Gents
I have an MTH (early) Z 750 controller and its mate - a 24 VOLT transformer. See pics.
If I use the controller on a newer MTH brick I only get 9.5 Volts from it.
If I use the 24 VOLT transformer with the controller it came with I show 12.5 at full throttle which runs a basic train well.
Is it possible that this pair is paired so that despite the brick being 24 VOLTS, the controller will only put out half at 12.5?
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A couple of thoughts. It's likely your meter is not a True RMS voltage meter. Since you didn't mention it, I'm also guessing you're not measuring the controller output voltage with any significant electrical load on it, other than a high impedance meter. Some sort of load (like an incandescent bulb in parallel with the meter) will make the measured AC voltage out of the controller read higher on your meter.
A word of caution with this 24V brick is that it exceeds the recommended 19 volts Lionel recommends for LionChief and it's other command controlled locomotives.
With these considerations in mind, this Topic may help you understand these mysteries a bit better.
Chopped wave transformers: How much voltage is really going to your engines electronics?
Thanks Steve for your response.
I did have an engine moving slowly on the track while I took readings.
What I have not seen before is this MTH set up where they used a Z controller 750 paired with a 24 VOLT brick. This Z controller does not behave like the two I already have. It only puts out about half the voltage (at full throttle) when paired with one of my newer MTH bricks. When the 24 VOLT brick is paired with it's mate, they run a basic train fine (no electronics). I was wondering if the controller was somehow "governed" inside to put out only the 12.5 volts regardless of the 24 VOLT brick.
Any idea why MTH produced this arrangement?
As you mentioned, 24 VOLTS is too much voltage for our O guage trains.
Thanks Dave
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