Upgrading to electrocouplers - important considerations?

Protocouplers and Electrocouplers are interchangeable. Including mounts. The Lionel Electrocoupler has a louder solenoid, FWIW. Not important, just is.

I upgraded a Lionel 0-4-0 to Cruise Commander and remote couplers; one coupler is MTH, the other Lionel.

Thanks D500!

PS/2 and PS/3 electrocouplers are NOT interchangable with Lionel or PS/1 couplers.  Lionel (Atlas, K-Line, 3rd Rail, etc.) and the older MTH PS/1 couplers are all compatible with the Cruise Commander, or any R2LC or R4LC equipped locomotive. 

The PS2 and PS/3 couplers have a much lower impedance and are designed for more current at lower voltages.  They may work for a time with TMCC, but it's likely your coupler triac croaks at some point.

Thanks, John!

John, is there a way to tell the difference between MTH proto couplers?  I have a few but don't know if there PS-1 or PS-2.

yes I believe the resistance is different just like the speaker is 16 ohms.on ps1 and ps 2 3 volt is 4 ohms where as ps 2 5 volt is 16 ohm. the difference In the coupler coil will also be different but I don't know with out measuring with a ohm meter!

Alan 

Any coupler that measures between 6-8 ohms will work. That includes post war coil couplers. PS1 couplers fall in that range.

Pete

As mentioned, the resistance of PS2/3 couplers is in the 2-3 ohm range, the PS1 and TMCC couplers range from around 6 to 8 ohms. 

What is the current draw for the couplers?

What voltage should I use to drive the couplers?

Normally, with an electrocoupler, the electronic package is supplying the drive, what are you installing it in?

I want to drive the couplers from a DCC decoder.  If I know what current and voltage, I will know what I will need to do to use a DCC decoder.

Well, the Lionel or PS/1 couplers will operate on from 12 to 18 VAC, and the electronics pulses them for around 1/4 second.  The PS2/3 couplers will operate on 6V for the same time period and draw about an amp.

I have an older set of PS 2 F-3's they came with couplers on the back of both A units that are fixed and two different sizes in height.  I am guessing these were produced before proto couplers were on both ends.  I have a boat load of PS 1 couplers and I am not concerned with them functioning it's just that the original fixed couplers look odd.  Does anyone know if I am able to mount PS 1 couplers on the rear of these?

You'll have to look at the mounts.  Many of the units that come in A-A or A-B-A sets have fixed couplers on the rear.

I will give a look, thanks.

Has Anyone really tested PS-2 couplers against TMCC Triac?  It is a short pulse.  I do not see why it would not survive long term.  You could always add a resistor to the line if you did want to limit current draw.

The more important factor in my mind is form of the coupler.  There are long and short ones plus when you get to Lionel and Atlas and brass, they have many different mounting shapes and positions.  Many times that is the harder issue to resolve.  MTH only has 2 basic couplers.  51mm and 44.5mm.  Shape is same. 

If converting to PS-2 or 3, the Lionel couplers and PS-1 do not work.  The resistance is too high for the electronic pulse PS-2/3 puts out.  G

I have replaced the coupler triac on two upgrades that were done leaving the PS/2 couplers.  I also replaced the couplers with the correct type. Perhaps a limited example, but after the second example, I decided that I'd simply use the correct coupler and avoid any future incidents.

As you note, the Lionel couplers don't work with PS2/3, I actually added a relay to an Atlas diesel installation to switch track power when the PS/2 coupler pulse tripped it as the coupler was "unique", and there was certainly no compatible MTH coupler.