Keep Alive / Stay Alive / Energy Storage for Kato EMU trains

[Madsing]

These past days, I have tested various options to add Keep Alive / Stay Alive / Energy Storage to my Kato EMU trains. Most of my trains are fitted with the "default" Kato 29-351 EM13 DCC decoder. As far as I know, this is the lowest cost option available. This decoder does not directly support adding energy storage, but this is still possible by connecting a stay alive module to the +12V and GND pins of the decoder, which are on two of its bridge rectifier diodes.

 

The photo below indicates the points where the two wires of the stay alive kit must be soldered. There is no official NMRA standard for wiring energy storage kits to decoders but most commonly the positive connection is a blue wire and the negative or ground wire is black/grey/white.

 

 

Test #1: Kato EM13 + TCS KA-N1 (SKU: 2010)

The TCS KA-N1 from https://www.tcsdcc.com is a 1000µF capacitor plus the associated circuits to regulate its charge and discharge current. At just 6.6mm x 9.2mm x 3.5mm, it is the smallest kit I have tested. It could even possibly fit just next to the EM13, between the motor and the bogie. This would require modifying the plastic motor cover, I have not tried to do that.

 

Result of the test: At slow speed (30km/h prototype), this kit extends the running distance without power by about 10mm. This does not sound like much, but this is significant. For example, it is enough to ensure that trains do not stall at turnouts.

The photo below shows what the TCS KA-N1 looks like. For this test, I have just run the wires on each side of the body and put the module in the car. I was happy to see that his is possible without drilling holes in the chassis or modifying the train.

 

 

Test #2: Kato EM13 + LaisDCC KungFu Stayin Alive Kit Lite 1 (SKU: 870007) / Lite 2 (SKU: 871007) / Lite 3 (SKU: 872007)

I have purchased three LaisDCC KungFu Stayin Alive Kits (https://laisdcc.com) from AliExpress. They are made of four super-capacitors along with the associated electronics to regulate the charge and discharge current. The total capacity of the super-capacitors is not specified, but I estimate it is around 100,000µF to 150,000µF (so, much higher than a standard capacitor).

 

Result of the test: At slow speed (30km/h prototype speed) this kit extends the running distance without power by more than 150mm. In my experience, this means that even heavily weathered turnouts will not cause any trouble, even when running trains at super slow shunting speeds. It is interesting to note that fitting this kit does not block reading CVs from the decoder.

 

These kits from LaisDCC are the cheapest kits I have tested. Three versions are available, with exactly the same electrical characteristics, the only difference is the way the super-capacitors are arranged on the PCB.

Lite 1 (SKU: 870007), 25mm x 8.9mm x 6.2mm

Lite 2 (SKU: 871007), 8.9mm x 8.9mm x 13.5mm

Lite 3 (SKU: 872007), 19mm x 12mm x 5.5mm

 

All kits can fit in the car of a Kato EMU, but typically none of them can be completely hidden (of course this depends on the train). In my opinion the best option will be to add shades to some of the windows of the car. The Lite 2 kit is the highest and may conflict with the car’s indoor light. The Lite 3 kit is my preferred option. Its height is only 5.5mm.

 

The following photos show, respectively, the LaisDCC KungFu Stayin Alive Kit Lite 1, 2 and 3.

 

 

 

 

The following photo shows how to fit the connection cables. It's not difficult, no modification of the body is necessary and the cables don't interfere with the bogie.

 

 

 

[Madsing]

Test #3: Zimo MX605N + Lais DCC KungFu Stayin Alive Kit Lite 1 (SKU: 870007) / Lite 2 (SKU: 871007) / Lite 3 (SKU: 872007)

The Zimo MX605N is a DCC decoder compatible in size and shape with the Kato EM13. I have recently purchases a couple of them for testing and they show incredibly stable low-speed driving. This decoder looks far superior to the EM13, but it is also significantly more expensive. It has many features that I have not tested yet, including RailCom.

It has specific soldering pads for connecting energy storage. Unfortunately, these two pads are quite small and not placed at the best position possible. See the photo below. The V+ pad is very close to the motor M- pad and will interfere with the motor collector shoe when the decoder is fully inserted towards the motor (which in my experience is the only way to guarantee a good connection between the decoder, the motor and the DCC rails). I solved that issue by making the motor collector shoe a bit shorter.

 

 

Result of the test: Very good. As with the EM13 decoder, this kit extends the running distance without power by more than 150mm at slow speed (30km/h prototype speed). I could drive my trains at 8~10km/h on any section of my layout without any issue.

 

Test #4: Zimo MX605N + Zimo STACO3A

Zimo also provide their own storage solution called STACO. I purchased and tested the STACO3A but unfortunately could not make it work. I tried for a couple of hours without success, I will try again and update this post if I find a solution.

