Phasing

"Useless" ?

 

You can always get A-C supplies to be in phase. Generally, it takes simply reversing the input leads.

 

It might take (at a maximum) cutting and reversing two wires. Since I am not familiar with these supplies, in terms of their mechanical layout, please answer this:

 

What method did you try with the ones that you say you cannot get in phase?

 

Can you post a photo of a typical powerhouse? Do they come with grounded (3-prong) plugs?  Is the output on binding posts or a plug (male) or connector (female) ?

If you do a search here there are some good ways to test to see if transformers in phase and how to correct if not. 

If your powerhouses are new the chances are pretty good they will be all in phase. The 3rd powerhouse can easily be put in phase with the other 2 by changing the wires around on the input or output of the powerhouse. You can change the input side by putting a new plug on it and change the wiring to the opposite it is now or grind the polarizing tab off the existing plug and turn it around in the socket. To change the output side it is possible to get the insides out of the Molex connector and put them in there opposite sides or buy a new connector and wire it up. You could also buy a male and female Molex connector and make a polarity change adaptor and just plug it in between the transformer and the track. Any one of these will be considerably less than 10.00 and can be done in 10 minutes or less.

Ron

Jeff, good point. I am just trying to get my head around what specific method he used to come up disappointed.  It's just AC in, and AC out. It shouldn't be a show-stopper, unless there's a grounded plug involved (makes reversing the input difficult) or a proprietary output connector involved (might make a person reluctant to do surgery).

 

I have heard that there were some brands of power supplies that were wired with changed polarity halfway through a production run. Maybe that's what's going on here.

 

While Lionel's solution is to provide a phase adapter to the secondary side, the right way is to switch the leads to the primary at the brick end of the cord(inside the case)... but this will void any warranty or UL compliance if you are so inclined to do it that way.

 

My recommended solution is to just use a rubber/soft plastic grounded-plug(three prong) to ungrounded outlet(two prong) adapter and turn the plug the "wrong" way into the adapter.

 

 

The PowerMasters have both a polarized wall plug and a (semi)proprietary output connector.

None of my power houses have a ground on the plug, the 2 power houses that phased have the molex connectors removed. I have the wire that is ribbed going to the U post of the tpc's. Maybe need to do the 3rd transformer in reverse

None of my power houses have a ground on the plug, the 2 power houses that phased have the molex connectors removed. I have the wire that is ribbed going to the U post of the tpc's. Maybe need to do the 3rd transformer in reverse

Before you start putting wires in reverse, and doing things that might "release the magic smoke" I would do a phasing test, as described on many occasions on this and other forums.  Do you own a volt-ohmmeter?

 

Yes I have a meter, I checked the potential difference of my good set of powerhouses and I got 0vac on the same polarity and 18.7vac opposit polarity. Now when grabbed my 3rd powerhouse I got 27vac on the same polarity 41vac on the opposit polarity with powerhouse 1&2. What has me scratching my head is I ran all 3 of my power blocks for 6 years on the same track with out any issues....

try again

Ceylon Tech Support

I don't get it, some things can't be explained.... I reversed my ac plug  on my troubled 3rd powerhouse and WHAM I have 3 powerhouses in phase!!!! How can I run

all 3 powerhouses for 6 years with no issues, until now. Thanks guys for helping me, I could of spent some money for a new 180 transformer when it was an easy fix :-)

Run the trains around my layout 3 phased transformers for about 10 min, it was great . Then I heard a crack, my 3 rd powerhouse burnt up one of my good powerhouses, I'm down to one transformer now:-(

Are you wiring all 3 powerhouses together to the same Loop? Did you measure the output of each powerhouse? Did you do the phase test suggested above? I can't imagine one powerhouse burning up another unless they weren't phased or the output of one was way higher than the other ones.

Ron

If you are an electrician by occupation, how conme you are asking this question?

"Now when grabbed my 3rd powerhouse I got 27vac on the same polarity 41vac on the opposit polarity"

 

That should have been your first and final clue that something was amiss with that

supply.

 

As to why everything WAS in phase, and now they are not, maybe you had the plug in a receptical fed by a different mains phase leg.

 

Charlie you are being a a-hole, keep your remarks to yourself!!!

After switch polarity on the 110v plug for 3 rd powerhouse I had less then 2 vac difference in the common phases. I have one transformer for tcp and 2 transformers on the second tpc. The tpc with 2 powerhouse is for mainline, I was running 17.6 vac for that 10 min on the mainline, 17.1 in my rail yard . I assumed that my issue was fixed. But we all know what they say about assuming..

Did you check the serial numbers against those in my previous posting?

No