Question about KATO automatic crossing gate 20-652 PSU

[Yavianice]

I have a question to which I could not find a definitive answer to about KATO 20-652 Automatic Crossing Gate (the Japanese version, not the American version 20-652-1). http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10170394

 

What kind of power supply is supplied with this item in European, Asian, and American markets? Are they compatible/interchangeable with the KATO Powerpack power supplies? I have found out through experience that KATO provides (for the Powerpacks) two different 110V power supplies for the US and Japan, and NOCH provides a 230V power supply (they actually supplied two different ones, in 2016 they supplied the incorrect power supply with Powerpacks). Note that I am not talking about the different types of plugs; I do not care about those.

 

For future moving reasons, I would like to own a 110V/230V power supply, or one of each. 

 

Thanks!

Edited May 3, 2017 by Yavianice

[kvp]

Afaik it needs a 5V power supply, which is not compatible with power pack supplies, but can be substituted with any 1.2A 5V pack. (just watch the polarity) The japanese 5V 1.2A brick and connector looks to be very similar to the american variant. I can't tell you if there is a 100-240V AC in universal variant available but the variants i found are local only (100V, 110V and 240V), but i'm sure finding a local 5V DC pack is relatively easy.

[westfalen]

I don't have mine on me at the moment to give the details, it's on a T-TRAK module set up at a model train show, but it came from Japan via Hobby Search and came with multi voltage power supply and I just bought a cheap converter plug to plug it into Australian 240V sockets.

[VJM]

It comes with a standard US/Japan 2 pin plug, but it is 100-240V AC.  It will give a horrible sounding click when you change voltages (ie plug in a 240V -> 100V transformer and then remove it later), but it's OK.  Just need a converter plug if your outlets are not the | | style.

[Yavianice]

It comes with a standard US/Japan 2 pin plug, but it is 100-240V AC.  It will give a horrible sounding click when you change voltages (ie plug in a 240V -> 100V transformer and then remove it later), but it's OK.  Just need a converter plug if your outlets are not the | | style.

Horrible click? Do you mean when you unplug it from a 100V and then plug it into a 240V outlet?

[VJM]

Horrible click? Do you mean when you unplug it from a 100V and then plug it into a 240V outlet?

 

Yes.  But it's fine.  Gave me a bit of a fright... thought I had blown it or something.

[westfalen]

I've never heard the click but then I've only ever plugged mine into 240V. Mine just ran for two days at a train show on 240V and didn't even get warm.

[Drunkenclam]

Good to know, I am ucrrently running mine through a 240=>110 converter whin testing. Only really as I didn't have a wall sockert near by and was using it as an extention lead :D

But when done, I'll plug it straight in through a remote controlled switch.

[Griff450]

Anyone know where I can get the English user manual online, I bought mine back when they first released this version and the manual is in Japanese and I cant find a English version online anywhere.

[cteno4]

If you can't find one try google translate in a smartphone or tablet. You take a picture of a bit and can translate any line running your finger over it. Very handy if all you have is the Japanese, used it a lot on instruction bits like this.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[Kiha66]

Have you tried contacting Kato USA?  They still sell the US version, so I assume they have some spares handy. 

[Yavianice]

Anyone know where I can get the English user manual online, I bought mine back when they first released this version and the manual is in Japanese and I cant find a English version online anywhere.

Kato also makes an American version of the crossing, have you tried googling those manuals? I think they are on kato USA website.

[Drunkenclam]

ARRGH THREAD HIJACKED....

 

Funny enough, I was looking for instructions.(English or Japanese) this weekend too as I'm having a minor issue with my crossing. Brought second hand with no instructions. I did find the scanned ones on the forum but too faint for me to read. But it's worth a question here in case someone has the answer.

 

 

 

All 4 lines have the sensor track fitted each side of the crossing to trigger the gates.

 

They all work fine when traveling away from the camera in the picture. However. When traveling towards the camera. Unless the train is 6 coaches and not the 8 I want to run. Or is traveling at less than half speed. The second track in from the left. The barriers do not go up.

 

All the sensors work fine. I did swap around track sections from the other lines and run different trains. But the problem stays.

 

Have I managed by accident to cause a fault by the position of the sensor tracks and train length to causing the train to be detected by 2 different sensors at the same time and causing an issue. When just a slight reduction in speed makes the error go away.

[Yavianice]

Did you try to change the sensitivity of the sensors?

[Drunkenclam]

Oh yes. All 4 of them on that line.

[kvp]

Which sensor type do you have? The optical or the wheel contact type? The optical has some issues with sunlight and certain types of lights above the layout blinding it, while the wheel contact type doesn't like all throttle types.

[Drunkenclam]

An sorry. It's the newer type with optical sensors. If I test it with a smaller train ie. Take 2 coaches out. It works at any speed. But when running the full car length. I have to go over slowly for the crossing to go up when it leaves the crossing. Else it stays down still bing bing binging me. No lights on in the room at the time and an overcast day.

[kvp]

Maybe you have the close and open sensors too close together or some form of interference, like a dirty connector or a bad wire is preventing the cars from registering correctly. Apparently the incoming and outgoing car counts are not matching. Having a too sharp curve next to the sensors could also cause a miscount. Could you try it with the two sensors spaced further apart?

Edited July 24, 2017 by kvp

[Drunkenclam]

It's possible. But at the moment. The sensor track is as far away as they can be due to the length of sensor cable. It must be something very close to tolerance. As the track next to it has the sensors in the same place but slightly larger radius curves.

[brill27mcb]

Try swapping the sensors around and see if the problem moves with the suspect "departure" sensor moved elsewhere.

 

Rich K.

[Kb4iuj]

Here in America Or rather here in Tennessee I've noticed sometimes my Kato transformer unfunctional. It appears I live on one of those smart grids. Which thru a computer system calculates every bodies required electricity for that evening or day. And so there is less juice available to power such devices.... It really odd.

 

While staying in New Orleans recently. I noticed my iPad device took forever to charge. But, I guess somebody has figured out a way to throttle the electrical grid.

 

So if you device your fooling with is acting strange, well you too might live on a smart grid. I have yet to breakout my inverter and just use the 12vdc car battery and just go completely off the grid.

Edited July 24, 2017 by Kb4iuj

[cteno4]

A lower voltage should not stop a standard kato transformer from working, should just deliver a lower max voltage output. You voltage would need to be seriously low for it not to work.

 

iPad as well as it uses a voltage regulator to put out 5v from a range of input, so again would need to be seriously low. Cheap iPad cables can limit charging not pulling the full 2A the iPad wants. Cheap cables go poof over this.

 

Jeff

[kvp]

Also try switching the cable, the crossing piece and the position. And maybe the curved pieces for straights as a test.

[Drunkenclam]

I did do that. Swapped track sensors and the central crossing piece too. It's always with the same track and in the same direction.

I'll try moving the trigger sensor further from the crossing to see if that help.

[kvp]

I still think that maybe the track configuration has something to do with it. I can't see the sensors on the attached picture, but the sensor piece is straight, so i would like to know how did it get added to the track layout. (S curves or canted curves could fool it easily) Could you make a picture that shows all sensors and the crossing at the same time?

 

Also, could you try swapping just the two cables belonging to the problem track to see if one of them have any problems?