tramcar trev
all manner of mechanical apparatus...
Finally got it sorted.... I’m not exactly sure what the problem was specifically but there are 3 factors involved.
1) the battery; was 3 cell LIPO, 11.1volts which I thought should run the Bachmann motor well enough.
2) the speed control; I had tried 2 before, both elcheapo (we are talking running a tramway here so profit was put ahead of all other considerations). Both worked but with erratic results.
3) The combination of 1 &2.....
My solution was to a) get a decent speed control that would handle 12 volts, b) replace the battery with my own home assembled pack of 18650 LI-ION cells giving me 14.8 volts but also with a reduced capacity of 2.2 Amp Hours. With smoke, and with the increased voltage there is now more smoke than the real thing this gives me about a 30 Min runtime, the cells are protected against over discharge and over current (2.5 amp). But I have used plugs and sockets that are used by the R/C model car crowd so I can make up a few extra battery packs and swap them over. I also am the very proud owner of an iMax BCA6 charger which gives me the ability to charge the batteries from either the mains or the car so if I ever visit another tramway/railway (insert here long, tedious, pointless and irrelevant debate on whether tramway profile tyres can run on railway profile track) I could (at a pinch) recharge the batteries from the car battery.
Another small modification will be the changing of the resistor that drops the voltage for the led lighting as the leds are too bright now with the extra 3.7 volts. Looking into the headlights could cause temporary blindness, far to bright. I have also refound a simple circuit that will give directional headlights that I will make and fit, it relies on the polarity of the power going to the motor. The trailer/s will also be fitted with their own 14500 size (AA) Li-Ion batteries to power the trailer lighting which will save at least 15 mins of muttering obscenities trying to connect the jumper lead up from the motor to the trailer. A 1.2Ah Cell will have around a 20 hour life before needing to be recharged driving the 6 leds at 10mA....
Now that I can kneel I can get under the tramway again so I can get back onto sorting out the voltage drop for the electric cars as well as the myriad of other tasks that need doing, I may pay someone to do the rest of the cobblestones, I may be able to bribe my Grandson in the Xmas School holidays....
Set up for testing
The very professional looking battery pack
1) the battery; was 3 cell LIPO, 11.1volts which I thought should run the Bachmann motor well enough.
2) the speed control; I had tried 2 before, both elcheapo (we are talking running a tramway here so profit was put ahead of all other considerations). Both worked but with erratic results.
3) The combination of 1 &2.....
My solution was to a) get a decent speed control that would handle 12 volts, b) replace the battery with my own home assembled pack of 18650 LI-ION cells giving me 14.8 volts but also with a reduced capacity of 2.2 Amp Hours. With smoke, and with the increased voltage there is now more smoke than the real thing this gives me about a 30 Min runtime, the cells are protected against over discharge and over current (2.5 amp). But I have used plugs and sockets that are used by the R/C model car crowd so I can make up a few extra battery packs and swap them over. I also am the very proud owner of an iMax BCA6 charger which gives me the ability to charge the batteries from either the mains or the car so if I ever visit another tramway/railway (insert here long, tedious, pointless and irrelevant debate on whether tramway profile tyres can run on railway profile track) I could (at a pinch) recharge the batteries from the car battery.
Another small modification will be the changing of the resistor that drops the voltage for the led lighting as the leds are too bright now with the extra 3.7 volts. Looking into the headlights could cause temporary blindness, far to bright. I have also refound a simple circuit that will give directional headlights that I will make and fit, it relies on the polarity of the power going to the motor. The trailer/s will also be fitted with their own 14500 size (AA) Li-Ion batteries to power the trailer lighting which will save at least 15 mins of muttering obscenities trying to connect the jumper lead up from the motor to the trailer. A 1.2Ah Cell will have around a 20 hour life before needing to be recharged driving the 6 leds at 10mA....
Now that I can kneel I can get under the tramway again so I can get back onto sorting out the voltage drop for the electric cars as well as the myriad of other tasks that need doing, I may pay someone to do the rest of the cobblestones, I may be able to bribe my Grandson in the Xmas School holidays....
Set up for testing
The very professional looking battery pack
