Lionel 180 watt question am just curious

Mines just shy of 18v, 17.8.

that isn't what I get shows 24.7 on my meter wonder why??

 

$oo

Extra voltage at the 110 outlet?

I have a ZW-C with 180's. I get 17.9 with a Thomas remote and a Legacy GP38-2. No lighted cars. True RMS Fluke meter from the rails.

Is it a true RMS meter? That would account for higher readings if it is not. Math is in an older thread in electrical forum.

Actually, for the PH180 brick, you shouldn't need a true-RMS meter, though it can't hurt.  I get the same reading within a couple of 10ths with a standard meter and my bench true-RMS meter.  It's a pure sine wave transformer, so any half decent AC meter should read pretty close to the real voltage.

@gunrunnerjohn,

Interesting. I thought Lionel was big on the chopped wave and MTH on the pure wave?

so far nobody seems concerned about my high reading so will rest easy I have to say the meter is 15 years young or more! I think it is it is a digital readout. 

 

thanks for the information all.

 

$oo

The PH180 is just a transformer with a nice electronic circuit breaker circuit.  It's output is a pure sine wave.

 

Sorry, got 18.77 at the plug, no load. 24.7 is too high. So, something may be wrong. They are 20v max design.

Call Lionel service and see what they have to say about the high voltage.

586-949-4100.

I'd check the meter first.  Since the PH180 is a simple AC transformer, it's hard to imagine that it's capable of putting out 20-30% excess voltage!  Here's the schematic, if you note you will see the transformer goes directly to the outputs, interrupted only by the circuit breaker relay.  The other coil is the current sense that triggers the relay to interrupt the power on an overload.

 

There's no way I can see that this transformer can put out excess voltage without getting excess voltage on the inputs.

 

 

So, as F & G RY and gunrunnerjohn have posted, take your meter and test the voltage at the outlet that you have the PH180 plugged in to.

What is that voltage?

Yes Soo you'll want to test the voltage at the outlet. Years ago I had an overvoltage problem that I didn't pick up on until the fridge burned up. After a couple of light bulbs and the fridge I checked the lines coming into the house and had 142 volts on one and 146 volts on the other. I called the power company and they came out and checked the transformer and said it was OK; but we'll change it anyway. After the change voltage was OK but because they said the transformer was OK they wouldn't replace the fridge. No problems since.

Ron

The power company has regulators on the main line. Sometimes one will stick and cause problems.

  If you line voltage is 10% high your brick output will be 10% high.

  In our area the power company normally maintains the voltage between 115 and 126 vac . Typically it is between 116 and 120.

  I have seen it as low as 46 and as high as 150!  In both cases there was a definite problem.  Don

If you have voltage higher then 130 volts, your power company has a major problem, or you have a floating neutral (more common).  In either case, that's not the transformer's fault, and you should remedy the root cause of the problem.

 

I've had a floating neutral here once, and I've helped several other folks recover from the damage done when that happens.  One guy had 175 volts on one leg and only around 60 volts on the other leg due to a large imbalance in his 110 volt loads.  Lots of damage to many things, all his computers, most of his answering machines, wireless phones, etc.   

 

Mine went to 145 volts and 95 volts here, just a couple of light bulbs dead before I caught it.

 

My power here runs around 125 volts on a leg.  As I have 400A service, I'm the only one on the transformer, kinda' a direct pipeline from the 33kv feed.

 

sorry for not chiming sooner life gets in the way of hobby sometimes!

 

I went to recepticles at layout for power strips that feed all transformers and command base units and so on at the switched recpticale meter says 154 volts no load.

checked other recpticales on know separate circuits and they vary from 151 to 155 volts.

 

I checked the 180 brick voltage again using the power strip it is normally connected to reads 23 volts tried another power strip one of those multi plug strips from home depot and reading is same 23 volts output from the 180 brick.

 

I have a 200 amp service can anything within it be the root cause? if so guess will call my grandson as he is an electrician and good at it. now both the home depot and the swiched power for layout power strips and there are 2 of them share a double circuit breaker so they share the nuetral-commom white wire with separate hot wires. but seeing rest of house has high readings am thinking a power company issue?

 

what do you think?

 

$oo

If you're getting 150-155 volts at the outlets with a good meter, CALL AN ELECTRICIAN!

 

Top suspect would be a floating neutral, have you tested the voltage on outlets on both sides of the 230 volt lines from the service entrance breaker panel?  I'm betting you'll find the other leg is around 100 volts or less.

 

If there are no low voltages, I recommend you call the power company RIGHT NOW!  You will be losing a lot of equipment at those voltages!

 

I'll get hold of grandson today. but have to say been like this awhile as 6 months ago I put in a ceiling fan using a switch that only uses 1 hot wire to run both fan and the fan light separately must have an inner function. anyway at the time I thought why do I have 150 volts instead of 115-120 so this has been around for? so far no trouble am lucky me thinks!!

 

$oo

You're living on borrowed time!  I can't believe that any light bulb you've burned for more than about an hour is still alive!  This kind of voltage is also VERY hard on most electronics!  I lose standard light bulbs regularly here at 125 volts, so I've taken to buying the more expensive 130V rated ones.  150 volts is NOT normal for any part of the country, that's way out of spec!

Did some quick internet searching, as john said

: CALL THE POWER COMPANY NOW!

Grandson swinging by after work today he has all the latest electronic devices so should at least have an idea what it is my side or there's as no low voltages I found and are pretty much the same receptacle to receptacle. 
$oo

Okay all my grandson was here with his fluke meter tested both hot to common and ground in same receptacles I had checked shows 119-120 volts so he is going to give me his old meter he used until the company he works for bought him a fluke meter said he needed it with the way newer tech items coming online in the electrical world. So my meter was the culprit all along so rest easy all.

 he did explain the newer plugs used now with a wide blade on one side and as I thought a regular house lamp could care less aimed at the electronics with diodes and all the things that frankly wiz right past me.

 

I appreciate all your concerns and help and my am I the lucky one no electrical issues and am sure a not so cheap meter for free a win win.

 

have a great day all me I am going to run some trains tonight!

 

$oo

 

That's excellent news, I couldn't imagine you wouldn't have all sorts of toasted equipment if the voltage was really that high.