System: MTH DCS full command with 2 handheld remotes.Power: Z1000 to fixed 1,another Z1000 to fixed 2. TIU powered via aux in Z500.
Building an interface to my TIU that will include 4 channel fuse block(AGC glass) and toggle switches for each channel. I would like to integrate an ammeter per channel. An ammeter voltmeter combo would also nice. All of this will be mounted in an appropriate project box with all banana input and output jacks. Any suggestions on panel meters i could use?
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If you find any, please them post here!! Especially the combo meters. I have been wanting to convert mine from analog to digital.
However, the digital AC meters are becoming hard to find in ranges for our train usage. There may be some still around on ebay, but most listed now are DC. A few years ago ebay was full of AC meters, but I have never seen a combo AC digital meter. Had I known I would have stocked up!
The PSX-ACs are a very good breaker if you get tired of replacing fuses. They also have a lot of neat options like on/off, no power/power LEDs, alarms, etc.
There are still plenty of analog meters out there. They are bigger, but inexpensive and readily available.
Well I'm guessing you want a specific model. There are many out there. Pic AC or DC and the range you need.
I installed a DC one into my Bridgewerks pack.
http://www.gscaletrainforum.co...rs-in-the-power-mag/
I see many on most electric supply pages.
http://www.mpja.com/Digital-Panel-Meters/products/52/
http://www.digikey.com/product...id=0&pageSize=25
http://www.allelectronics.com/.../meters-panel/1.html
etc.
Engineer-Joe posted:Well I'm guessing you want a specific model. There are many out there. Pic AC or DC and the range you need.
I installed a DC one into my Bridgewerks pack.
http://www.gscaletrainforum.co...rs-in-the-power-mag/
I see many on most electric supply pages.
http://www.mpja.com/Digital-Panel-Meters/products/52/
http://www.digikey.com/product...id=0&pageSize=25
http://www.allelectronics.com/.../meters-panel/1.html
etc.
Thanks EJ....what a valuable source ...i mean sources
RTR12...check out Joe's sources.
I could not find crap on ebay except this one...but the ranges too high.
I will check E-J's links, but I am betting the ranges are not what we need for our trains. I hope I am wrong. The Marlin Jones site is new to me, so maybe there is hope?
What I would really like is the one that does volts, amps, watts and all that other stuff (whatever that might be). Nifty Gadgets to play with!!
rtr12 posted:I will check E-J's links, but I am betting the ranges are not what we need for our trains. I hope I am wrong. The Marlin Jones site is new to me, so maybe there is hope?
What I would really like is the one that does volts, amps, watts and all that other stuff (whatever that might be). Nifty Gadgets to play with!!
I called MJones and they don't have anything
Its the 18vac or low voltage ac issue.
The hunt is on
I think these from rayman might work but any links go empty.
That has been my findings the last year or two. For some reason the ones in our ranges have almost all disappeared.
I got some 0-20 vac and 0-200 vac digital meters about 3 years ago, they had amp meters back then as well. I should have stocked up, but had no idea they would ever become so scarce.
Now if you want DC, those are everywhere.
Might have to go analog with some nice back light
Ray wrote those pages many years ago and the links aren't current any more. Even if they were, the meters are for DC.
The links I provided are current I believe?
I look over them and get some suggestions.
Engineer-Joe posted:Ray wrote those pages many years ago and the links aren't current any more. Even if they were, the meters are for DC.
The links I provided are current I believe?
I look over them and get some suggestions.
Pun intended
...sorry...but not really
Yeah, I guess it is tough! I keep finding wrong combinations. I guess finding DC ones is easier?
Yes, they seem to have everything in DC, just no AC below like 80 vac or something like that. There was lots of AC in lower voltages a couple of years ago. I haven't yet looked at all of your links, I'm still hoping.
You may want to check in Barry's DCS book - the ammeter my interfere with the DCS signal.
The analog meter sets are the low hanging fruit. Most of the digital ammeters need a 12 volt power source to operate - even if you find one in a low enough range.
I just check the rails with my multi-meter or use a clamp meter if I get curious. I gave up on it.
I have this brand (HUA) only it was a different seller from about 3 years ago. Ebay # 131760314582. They look identical to mine. I have the same for voltage meters only in 0-30 vac range. They also had one listed for less than $5 with free shipping from another seller.
Moonman may have a point about the DCS signal? I have my meters (both volt and amp) on the inputs to the TIU and not the outputs, FWIW.
rtr12 posted:I have this brand (HUA) only it was a different seller from about 3 years ago. Ebay # 131760314582. They look identical to mine. I have the same for voltage meters only in 0-30 vac range. They also had one listed for less than $5 with free shipping from another seller.
