I know many people use different sources of power to run their z trains. I have heard of people using a 9 volt battery and a device called a Jorger speed controller. I know some people use the standard marklin power pack. I am using the MRC railpower 1300 with the sticker to keep you from overloading the loco's. I also use a gaugemaster, which is an electronic track cleaner. This works well for me and gives me good slow speed controll with a minimum amount of stalling. Now, I have tried the marklin power supply from the trainset but I don't like it. I don't get the same slow speed controll, even with the gaugemaster applied. So I know what works for me, but what about you guys? What do you use? I am really curious about the battery thing with a jorger speed controll. Does anybody here use one? How does it compare to a power pack? All replies are welcome as I hope this can inform people about the choices available. Thanks!
I'll chime in on what I have heard/been told. If anybody knows better, feel free to correct my statements. The regular tech 2 and tech 4's work fine, unless you have pulse power. I have been told to stay away from pulse power on Z equipment as it is hard on the motors, so I am not going to try and use it. I have a tech 4 and a tech 2 for my N scale layout both of which do not have pulse power, and have used it for Z with no problems. What you need to be aware of is the volts. Becasue I wanted to make absolutley sure I was not running to many volts, I purchased the MRC railpower 1300 from micro-trains. Basically the power pack is notched so you know where to stop. On the pack it says stop at 8 volts for marklin, and 10 volts for micro-trains locos. The fact of the matter is, that in order to reach 8 volts, your trians would be running very very fast! Scince most of us strive for speeds a little closer to reality, I wouldn't think that a person would be pumping out too many volts with a tech 2 or 4, unless you like to have the trains run really really fast.
Yes, any one will work, but Marklin locomotives are rated at 8 volts max, and Microtrains are rated at 10 volts max. The modified MRC 1300 pack has a mechanical stop inside to limit voltage to 10 volts, and has a sticker on the faceplate showing where the maximum voltage for Marklin and Microtrains locos is. The smaller the motor, the finer the winding wire inside, thus the lower voltages. I have an MRC 1300, and I have an NCE DCC with the track voltage set to 9 volts, which is as low as it will go on the power boster trimmer.
There are a couple of pionts here. The MRC 1300 is a good pack. Also, Märklin makes Z scale specific power packs. It is important not to exceed 10volts. (note the new Marklin power packs are 10volt). This increased with the 5 pole motos from Marklin. Another concern is pulse power. Some Z locos do not like pulse. Micro-Trains acutally includes the warning on their loco inserts. Z will run on a 9 volt battery. The Jörger controllers (deluxe) are very good. If you go the route of the Marklin 9volt battery controller, Jorger also offers an upgrade to incorporate speed control on the battery controller. This is because the first versions only had two setting, super fast and stopped. Rob Kluz
So the Jorger speed controll basically gives the same speed range as the MRC 1300? Or does it give better slow speed controll? I know it is probably way too subjective to compare the two because everyones' loco's, track, and set up are different. I was just curious from a comparison standpoint. So the advantage of a Jorger would be portablility with your layout, not needing an outlet and all, verses the standard power packs I take it? Thanks for the input so far!
I think you can go with either a Battery Pack Jörger, or use a wall wart and the breifcase style Jörger. It is a nice looking little unit, but I have not tried one yet. I think I might like a Battery pack unit for convienence.
I use a Railpower 1200 that has been modified to run with Marklin and Microtrains engines. I believe it is built by MRC. I don't know who modified it but it was sold as a Z scale power pack back in the late 1980's by Cabbose Hobbies in Denver.
For the last year or so I've been using both a Gaugemaster Model HH and a TRAX handheld controller (both from England). Both of these units employ Back EMF circuitry. They both require an AC input, I use a 9V AC wall wart for this. The perfomance of both units is very, very similar. Great slow speed control. So far these units are my favorites. John http://www.ztrains.com
While the MRC 1300 is OK, avoid the MRC1370 at all costs. A manufacturing defect on the MRC1370 results in full wave power at all speed settings, unlike the MRC 1300 with correct half wave output at low throttle settings. Don't bother to ask MRC about this, they refuse to discuss this issue.
Hi Glen, Welcome to Trainboard! Thanks for the good info on the 1370, as we don't want to burn out our motors. I also want to thank you for providing Wheel Wipers in our goody bags at the Z Convention! I'm looking forward to installing mine. I have heard nothing but praise towards their performance. -Robert
Thanks for the info Glen! It is good to see someone with your knowledge on the trainboard! Scince I first posted this topic I pretty much use my tech 2 with the gaugemaster and my trains run very well. Any comparisons to a Jorger speed conroller would be appreciated as I am not able to find anyone that used both and can compare the two.
The Jorger uses square pulses (fast voltage pulse rise and fall as viewed on an oscilloscope) for maximum motor torque at low speed. Works great! AC-outlet-power-operated MRC power packs use 'sinusoid' pulses (gradual voltage rise and fall over a time period of 8 thousandth of a second based on the 60 Hz AC waveform) that work OK too. But here's the problem: I have MRC Tech2 1400, Tech2 1440, and Tech2 2800. They all have half-wave output at low throttle settings. This means at low throttle each full-voltage sinusoid pulse lasting for 8 milliseconds (one half of the AC powerline cycle) is followed by 8 millliseconds of low voltage. This type of pulse-gap-pulse-gap power is great for overcoming motor cogging effects and allowing slow speed running of locomotives. Both my MRC1370 power packs have a sinusoid pulse every 8 milliseconds - no low voltage gap between them. This is the difference between halfwave (an 8/1000 second time gap between sinusoid pulses) and full wave (no time gap between sinusoid pulses). On my first contact to MRC I was told that the MRC1370 should be the same as all other power packs. Obviously wrong, my oscilloscope said otherwise. Opening up one of my MRC1370s with a special tool for those 'tamper-proof' screws I saw that the printed circuit board had a location for a part that was not installed. The reason soon became clear - the circuit board had been etched wrong and the part (a resistor) would not have worked even if it had been installed. It would have been very easy for MRC manufacturing to have included this resistor anyway and hand-wired one lead to the transformer. Instead they chose to leave this component out of the product with the resulting double pulse and poorer low speed performance, hoping nobody would notice. Well, someone did notice - and now the MRC folks will no longer talk to me. Maybe if others complain about the MRC1370 MRC will clean up their act.
At the National Train Shows of 2001, 2002 and 2005...MRC 1300's and 2800's were used with no problems with any manufacturer's trains. The 1300 does need to have the throttle knob blocked at 2:30pm to keep it from going over 10volts. Which is what the MTL added panel does if you get a 1300 from MTL. Either pack can make my Marklin 8898-2 steamer travel at 1 inch per minute on clean track. Check eBay for excellent prices. These packs just don't wear out, so "previously owned" is a good change to get a good pack at a very good price. Regards, Bill K. Houston
Thanks Bill: If I ever decide to build a Z scale layout I'll purchase a new power supply. I don't make any purchases on E*Bay. Stay cool and run steam......
Bob, good to see you posting over here in Z! I have been in N for years and still keep my N layout, unitrack, like yours. I still lurk in all the n forums so I keep up to date there as well. If you do decide to get into Z, I suggest getting the marklin starter set with the pacific. Get a MRC power supply and a gaugemaster. (I don't care for the power supply that marklin provides) I think you will be pleased.
You can take the knob off a MRC 1300 and re-index it so the nub on the bottom of the knob hits the stop on the body of the pack to limit the voltage at the desired amount. At 0 volt, the pointer will be at about 43 to get 9V max. Then I just painted on a new pointer.
