of background on Acopian power supplies....go to there webpage and look around.

A customer brought in one for repair recently that had been in continuous operation since 1970....that was at the time 34 years. 34 years straight and all it need was new caps because they dried out. They replaced them and it is back in service for another quarter century I bet.

Those are THEIR words, not mine.

I don't think you could run a Galinko or MG is actually what they are for 36 DAYS straight let alone maybe 36 HOURS straight with out it going up in smoke. Do those things even have fans in them?

just a little more FYI.


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

Well Mr salesmen,and man with you,i use that term lightly,tell you what,you bring one of your power supplies up to my track,and prove it to me.
Every section ,of it is jumpered,i wanta see you back up your claims about cooler running,less brush arcing and black pick-up shoes.
If you can actually document and back up your claims in person,i'll buy you lunch,and one of your power supplies,but i highly doubt if you're gonna prove my little Mean Well supply is inferior (at least for this hobby)to one of the fancy ones you sell,and yes it has a fan,plus it must have some decent caps to,as it'll run a Polymer Modified car almost a complete lap,if i just turn the supply off and leave the relays on.
Run more brush tension and more pick-up shoe tension,i think you'll see a reduction in the carbon arcing.
Your statement about ,your power supplies holding their value at $200,doesn't seem to me to be a very good holding point,if the supply was in excess of $5,000 new,that seems to be a big kick in the teeth if you ask me,i would think if they are as good as you claim,they'd hold at least 1/2 their value,why is there such a big drop in the new versus used scenerio.


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

Their open market price IS a few thousand bucks.... I am just saying they can be found for almost the same price as the crap ones if you know the right people....

Why should we go through all that to prove anything to you? I think at this point it may be better to leave you to your own opinions...kinda like the people that still don't wear seatbelts...


I got one for you....lets bet on it....then I may be interested. 

If you are running sectioned track and not full continuous rail then the point is kinda moot anyway. You want real proof go to a real track and try it.

Hers another one for you....I got a kick out of the explanations on the MEAN website that explained away all of the design flaws in them in the FAQs like them leaking rogue current to the case and all the other sketchy things about them....


Why would anyone want to argue against a well known fact if for no other reason than pride or self reassurance?


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

How deeps your checkbook,LOL.
Explain to me how a completely drop wired sectional track would be any less quality then a continous rail track,power wise.Might be a lit bit of differance in smoothness,and that's a big maybe on my track.So if i gather this right you think they're only be a differance if you're running a continous rail track,show of hands here,lets see how many guys got a continous rail track compared to a sectional track
You're grasping at straws there sales boy.
BTW you're the salesmen not me,start buying me lunch,any decent salesmen i've ran into had no problem backing up their claims,bring one up,ya gotta demostrate one to sell it.
If you're not going to do that,i would think you don't figure you have a good product for sale.
I still figure the drop in price of 90% from new price is excessive,especially if they are going to do everything you claim they'll do
Just my .02


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

First, on the open market you would pay 10,000 bucks for a new one, 5,000 for a guaranteed used one, or about 900 bucks for a surplus pot luck one.

That is a 50% decrease in value over 5-10 years...LESS % LOSS THAN A NEW MERCEDES BENZ. Sounds like they hold their value very well to me.

A pot luck salvage title Mercedes 5-10 years old would be about the same % off new.


AND - I was offering them to slot car people for 200 - 500 bucks TESTED and PROVEN working under full load, something I will never ever waste my time doing again.

They wound up selling for 400 - 2000 bucks a piece to other people who knew what was up. The loss is yours not mine.

I mean some of these supplies were 90 amps on 110 AC and 200 amps on 220.
You couldn't beat that ANYWHERE for that price. Compare that to a 10 amp glorified CB radio powersupply sold for slotcar use.



Second, I don't care what you buy. I think you should stick with low end stuff and NOT go after any of the good stuff. Hows that for a sales pitch.


When I try and offer expertise, proven good advice, technical and market professional wisdom, AND a great deal all at once, and it is still challenged, I say knock yourself out. 

Fact is you spent as many hours soldering that track together, and power tapping it, and grinding the high spots and on and on, as you could have spent working at 12-20 bucks an hour somewhere to buy a far superior continuous rail track. It is judgement on the part of the person doing it which way they want to go......high end pricey or low end cheap. You never get high end cheap.

Just like the Acopian site says, "We focus on making power supplies that will last a long time. You may find power supplies that cost less than ours, or that are smaller than ours, but you won’t find any that last longer than ours. All too often, low-priced supplies are densely packed, run hot, have short lifetimes and short warranties."

Short lifetimes and short warranties.....exactly what I have been saying. 
Run hot and blow up.....exactly what I have been saying.

If you think this is incorrect go sue them for false advertising and let me know how it turns out.

Now how can I be wrong?


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## Mike(^RacerX^) (Mar 15, 2003)

AMX said:


> Fact is you spent as many hours soldering that track together, and power tapping it, and grinding the high spots and on and on, as you could have spent working at 12-20 bucks an hour somewhere to buy a far superior continuous rail track. It is judgement on the part of the person doing it which way they want to go......high end pricey or low end cheap. You never get high end cheap.


