[karadiokid]

Hi there,

I think this is my first post...anyways, last night after setting up the track - 83 ft classic track with 40amp 13.5volt power supply - both parma economy controllers I have (25 and 45 ohm) went up in smoke.

Cars did not want to move until full throttle given. Looked down at the controllers and the end of the resistor looked like a toaster for how hot it got. Then the windings gave way as the wiper came back across the resistor. Tried my PM controller and everything seems OK

The cars are mild magnet(1 bar) with slotit or scaleauto motors. Looking for any ideas as don't want to order/replace resistors to have this happen again right away

Thanks in advance, Rusty

 

[darainbow]

maybe you had ground and brake reversed? Isnt there a fuse in your system? A controller defect should blow the fuse before becoming a fire hazzard. Sounds like definite wiring problems, especially since it happend to both controllers.

 

[ProfFate]

Hi

And the resistors do burn out. And need replacing. Your PM controller will, with time, cook through the diodes that reduce the voltage!

Sorry, all is dust.

Fate

 

[Screwneck]

Sounds disasterous. My sympathy.

Get spare resistors (Pendle do them) and stop using your ProfMotor ones. You have a serious electrical problem and you'll burn out one after the other if you don't get it sorted.

What on Earth are you using 40amps for? 4 should be enough! Check you power supply (I can only guess at what you're using to deliver such a high amp rating). Clearly you have a serious short or a power surge somewhere in your set-up.

Can't you simply use a Scalex Sport power track piece and two transformers. Fit the track with convertor straights. If this works OK then its your current power supply. If it doesn't, then it's probably the wiring in your controllers connected up to the wrong terminals.

The Sport power track has a shorting cut-out fitted so it should protect your controllers and your cars (and your house!) from fire.

 

[karadiokid]

QUOTE (Screwneck @ 22 Nov 2004, 03:54)Sounds disasterous. My sympathy.

What on Earth are you using 40amps for? 4 should be enough! Check you power supply (I can only guess at what you're using to deliver such a high amp rating). Clearly you have a serious short or a power surge somewhere in your set-up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I acquired the power supply dirt cheap and it made a vast improvement over the wall warts - even running 1 per lane

Looking over my wiring it seems exhaustion got the better of me as I bypassed the fuse holder - power in and out on the same tab?!

The culprit was a scaley williams f1 with a loose front magnet mount and the magnet lodged inbetween the rails dead shorting them.

All in all a inexpensive lesson for what could have been.

Thanks for the advice

Rusty