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the 1N4001 diode is just fine. Frequently I order 1N4001
diodes and actually get 1N4005 or some such. Don’t worry.
The 1N4001 is rated at 100 volts. As the last number gets
larger, so does the voltage rating. Overkill here doesn’t cost
either in money or size.
If you need more than 10,000 µF, I recommend the Keep-
Alive™ from TCS instead of larger electrolytic capacitors.
Keep-Alive™ from TCS
Train Control Systems recently introduced two Keep-Alive™
modules that store way more energy than the simple circuit
from figure 4.
They claim that the KA1 (about $25) will keep an HO-scale
locomotive at speed step 10 (out of 128) running for 2 to 5
seconds with the headlight lit. Under the same conditions,
DCC Impulses Column - 5
6: Keep-Alive
™
video: A TCS KA2 module in an HO loco with a
SoundTraxx Tsunami decoder – running on the PCMRC layout.
they suggest that the KA2 (about $40) will keep going for 6 to
15 seconds. That would indicate that the KA2 has three times
the energy storage. My rough testing seems to bear these
numbers out.
So, I decided to test them out on our most finicky locomotive
at the PebbleCreek Model Railroad Club (
. This loco
is a Proto 2000 RS27 that originally had a QSI decoder. It was
changed out for a Tsunami about 5 years ago. We had tried to
use the RS-27 in our large Hammond, IN, yard, but it continu-
ously stumbled on the Atlas code 83 #6 turnouts. The addi-
tion of a Tam Valley Depot Hex Frog Juicer to power the frogs
helped, but didn’t eliminate stalling.
For this test, I disconnected the power input to the Hex Frog
Juicer board, giving totally dead frogs. The video in figure 6
starts with the loco stalled on a turnout and only responding
5
5: KA1 Keep-Alive™ Module, about the size of typi-
cal HO-scale decoders. Photo courtesy Train Control
Systems.
MRH-Mar 2013