Well,on that point I would agree with you 100%.
After all was soldered and tapped and sanded and ground down with Tomy track,with my time figured in,I would have been WAY better off if I'd have bought Max Track.

Next time.Live and learn.


Mike


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

LOL,now lets put that into perspective,whats my orginal 68 Z28 worth,with 76,000 miles,lol.
You are a very gulible dude,lol.Very intelligent,i'll give you that.
Kid if you showed up at my track or any track,with one of you're power supplies,i'd set you up.
I been around this game long enough to know how to make a car run hot,doesn't matter how good your power supply is,i'd still make you'res run a hotter armature temp then mine,i'd even use your car and controller,back to back any way you want to set power supplies up,you been had kid,lol.
BTW :whats your name,i enjoy messing with you,lol.
Oops Mike got in between us,lol.

Rick


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## vinjack142 (Jun 11, 2005)

Those guys are serious racers who have had misfortune with certian power supplys. If you are just starting out, keep this in mind. I have a 100' Tomy 4 lane track layed out on two 4x8 sheets of plywood. Some of my club members firmly belived we need this huge expensive power supply.My club runs super stock magnet cars which cover the entire lenght of the track in 3-5 seconds. THIS IS POWERD BY4 TOMY WALL WARTS. One per lane. I also have a brake system wired in. The TOMY wall warts when tested with a volt meter put out 20-22 VDC @ 7 amps. Don't belive it? Test on for yourself. Also read the wall wart. Any who it's all about what you can afford. Not what everyone else wants.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Hey, since we're kicking this around again, I got a question about something I noticed...

My dad gave me an old laptop. I was looking at the AC adapter, and it says 15VDC 4A. 15 volts, 4 amps, right? Is that subject to the above 7 VA-type situation, where the amperage drops at max voltage, or would that be a solid steady 4 amps even under, say, full throttle Tjet acceleration? I kinda thought that to power a computer reliably, a laptop power supply would have to be filtered and regulated and all much better than the wallwarts we get with sets. Point being this: My brother the computer geek says he has access to all sorts of old outdated computer parts and that laptop power supplies come in all different types of voltages and amperages. He said he could probably get me a few of the same type of laptop power supply for free. Would this be a good way to power a slot car track, maybe one power supply per lane? Yeah, I know I'm being cheap, but, well, sorry, I guess I'm cheap... :lol:

--rick


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

You guys are right, I used one for years, an old Toshiba unit, rated 20.9V 2.1A. Even though I now use a 10A adjustable supply, I never had a single power complaint. Mine did say right on the unit that it was regulated and filtered, I believe most would be.

Most people thought I was nuts, glad to see a few more nuts around!

:jest:


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

If those wall transformers put out 7 amps kids would be losing fingers from them or getting electrocuted.....no way.


They have no reserve capacity to power even one lane of a track. Hook 4 of them together and they have no capacity to power one lane of a track.


Capacitance is what keeps the cars running on and off power and cheap supplies don't have it.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Placing call to computer geek brother now...

thanks for the tips! :wave:

--rick


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

Big storage caps to give a battery effect on the power spikes or dips.

This is why batteries work the best.

Those thin switching rack mount power supplies without big caps in them are for electronic lab test applications and aren't the best for motor use.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

It is the on and off action of the motor that requires the tanking effect of the capacitors....drag race motors would only sag the supply at the begining.

Batteries are useless unless you have chargers on them while you are using them...then they are very even. And the batteries themselves filter all the AC out very well.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

You need 3 ohm or so arms for it to matter


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

I bought this one:

http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/b+k precision/1672.htm

and it works great. A little pricier than a lot, I guess, but it should never need replacing since all it does it power the track.

'doba


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

AfxToo said:


> Pretty neat. You could use the 5V power source for scenic track lighting. 5V LEDs are quite common in all colors.


 YES -- That's exactly what I thought too. I want to do a midway through the infield of my track and that would be useful for it. I have to finish doing scenery in other areas first, however. :lol:

'doba


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## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

This is one of my main power supplies for slot cars...I have a few, but this one is my favorite.

This is a Kepco ATE 25-40 full rack mount adjustable 0-25 volt 0-40 amp digital metered programable power supply. They are about 5-10 grand new depending on options. This one has quite a few options like the digital meters, super fine adjustment, programming card, etc.

Kepco was founded by a couple of brothers that were in the group of main scientists that worked on the Manhatten Project. They basically invented the lab supply while developing power supplies at Los Alamos in the early 1940s for use on the Abomb project. Before then, their really weren't any commercially available.

They are still a 100% American company run out of New Jersey....all designed, engineered and built in the U.S.A.

I have a collection of about 5 or 6 really killer lab supplies that I use for electronics and slot car stuff.

If you want to see more of my personal supply collection let me know. I have personal keepers from Kepco, the nuclear scientist people, TCR/EMI Lambda, Hewlett Packard-Agilent, and Raytheon (the Patriot Missle people) which is called Sorensen.

These are great hobby supplies and I feel very fortunate to be able to own them. It wasn't easy obtaining all of these awesome units.


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