Moonman may have a point about the DCS signal? I have my meters (both volt and amp) on the inputs to the TIU and not the outputs, FWIW.
Makes sense..meters before DCS signal processing.
FWIW, it probably doesn't matter, but mine were the model 85L1. They look slightly different, but probably same specs? Looks like your seller has a little better feedback as well.
willygee posted:
The voltage doesn't matter for the ammeter, it'll work fine.
Hey Guys,
Here is a meter that is an all in one package. I saw these and bought some many years ago at York. Check out the other products they sell and you might be surprised. Great circuit protection for AC power is also listed in their product selection.
http://www.dccspecialties.com/index.html
Hmm... They start at $70 for the stripped model, pretty spendy for something that should cost a fraction of that.
I wonder how well this would work using a 110 power source. Would amps be accurate?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Q...d:g:ViYAAOSwiYFXDz3n
Amp readings are not voltage dependent, it will work fine on 110V readings.
The voltage reading, OTOH, won't work.
gunrunnerjohn posted:Amp readings are not voltage dependent, it will work fine on 110V readings.
The voltage reading, OTOH, won't work.
I wonder if the inductor ring would interfere w/DCS signal?
Willygee, How high of voltage to you use on your layout? This meter will read voltages up to 27.6 volts and the meter is true RMS within 2% accuracy.
Jim
Z1000 voltage...18 give or take Vac.
Willy Gee,
Bill this looks like a pretty good Volt Reader, however will it interfere with your DCS signal in any way? You would be seeing up another piece of electrical monitoring equipment between the TIU and your track.
PCRR/Dave
Dave..i'm after volt/amps..the above meter looks too good to be true.Waiting for the pundits to approve
I don't see any issue with this. As far as it causing issues with DCS, just put it in the power before the TIU, problem solved.
Give Tony's Train Exchange a call about the DCCSpecialties RRAmpMeter. Very knowledgeable folks there and they also sell them. It's expensive, but also TRMS and may be the only thing left that measures our train power with a digital reading? I looked at these a long time ago and decided the price was too high, but I may be persuaded to try one out one of these days. Some of the DCCSpecialties stuff (mostly for DCC) is pretty interesting, like the PXS-ACs.
Dumb question #237, how do they limit the low end of the voltage reading to 80 or 100 vac? Why don't they just let it go down to zero? We would be in business if they did? Probably too difficult to modify the existing meters to go down to 0?
So, its been a year since the last post. Has anyone found a reasonably priced volt/amp display that will work with our trains?
I have not found anything. Maybe someone else will post a find?
Still no RRAmpmeter either. I'm sure the price is probably justified for all the engineering/design/development/marketing etc. and also a small demand for the product, but I am still holding out for something less costly, as in the real cheap ebay types...
I think you dream the impossible dream. In order to actually truly measure a non-linear waveform, you'll need to spend some money. 
U mmmmm....I may not be the cheapest person on this list, but I am a pretty careful shopper. If this was on my list to buy, I'd consider just hard-wiring in a cheapo hand-held multimeter. $15. https://www.circuitspecialists...ital_multimeter.html The real disadvantage here is that the cheap meters seem to all be limited to 10A AC current--not good.
Don
No good, that's not a true-RMS meter.
I'd be happy if we could just get the same old AC digital meters like were used in your voltage cars. I never got any digital amp meters, but same type for those would be fine too. The only good thing about the RRampmeters, they are both volts, amps and TRMS, but I really don't need the TRMS part for my track voltage as it's all command control.
OTOH, I would still like to get an RRampmeter just to fiddle with. One more gadget to play with is always nice to have!
I think I have a drawer full of those free Harbor Freight meters, maybe they could be modified for use on the layout? Kind of an ugly display though...
gunrunnerjohn posted:No good, that's not a true-RMS meter.
John, I've always used TRMS meters. Would using a cheap meter like the one listed above give a less than accurate reading when measuring only the amperage on chopped wave power?
Also, if the amperage reading is taken between the Z1000 and the TIU, the output should be a pure sine wave. Would you still need a TRMS meter or could this cheapy do an acceptable job?
I have one of those voltage cars and it reads higher voltage on chopped wave power. It's a nice novelty item.
Measuring amperage or voltage is the same issue with a cheap meter. The current is converted to a voltage in the meter for the actual measurement, and you are subject to the same measurement errors.
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