How to connect DCS Explorer to Lionel Fastrack

You just plug the Z500 power supply into the DCS Explorer input.   Then red and black wires to the track from the output jacks on the Explorer.   You don't need the GW180.   The Z500 will provide the 18volts to the track through the DCS Explorer.

Instead of ditching the gw180, couldn't I use the barrel adapter MTH makes to hook it up to the terminals on the gw180. I feel the gw180 is a better power supply then the z500.

The GW180 outputs too much current for the Explorer.   The Explorer has a 5amp input limit.    The GW180 with 10amp output, might blow the Explorers fuse.

If I used the z500, could I still run the Lionchiefs on my layout with the MTH loco?

@Mike McCutcheon posted:

The GW180 outputs too much current for the Explorer.   The Explorer has a 5amp input limit.    The GW180 with 10amp output, might blow the Explorers fuse.

Mike,

Not the way it works.  Things don't push current, they pull it.  The DCS Explorer has a 5 amp output limit (not input).

The GW180 is overkill but having an excess won't hurt anything.  It can indeed supply more on input to the DCS Explorer than will ever take in normal operation.

It won't do so however unless the DCS Explorer fails, and tries to pull more than the 5 amps max it would usually pull.  If that happens the circuit breaker inside the GW180 opens and saves the day.

Mike

The gw180 is powering 2 lines and over hundred feet of track and 4 sidings. If I added the z500 to the track to power the DCS Explorer would that work or is that to much power supply to the tracks?

https://ogrforum.com/...c/mth-dcs-explorer-2

https://ogrforum.com/...ionel-legacy-control

There's info in these past threads on using additional track power supply.   

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

Mike,

Not the way it works.  Things don't push current, they pull it.  The DCS Explorer has a 5 amp output limit (not input).

The GW180 is overkill but having an excess won't hurt anything.  It can indeed supply more on input to the DCS Explorer than will ever take in normal operation.

It won't do so however unless the DCS Explorer fails, and tries to pull more than the 5 amps max it would usually pull.  If that happens the circuit breaker inside the GW180 opens and saves the day.

Mike

I was just going by this info:

https://ogrforum.com/...out-mth-dcs-explorer

I may have interpreted it wrong?

https://youtu.be/oUaJCwWBmek this is the resource I found but he doesn't specify what power supply to use with the adapter for hooking up a supply with terminals. @ 5:30 he indicates what I'm talking about.

Actually, the DCS Explorer has a max input of 6 Amps.

@Mike McCutcheon posted:

I was just going by this info:

https://ogrforum.com/...out-mth-dcs-explorer

I may have interpreted it wrong?

No, I think that you and I have both interpreted the late @Barry Broskowitz's comments identically.  Many of us here miss him dearly.

The problem is that his response was wrong, which was a very rare occurrence with him.  I don't think I've ever disagreed with him on technical facts like this, but in this case I must.

To reiterate, and coming at it from a slightly different direction, the DCS Explorer will only pull 6 Amps max from the source when it's in normal operation.  If the source is capable of supplying more than this any excess is never used.  The conclusion is that here is no safety issue in normal operation.

The excess capabilities of the source do become important however in the situation where a DCS Explorer fails and short-circuits the source.  In this case much more than 6 Amps could be pulled from the source.  Fortunately the GW-180 it is fitted with a very nice overcurrent protection system in its PH-180 power brick, which will open the circuit and quickly stop the excessive current flow cause by the short.

Just make sure that the wire from the GW-180 to the DCS Explorer is fat enough so that it won't overheat when carrying that 6 Amps max that could be pulled from it by the DCS Explorer in normal operation.  I'm going to be conservative and say 16 Gauge at a minimum.

Everything else will take care of itself if you use correctly sized wire.

Mike

@Dylan the Train Man posted:

Actually, the DCS Explorer has a max input of 6 Amps.

Agreed, but for the sake of extreme clarity I would phrase it this way:

  The DCS Explorer will draw a maximum of 6 Amps in normal operation.

Remember it's pull by the DCS Explorer, not push by the power supply.

Mike

Thank you for the clarification. It was a must. I think the only thing not clearly answered is would I be able to run the Lionchiefs with an MTH engine running off of the explorer. I've searched the forums and actually came across both yes and no answers so was just wanting to bring it back up since the explorer has been out for a while and see what other are doing it what they've seen.

My two cents on this and it is purely my two cents. I was in a similar situation with my now dead DCS. So another direction you could move in is get a TIU and a WIU and scrap the DCS on eBay and use the z500 for lights and accessories. Maybe plug that other gw -180 in the TIU and now you can have some room for your layout to grow maybe? But please someone fact check what I just said to make sure.