Info
Rezensionen (1)
24. Feb 2016
A beginner's opinion: a good power pack to start with
I've just bought a second one of these in order to run multiple trains under independent control. The first one has lasted without problems through five years of using it about one month per year.
Of the three brands and models I've tried, this (Life-Like 390J) is the easiest for a beginner to use. Unlike the AHM Thunder Line 70203 (?? - brand name and model number obscured by peeling paint), the Life-Like unit changes the train's direction by turning the knob the other way (the Thunder Line uses a separate slide switch to change direction). Unlike the Bachman 6605, the Life-Like marks the zero position in mid-dial with a couple of slight clicks (which can be felt but not heard), so you can be sure of stopping at a true zero and not leaving a trickle of current running through a stopped locomotive. (My Thunder Line unit has an additional disadvantage -- it hums even when off, indicating power waste -- but this may be because it was very beat up when I got it.)
When new, this unit comes with a paper label covering two of the four electrical terminals, to warn a beginner which two are for the tracks and which two are for accessories. If you buy a used one, the paper label may have been removed, but the terminals are still labeled in raised plastic letters.
This is a traditional DC unit which should work fine with block control (for reverse loops and multiple trains) if you know how to wire the tracks. If you want to use the newer standard of DCC (digital command and control) then this unit is not for you: you'll need more expensive power supplies and more expensive locomotives. If you stick to DC you'll need as many power packs as you want to run trains at one time. Figure out which you want before investing much money.