RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion

Capacitors, keep-a-live etc.

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Carter:
Bruce Petrarca has an article in October 2017 MRH regarding "RailPro makes things easy". Also Bruce wrote an article past August 2017 in MRH regarding capacitors i.e. keepalive type systems.

Question? Will the same capacitor system (Keep-alive, Current keeper etc) he details in August issue work just the same in a DC powered or with the RailPro power supply.

Will capacitors (Keep-Alive etc.) be needed with RailPro?

Information needed.
Carter

Alan:

--- Quote from: Carter on October 27, 2017, 11:23:36 AM ---Question? Will the same capacitor system (Keep-alive, Current keeper etc) he details in August issue work just the same in a DC powered or with the RailPro power supply.

--- End quote ---

[EDIT] No, capacitor systems for DCC will not work with RP.
[EDIT] I stand corrected. Thanks Bill. I accidentally confused our discussion about using the ground pin on LM3S modules.
[EDIT] DCC capacitor systems work only with LM3 and LM3S. Doing so may void the Ring Engineering warranty. See the thread below for fabricating a capacitor system for LM1, LM2. Thanks again Bill.


--- Quote from: Carter on October 27, 2017, 11:23:36 AM ---Will capacitors (Keep-Alive etc.) be needed with RailPro?

--- End quote ---

Yes, if you have dirty track, dirty wheels, dead frogs, etc.

Keep alive with RP is possible with a very simple home-built circuit. See this thread for a detailed explanation:
https://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php/topic,327.0.html

William Brillinger:
I offer the TCS KA3 and KA4 on my website for use with RailPro.
They work fantastically.

http://pdc.ca/rr/catalog/product/railpro-and-accessories/51

It does not matter if you are on a DCC or RailPro DC powered layout.

Hopefully Ring Engineering will release their own Keep-Alive product soon.

KPack:
You can also use DCC capacitor solutions (Keep Alive, etc) with the LM-2S and LM-2 modules, but you will need to install a bridge rectifier as well.  It's simple to do and I have done it with several of my old modules.  Works like a charm. 

You will notice the voltage to the module is lower with the bridge rectifier installed (Railpro allows you to monitor the voltage in real-time), but the difference is not much.  It does not effect operation between locomotives with Keep Alive and those without.  They can be MU'd and run together just fine.

-Kevin

TwinStar:

--- Quote from: KPack on October 27, 2017, 02:51:57 PM ---You can also use DCC capacitor solutions (Keep Alive, etc) with the LM-2S and LM-2 modules, but you will need to install a bridge rectifier as well.  It's simple to do and I have done it with several of my old modules.  Works like a charm. 

You will notice the voltage to the module is lower with the bridge rectifier installed (Railpro allows you to monitor the voltage in real-time), but the difference is not much.  It does not effect operation between locomotives with Keep Alive and those without.  They can be MU'd and run together just fine.

-Kevin

--- End quote ---

I've got a BLI E8 with the LM-2S and KA leading a P2K E7 with an LM-2S and KA, followed by three head end cars, and then a P1K RDC with an LM-2S and no KA and they run together just fine.

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