The replacement Power Supply for this kit is a P114 (5240221) or equivalent (13.8VDC 1.8A). Using ANY other Power Supply is not recommended and will void your factory warranty.
What you need to know:
a) The NCE Power Cab does not regulate the track voltage. The power supply does. Hence, the DCC track voltage is about the same as the power supply's DC output voltage rating. So get a power supply that is somewhere between 12VDC and 14VDC. 13.8VDC is a standard voltage that emulates a car battery voltage.
b) The NCE Power Cab does not set the current limit; the power supply does. Hence, the Power Cab's current rating is the same as the power supply's. However, if the current exceeds 2 Amps at 13.8v, the NCE Power Cab will shut down to protect itself. So, one must carefully select the power supply used with the Power Cab.
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OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
The power supply determines the track voltage and current rating, NOT your Power Cab. The Power Cab is designed for a power supply with no more than 28 watts TOTAL POWER. Voltage multiplied by Current = Watts. So 14v x 2 amps is 28 watts maximum. Going over 28 watts a tiny bit is no big deal. An example: 15v x 2a = 30 watts of total power draw possible. Since you are unlikely to continuously use it at a full two amps, you are also probably well under 28 watts of power draw 99% of the time. However, An 18v / 2amp Power Supply would be 36 watts when used at full capacity OR A SHORT CIRCUIT! That is an increase of +28%. This could cause damage to the Power Cab almost instantly. Also, higher track voltages put additional stress on the track output circuit. Increasing the total wattage by increasing track voltage OR the current rating also dramatically increases the heat on the bottom of the Power Cab. This can lead to premature component failures and even the outside plastic case deformation.
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A) You cannot run more than 28w continuously with the Power Cab. It will overheat, and the Power Cab shell will deform due to the high heat build-up. You should use multiple DCC circuit breakers with each set of 2 amp trip currents for the layout. The Power Cab feeds all of these circuit breakers, which feed the various parts of the design. The DCC circuit breakers will isolate any short circuit and protect the Power Cab from overheating when there is a short circuit.
B) The long flat cable will lose a lot of voltage and may get warm when running many trains. The cable is not designed to support more than 28w.
The preferred method for adding more capacity to the Power Cab is with the SB5 Smartbooster.
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The replacement power supply for the Power Cab is a P114 (5240221) or equivalent (13.8VDC 1.8A). Use of ANY other power supply is not recommended and will void your factory warranty.
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