LGB DC Controller Power?

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flibberflops

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Hi,
Just getting back into LGB since my childhood and I have brought a bit of 2nd hand bits to get started. It is all working, but not very well I thought I would clarify if it is working as expected.

I have a 20761 Engine on a short section off track (Which I have sanded/cleaned) - powered by a simple DC setup... A LGB 198983 Controller powered by a LGB L51090 18v 365w PSU

Everything is working.... but its a bit pants. The controller has speed settings range 0-4, however the engine lights only really illuminates at setting 2 and the engine only starts moving at 2.5. Giving a limited 2.5 - 4 range for actual movement!

When I stick the multimeter on the controller output, it is giving only 6v at speed setting 2 and 16v at setting 4.... Testing the PSU directly shows the full 18v.

I have whipped the bottom plate off the engine and checked the pickups and the wheel bushes... all seem to have loads of life and nothing seems amiss.

Question... Am I supposed to see movement on my engine below 6v? If not, is the LGB Controller supposed to limiting the 0-2 speed settings to under 6v? (basically I am trying to work out if this is just a rubbish controller or if I have a engine issue)
 
Welcome to the Forum..

Do you have a model number for the loco?

This could be as simple as the loco has a DCC decoder in it..

A pure analogue loco should start moving at 2-3V but a DCC loco requires 5-6V to 'wake-up' the electronics, before it will do anything.

PhilP
 
Welcome to the forum. In this case a picture is worth a thousand words, but it seems that you haven't enough volts
 
Thanks for the info about the controller. If it is normal for a DC engine to only move at several volts then why does LGB make DC controllers that has half of the scale under 6 volts and therefore unuseable, it seems a very odd thing to do.
 
flibberflops said:
Thanks for the info about the controller. If it is normal for a DC engine to only move at several volts then why does LGB make DC controllers that has half of the scale under 6 volts and therefore unuseable, it seems a very odd thing to do.
Click to expand...
Purely analogue (no decoder) engines would be using the first half of the scale.
 
flibberflops said:
Thanks for the info about the controller. If it is normal for a DC engine to only move at several volts then why does LGB make DC controllers that has half of the scale under 6 volts and therefore unuseable, it seems a very odd thing to do.
Click to expand...
Early LGB was not DCC thus old controllers unlikely to have enough oompf. With no chip in a loco could easily burn out a motor with too many volts and amps. A DCC controller would be the way to go, expensive I know but second hand LGB DCC controllers still quite usable.
 
flibberflops said:
why does LGB make DC controllers that has half of the scale under 6 volts and therefore unuseable, it seems a very odd thing to do.
Click to expand...

That 198983 controller is one if the very basic plug-and-play "train set" models with a 1 amp rating. It is designed to cope with a simple DC only locomotive that has a single motor and perhaps having a few lighted carriages. It does not matter what transformer you connect it to, it will only ever deliver a maximum of 1 amp of energy to the track.

If you want to run locos with higher power draws and/or MTS, like your 20761, it will not do a good job.

IMG_1577.jpeg
 
I find 16 volts too low for many large (G) scale engines. OK for Steam, but not good for high speed diesels. Also 1 amp can run a pair of LGB single motor engines, but one must reawd the power ratings carefully. Many power sources are rated in VA plus have a max output of over 20 volts, but the VA is voltage times current thus a 20 volt supply at 15 va is really 15 volts at 1 amp but at 20 volts less than 3/4 on an amp. 3/4 of 20 is 15!!
 
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