[WhoDrivesWins]

Hiya,
I have the newer advanced 6 car power base with 2 15v transformers, I have a large'ish track covering about 3m x 2m, I still have the old type of power base with AZ1 on the bottom of it, that has one 12v transformer.

Question is could I use the old power base halfway round the track to boost power or would that not be of any advantage or not even possible or maybe damaging with the mix of voltages????

Make that questions!

Thanks,
WDW.

 

[Ade]

hi
mixing powerbases is a big NO NO. When you power up one of them will loose the battle and short out,most probably for good.

With a track your size a standard apb with 2 transformers should run it with ease. Make sure you have crimped all the rails underneath a try and get some inox,it's fab stuff on digital tracks.

 

[Mr_DJT]

Can the master slave mod not be done with the APB?

 

[MrFlippant]

You don't need to. The APB is better than a Maser/Slave mod of any kind currently posted. The only thing better than an APB for power is a modded APB (the guide for allowing high-amp variable power). A simple-H is arguably better than that, but just as arguably unnecessary.

Instead of more power, what WDW, or anyone else with an APB and a long track needs to do, is add power taps. Power taps are really just jumper wires from the power base track (or the track piece right next to it) to other parts of the layout. One jumper to the mid-point of the lap will work wonders, and more will be even better. Each track join reduces power by a small fraction... not volts, but amps... that means cars take longer to get up to speed at those points, and multiple cars in low power areas all struggle to get going, especially magnet cars.

Power taps are easy. Just get some decent 2 conductor wire (speaker wire, for example), and connect one end to each rail of each lane under the track next to the power base, then run the wire to the same rails of the same lanes elsewhere on the track. Be mindful of the direction of travel for the cars and which lane is which so that you don't cause a short circuit or cross-wire the lanes to each other.