What is the minimum DC voltage that the Lion Chief + needs to operate with remote control couplers?
I would like to operate off of batteries.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Hi Frank, when I converted some Lionel locos to battery, like the U30C w/TMCC the throttle outputs 12v DC to trip the couplers. If you need more info please contact me off line.
Don
I've never tested the LC+ engines with varied DC power, but did do extensive testing with AC. If you need an answer and no one else is able to do so, I can do some tests in a day or two. I can't find the data right now, but from memory I think the couplers on my LC+ NW2 needed at least 13VAC on the track to fire reliably. I can do some guessing, based on the way the power supply works in that engine that it would need about 18VDC to have the same amount of power supplied to the electro couplers, which seems like a lot to me. In general you need 1.4141 times higher DC voltage to do the same job as an AC supply, as the LC engines run internally on DC and the internal power supply generates 1.4141 times higher DC voltage than the AC RMS input.
JGL