The Zimo STACO3A module is made of a control board and two super-capacitors. Wiring it requires more work as the capacitors have to be soldered together, then to the module. But this probably provides more freedom to hide the kit in the train. See the photo below.

 

 

I will continue my tests and update this post. As usual feedback and comments are welcome!

 

Marc

[chadbag]

If you cannot get the Zimo to work, I’d suggest contacting their support.  I had an issue once and the support guy who responded was very nice and willing to help.  

[Kingmeow]

Marc, great work and excellent info for future reference!  Thanks for documenting this for all of us.  👍

 

I do have a question and please don't take this the wrong way but rather my curiosity.  Why would you need a Stay Alive (SA) for EMU trains?

 

I run mostly big a$$ US locomotives and even some small switchers like MP15 and S4 and have absolutely no problems with dead spots on turnouts, even short ones like Atlas #4 switches.  Even at shows where I didn't make the layout/modules and can't guarantee the quality of track work of the owners.

 

I understand that most people who are interested in SAs are those who run with sound decoders because any slight interruption causes the decoder to recycle its power up sequence which takes a while (relatively) especially if you have a few dead spots every few millimeters.  At shows with big layouts, you don't want to be "that guy" that backs up multiple trains behind you.  🙄  (Friendly) Cat calls will come shortly if that happens a lot.  😁

 

With the Japanese EMU trains, they tend to be long so to have both trucks hitting a dead spot at the same time is rare.  Thus my curiosity of the need for SA for Japanese trains.

[Madsing]

Good question @Kingmeow 😀

My layout uses Tomix Fine Track. I certainly do not mean that Kato or Tomix tracks are not reliable. If I take any of my Tomix tracks, including the straight and curved turnouts or the double slip and plug them in any configuration on a flat surface, all my trains (EMUs, locomotives) will run perfectly well without a stay alive module. No problem with that. But this is not the case on my layout.

• Due to my inexperience, my track plan is difficult. This is probably a case of "I didn't know this was not possible". I have slopes reaching 6%. Even some of the turnouts are not flat.
• I am trying to weather the rails, including the turnouts, to try to make them look more realistic.
• I don't run trains very often. When I want to, I have to spend a fair amount of time cleaning the tracks and that really annoys me. The Singapore climate is very humid and that probably doesn't help.
• Because my layout is small, I tend to run trains at particularly low speed. Even if I don't use sound decoders, any interruption of the track power will reset the DCC decoder and it will restart the acceleration curve.

Frankly, I am super happy with the performance of my trains after fitting stay alive kits but, true, this certainly does not apply to everyone.

 

Marc

[Kingmeow]

Marc, now I understand why you are interested in SAs for seemingly trains that don't need them due to some of your unique circumstances.  Bullets 2 and 3 are pretty common and are good reasons for SA.  6%???!!!  Yikes!  😲

 

Please continue your testing and update this thread.  Very much appreciated!

[cteno4]

Marc,

 

Have you tried cleaning your rails with a low dielectric contact cleaner? It’s changed my model railroading experience! especially good in a humid environment to keep moisture out of the micro nooks and crannies on your rail. We go much longer periods without cleaning the rails now and smoother running. Funny the last place we get black buildup is around some areas with stuff around the rail heads that may cause some more wheel movement and thus more potential micro arcing.
 

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/mrhpub.com/2019-05-may/online/index.html?page=9

 

cherrs,

jeff

[Madsing]

Thank you for the reminder Jeff. I remember reading that article earlier, but didn’t do anything. I am still using the Tomix track cleaner. I will purchase one of these non-polar products (I think that the WD-40 contact cleaner is available here) and give it a try!

Marc

 

[brill27mcb]

Is it possible to use Keep Alives with DC operation? I'm thinking of a pair in parallel with opposing polarity orientation and reverse-voltage diode protection, similar schematically to the "voltage drop" diode circuits that were used to provide constant low voltage for small 1.5 volt filament lamps in the days before LEDs. It seems possible, but I have never seen a schematic.

 

Rich K.

[Madsing]

I do not know the answer to that question, which intrigued me a bit this week. Keep Alives work with DCC because the power is always on and speed commands are sent digitally. The Keep Alive circuit can easily detect when to kick in, i.e. when the voltage on the rails drops. In DC, a voltage drop can also mean that the train has to slow down or stop...

 

Marc

 

[cteno4]

Rich,

 

Issue is the caps charge voltage will be limited to feed voltage and diode protection will reduce that voltage a volt below the current running voltage. When the dropout happens the cap will be discharging lower voltage and get lower very fast. Needs some sort of circuit that would buck up the voltage to the caps to keep them charged at a higher voltage, then when there is a dropout it discharges the cap and regulates that voltage to what was just being fed to the car right before the drop. Not a simple circuit.

 

jeff