TT:120 scale is a popular model railway scale and track gauge used by modellers in the UK and beyond. The 'TT' in...
Cart 0 Product Products (empty)
No products
Free shipping! Shipping
£ 0.00 Total
Product successfully added to your shopping cart
Quantity
Total
There are 0 items in your cart. There is 1 item in your cart.
Total products (tax incl.)
Total shipping (tax excl.) Free shipping!
Total (tax incl.)
Search Tips
Tips categories
Latest Tips
-
What is TT:120 scale?Read more -
How many brake vans should a goods train have?Read moreThe number of brake vans that were marshalled into a goods train varied depending on the type of rolling stock used,...
-
What is interlocking?Read moreInterlocking is used in railway signalling to ensure that potentially dangerous combinations of points and/or signals...
-
Do I need to create a fiddle yard for my layout?Read moreA fiddle yard is an optional component of a model railway layout. It is essentially a hidden storage area where...
-
What is a DVT in modern passenger railways trains?Read moreA DVT stands for "Driving Van Trailer" in railways. Some key points about DVTs:They are railway carriages that...
Should I use AC or DC to power my CDU?
Although nowadays there are CDUs (Capacitor Discharge Units) designed for model railways that plug straight into the mains, it is still common practice for a lot of modellers to power them using the auxiliary ports on their controllers often leaving them with the dilemma of choosing between the DC and AC ports.
The instructions supplied with most CDUs are not shy in recommending that the devices should be used with an input from an AC auxiliary port and in some cases recommend a 24v input for best results, but the problem is that most of us have controllers with only 16v AC auxiliary ports and on some controllers only 12v DC, so are these controllers still adequate?
The job of a model railway specific CDU is to convert power received to DC and amplify it before storing it ready for use when required to operate point motors etc. From this perspective, there is a reasonable argument that more power is better because amplifying 24v is going to provide a lot more oomph than amplifying just 12, but at the end of the day how much power does a point motor actually need?
As it turns out (excuse the pun) not that much. Most CDUs will have an output of between 25v and 45v DC but will also proudly state that they can operate between three and six point-motors at the same time, and that's the important factor here. It's nice to have the power and ability to operate lots of points simultaneously, but, if you have no choice but to connect your CDU to a power supply of just 12v DC, then don't worry, you will just have to be mindful that multitasking may not be your CDUs forte but for switching turnouts one at a time, 12v through a CDU should be just fine.
Posted in: Power and control
Click here to receive the tips weekly in your mailbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Related products
Integrated Dual High Power CDU
Price: £ 34.95Integrated CDU Unit Dual High Power CDUsThe CDU is 135mm x 87mm x 56mm with...
Capacitor Discharge Unit CDU Mk2 Version (4400μf)
Price: £ 30.00For use with all solenoid motors (e.g. PL-10 and PL-11). Connect this unit to...
Related posts
-
Can a "DCC ready" train be used on analogue?Yes, you can use a DCC ready train on your analogue layout. DCC ready just means that the train has been factory... - Is it difficult to fit a DCC decoder in to a DCC ready engine?In theory, it should be easy as the whole idea of being DCC Ready is to simplify the process. The first time I did...
- What is 7/0.2 wire?7/02 wire is a wire made of 7 strands of 0.2mm wire. Stranded wire has the advantage of being flexible while solid...
- Is an N Gauge controller compatible with OO Gauge?Yes, an N Gauge controller is compatible with OO gauge trains. You may have to change the power clip to the track...
- Is stranded wire better than solid wire?In my experience, stranded wire is preferable over solid wire. Stranded wire is more flexible than solid core wire,...