RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion

Can the A-R1 reverse module work with any 12V DC transformer?

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tupsters:
Hello,

Can the A-R1 reverse module work with any 12V DC transformer? or it only works with a Rail Pro transformer (PWR-56) ?

I'm using a Tech II Loco Motion 2500 brand,

It has two choices:

Variable DC output of 20VDC, 18VAC

or fixed  DC output of 20.5VDC, 16VAC

would this transformer work?  and can I use either choices (variable or fixed)?

thanks again,

John

G8B4Life:
Yes and no.

Yes, the AR-1 can use a non Ring Engineering DC power supply. No, please don't use your Tech II Loco Motion 2500 to power an AR-1, or any RailPro item.

The AR-1 has a maximum input voltage of 16v DC (AC will probably kill it, the AR-1 is polarity sensitive). Your Tech II puts out way to much juice on the fixed output. Using a variable supply is just setting yourself up for trouble really. While Tech II stuff is supposed to be good quality you really need voltage regulation to give a steady voltage and I do have doubts that the Tech II does that on the variable output.

How were you going to power the rest of the layout? You should really power the AR-1 from the supply that's powering the layout, or from it's own supply that is the same type.

- Tim

Joel W:
From the AR-1 manual - you need to supply it with DC at a maximum voltage of 16v (or less), and it is polarity sensitive (don't connect the + to the - terminal etc.)  I would not use your Tech throttle to supply it.  Although you could set the Tech to provide less than 16V using the track output, if you reverse the Tech direction or turn the throttle up your AR-1 will probably die.

tupsters:
HI, thank you for your answers.  Does the A-R1 have a breaker on it and will flip if a higher votage is used?  I used my Tech II Loco Motion 2500 for a few seconds and the red light came on on the Tech II.  I turned it off.  I did not try it again.  That's why I wrote this message.  Now I have bought a RailPro PWR 56 and waiting for it to come.  Do you think that the A-R1 will recover (if it has a breaker)? - Thanks - John

G8B4Life:
The AR-1 has short protection on the output (track) side. There is no mention of any protection on the input side so it's highly unlikely, hence the warning the input side of the AR-1 is polarity sensitive and a maximum voltage of 16v.

What terminals of the Tech II did you hook the AR-1 up to? If the overload/short light on the Tech II came on you might get lucky and it's saved the AR-1 from damage but I'm almost certain that you've killed the AR-1. All you can do is wait for your PWR-56 to arrive and hook it up and see if the AR-1 still works.

As I asked before, what are you powering the rest of the layout with? Logic suggests that if you were trying to power the AR-1 with a non RailPro power supply then you are powering the rest of the layout with a non RailPro power supply.

- Tim

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