Using ZW-L with MTH DCS & Legacy and want to limit max voltage to tracks - Answered, full handles won't fry engines

The ZW-L can't go above 18 volts AC. That's no problem for either DCS or TMCC / Legacy equipment.

GregR posted:

The ZW-L can't go above 18 volts AC. That's no problem for either DCS or TMCC / Legacy equipment.

The handle shows a setting of up to 20.  Is that a misnomer?  I hope you can't go above 18 as that would allay my fears of frying 4 or 5 engines sitting on the layout.

Even if it went up to 20 volts nothing should be harmed. 

Lou1985 posted:

Even if it went up to 20 volts nothing should be harmed. 

Thanks Lou.  I am very much comforted.  There are other post about legacy and higher voltage.  That was the genesis of the question.

TMCC/Legacy manuals quote a maximum of 19VAC.  I suspect 20 VAC probably wouldn't be too risky, though I don't see any reason to exceed 18 VAC that I get out of my bricks.

The ZW-L handles are incorrect. Or might be better to say not exact. The volt meter on the transformer is tho. And it will NOT go above 18VAC. That meter is small but the only other way is to have a True RMS meter to confirm the 18VAC. A non RMS meter usually reads around 16.5VAC 

Bryant Dunivan 111417 posted:

Here is my current set-up.  Handles on ZW-L are set for 17 volts.  My concern is that if a person bumped the handle to a higher voltage, what keeps the higher voltage from effecting my locomotives.  If this is a problem, what would be the best route for limiting the voltage at 18 VAC max.

I think I am in good shape.

Bottom Line, Grandkids or gremlins turn handles all the way full.  No harm, no foul.  It won't fry the engines on the tracks.

I believe the problem could occur for those who have a Z4000 connected

Correct, the Z4000 can exceed the Legacy 19V maximum rating.

Anyone find a way to block a Z-4000 from going over 19 V?

ogaugenut posted:

Anyone find a way to block a Z-4000 from going over 19 V?

In our club we have put some resistors on the transformer outputs to keep the max voltage down for stuff kinds can run. We also have Lowered the incoming voltage to postwar transformers to do the same thing. Don’t think that’d be good for a Z4000 though. 

It would be an internal mod, you could add a resistor in series with the voltage pots to lower the max voltage.