MTH 2-8-8-2 Regulator Rectifier Experiment as a CHEAP way to get it running :)

[afleetcommand]

This is an evolution from the last TWO video's on this locomotive. Nerd alert! Back story of this third video in the series so far, got a "non running" MTH Pennsylvania 2-8-8-2 Mallet. Tender had no cards or pig tail. Assumption is they failed and prior owner gutted and was freaked out by the cost of replacements....moved it along. SO my son "pawned" it on me , a trade for saleable things as that's what he does. I've been thinking around these issues for a while and now with a "test case" stuck a simple AC to DC rectifier to feed the can motors from AC track voltage. Worked, did a video on that a week or two ago. This is the next evolution ( there will be a few more soon ) trying to solve yet another issue I have, track voltage variation. SO was thinking of adapting an automotive style regulator / rectifier concept to this and while hunting parts ran into this $8 dollar regulator rectifier with 0-20 ac input and 5.5 v out.

 

[Canalligator]

Is this just to test the motor, or are you planning to operate this way?

 

[afleetcommand]

While the drive originally was just for a hand held "test system" to pick thru dead MTH locomotives for projects, I'll operate this way in some form for now as I endurance test the concept.

I ran for a couple of days that way ( prolly 12 hrs. on it so far ), evolving the "universal MTH Test Tender " build to get a little more control. For my layout its working fine as I have it now with now 5.5 volts , I added a 1/2 volt. May add another 1/2 to get to 6 volts, but the motors seem to be cool and happy. I guess why wouldn't they not enough amperage going thru to make a difference. Worried a bit on if they were brushless, but again with the laser thermometer, they run as cool if not cooler than with an "official" tender set up. SO I'll run them like this.. Have another regulator/ rectifier with an led & knob control coming , and a much higher amp capable rectifier / larger capacitor & a card with a blue tooth controller to use a phone app to adjust resistance/output voltage. And all these little things are like $5 to $15 dollars. For kicks I'll do a few video's and evolve capabilities to see where this "nerd" line takes me.