I thought I would share this info. I bought a couple of Wizzard cars a few months back and they never did peform well. I was using two 440X power packs, one for each lane. They would go around, but lost alot of power half way around. I always thought that it was just the track.

About a month ago I added a industrial charger to the system. The original use was a large diesel generator battery charger. As a generator technician we replace these chargers all the time and I did a minor repair to get this one to work. Anyway I wired this up to the Tyco track I have and racing as never been the same. All of the cars fly! I have it set at about 21 volts.

The charger is a 24vdc / 15amp regulated system. The track is16' X 5' with banked corners. I replaced the output fuse with a 5 amp so meltdown would not occur.

The moral of the story is, the system works great and it was free. If you know any generator techs, get up with them and see if they have any of these laying around. I change out at least 10-15 chargers a year. Most are easy fixes, if you have a little electrical knowledge.

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Wow - Nice looking power supply. I assume that it delivers equal power to both tracks at all times ( no dip in one lane if the other is accelerated ). Would it handle four lanes?
I agree with AFX Too, if you can get your hands on these, recondition them, guys on this Board would pay for them.
Jim

The standard voltage should be 18 VDC.

I have read that you can get pulsations from using a battery charger. I don't see any capacitors to filter the output. But hey if works for you enjoy! :thumbsup:

Exactly...no big caps.


Put a battery inline, but then you have the fume thing again....

Believe it or not, these run about $500-$800.00 each our cost! I have actually sold these on ebay for $100-$200 each on the generator auctions. I do have a few more of different brands Generac and Onan as well as some 12 volt systems.

There is some what of a surge when a car flys off, but not any where close to a traditional power pack. I thought about putting some diodes in line to stop the surge, but running Wizzard cars, it has no real effect.

I can get 8D batteries free as well, but never wanted to use them due to the acid or as another poster put it fumes. I have a set of 8D's in the very rear of my basement for power outages. With an inverter attached I can run 300 watts for several days. I mainly run my 150 gallon aquarium with it as well as an exhaust fan a light and my laptop. I built a wood box lined with several layers of heavy duty trash bags stapled all around. I have a plexi glass top to devert the fumes to liquid and always use rubber gloves with cloth rags to clean off the tops each month.

Gel Cell batteries would be the perfered route for a track.

I will clean up the other chargers I have and post some pics, along with my battery back-up system. If anyone is interested I will throw them up on ebay and see what happens. I will warn you that these are heavy. The one in the picture is about 45lbs.

Here is a couple of pics on my 24v system. These are two 8D batteries ( :dude: 1500amps each) and an Onan Charger. The switch or knob to equalize will put a constant charge or voltage output. This voltage goes to 28, but you can adjust. In the float mode, the charger will put out as much dc as needed for recharge. I run the track on float charge at about 21-22. I saw another poster say 18vdc, but then I have seen the power supplies go to 30vdc.

Also on the batteries, I will note the following for safety. When I clean the batteries, I use cloth rags and always throw them away wrapped in a couple of plastic bags. Saftey glasses ( :freak: so you won't look like this) and gloves are worn and I never add any chemicals to the rag. They do make a cleaner, but it is more of a mess then it is worth. These batteries will last a very long time if properly tended to. Do not over charge, under charge, check water levels, never overload them and treat them with respect. I saw a guy using a grinder one day and the sparks ignited the battery and blew it up. I have also been to many generators where batteries have exploded upon start up. This is usally caused by to low of water level and the plates being exposed.

I don't see a problem with LA batteries, for you can run #10 or 12 wire a long way. I will eventually incorporate them to the track, once I build a permanant track. A battery box outside with the proper charger and a reptile heating pad if you live in the north and your off to the races! :thumbsup: