The up-to-10-amp Prodigy Elite system has a street price a few
dollars lower than the 5-amp Digitrax Super Chief Xtra when
both include a power supply. These systems compete well on
price and power level. However, the fixed voltage of the Prodigy
Elite is too low for many O-scale and most G-scale systems.
So, let’s look deeper into the Prodigy Elite system as the back-
bone for a bedroom-sized layout in S-scale or smaller.
Hands-on with the Prodigy Elite
The throttle, power supply and interconnecting cords are all
included with the Prodigy Elite system – everything you need is
included in the box. The instruction book is small, but rather con-
cisely written, packing a lot into only 20 pages.
From the factory, the Prodigy Elite is set for 6 amps maximum. My
load resistors easily apply about a 5-amp load. The track voltage,
DCC Impulses Column - 5
as displayed on the Prodigy Elite, is about 15.6 volts with no load,
dropping to about 15.4 at 5 amps. This is higher than the specified
14.5 volts, with acceptable regulation.
Full shorts shut the entire system down, just as if you had
unplugged the unit. Overloads (10 to 20% over the stated amper-
age) leave the system on but with track voltage shut down and a
flashing red LED on the front panel. Thus, I would NOT use the sys-
temwithout at least one high-quality circuit breaker like the NCE
EB1 or the DCC Specialties PSx. Otherwise, I fear, you will be chas-
ing shutdowns in all but the most benign situations.
The system current can be adjusted from 1 to 10 amps with a few
button presses on any throttle. I can see this being an issue on a
systemwith many throttles and some operators who aren’t fully
cognizant of the system. When the systemwas set for 5 amps or
more, the fan in the system box came on, regardless of load. I did
not push the unit hard enough to activate the power supply fan.
The Prodigy Elite power supply will work with any power main
voltage and frequency that I know of anywhere in the world.
4. MRC Prodigy Elite 1 to 10 amp system. MRC photo.
4
MRH-Oct 2014
