28 October, 2002
Power to the People!
The LOKO DPS-400GL Power Supply
Have you been reading and hearing all the praises of upgrading your current power supply from the standard “set” transformers to after-market power? Well I have been hearing it for years, and I finally wised up (pun?) and picked out one.
But why do I need one? Do you really HAVE to upgrade to an after-market power supply to have fun with your slot cars? Of course not. Although some will disagree, my standard transformers or “wall warts” as they are sometimes called, have worked perfectly for years. So why did I feel it was time for me to upgrade? Well as crazy as it sounds, I wanted LESS not more.
Simply put, with this new power supply I am protecting my investments. Those investments are my prized possessions…my slot cars of course. And having the advantage of turning down the voltage helps keep them looking and running better. By dialing down the voltage, the cars run slower and with less torque or “punch”. This is exactly what I needed for my 5-year-old son, and for his little friends who frequent our basement. And not just for him, but for my teen-age entourage as well. We get quite a few young adults here at our home track, and all of them want to race. Sadly, not all of them understand the concept of slowing down for a curve.
Even some of my older friends who stop in from time to time, amaze me by still being alive…because if they drive their 1:1 cars like they do slot cars…well…you get the picture. So it clearly was time to upgrade, at least for our track it was.
Professor Motor certainly has made a name for themselves with their excellent controllers, not to mention a website chock full of slot related information, articles and links. And because of this reputation, I knew I could count on a quality product. It was here that I clicked on the link for the 40 AMP Power Supply they carried, and the moment I saw it, and read about its features; I knew this was the one I wanted. I don’t see the reason in duplicating the specs of this supply here, so check the link at the end of this article and go see it for yourself.
Boasting plenty of AMPS and having adjustable voltage, this supply was perfect for our needs. I am certainly NOT an electrical genius. I know enough about electricity to respect it, and therefore stay alive. This is important because some folks are just like me, and want a supply that is easy to set up and begin racing without a lot of complicated wiring.
On my Carrera track, my power base was modified, so I couldn’t use the wiring harness Professor Motor makes for quick and easy installation. I had removed my base from the track and mounted it on my wood track border. I also had upgraded the wires inside the power base to a heavier gauge, and ran them from the back of the base.
But this quickly proved to be just as easy and we were racing in a matter of minutes. By simply cutting the wires that were already in place going to my old Ninco transformers, and inserting them into the spring-loaded clamp terminals, we were finished. Nothing complicated about that at all, and I have to say, if I can accomplish this, ANYONE can.
The 4 terminals that I used produce 5 full amps apiece, which is more amperage than any of my cars will ever draw or need. I chose these terminals at 5 amps because your cars are only going to draw the amperage they need, after that, having the excess amperage isn’t going to make them run any faster.
As I tested each car, I watched the amperage meter on the left and not once on any type of car that I drove, did the needle move above 1 amp.
It isn’t only the adjustable voltage and massive amperage however. From the first few laps, I could tell a difference. The cars seemed to operate much more responsively than before, even at 15 volts. This is CLEAN power all the way, and that’s the difference here. Some may think that the maximum voltage of 15 is not enough, but I can’t see why. The performance of my models tells me that it is more than enough.
I don’t know what home set slot cars that would ever need more than what this supply provides. We currently have models from Scalextric, Carrera, Ninco, SCX, Fly, Strombecker, Maxi-Models, Pink-Kar, Slot-It, Pro-Slot, MRRC, and Cartrix and all were tested. All of them ran perfectly, even our 1/24th Scale Carreras ran well at 15 volts.
Another thing that is important is the supply is both short circuit and overload protected so that even a serious miscue in the wiring or an accidental short circuit is unlikely to cause any serious problems. This is a good thing to know if you have kids playing with the equipment.
Life in the dungeon has gotten better for sure. Since its first night of testing, I have not had to glue a mirror or a wing yet. It’s possible that some of my future slot cars purchased will never look like they have been driven, aside from tire wear, and I can tell you…I don’t mind that at all.
There are other power supplies out there, but this was the one for us. It wasn’t all about the price either, it also dealt with the features we wanted and purchasing a product like this from someone we felt we could trust. For around the price of 3 slot cars, ($145) you can really make an improvement on your track. I have to thank the good Professor for his excellent customer service and patience with me. I am sure that if you give him a call and order this power supply, you will never regret it, as this kind of upgrade changes everything…and for the better.
Harry
Click HERE to read more about the LOKO DPS400GL 40 AMP Power Supply.
Thanks again to Professor Motor, make sure you drop by their great website today!
As always feel free to write me about this article or just the hobby in general at wiseone@yhti.net or better yet stop in to the Home Racing World Message Forum or the Slot Car Illustrated Message Forum and let us hear from you!