by HO RacePro » Wed May 01, 2019 11:41 am
Just to expand on RichD's authoritative explanations -- power issues with a large track cannot be addressed by installing a more powerful power supply. Any issues would be due to resistance in the track's power conductors. The best power supply in the world simply won't fix it. It would be like installing a race-tuned turbo-charged engine in a car with a flat tire.
The problem with poor electrical connections is that each bad connection reduces the voltage supplying power to the car. The amount of voltage drop is dependent on the amps going to the car, but no matter, bad connections reduce voltage, and reduced voltage means reduced power.
The only fixes are better connections or jumpers. Poor connections should be fixed, but there are an awful lot of connections if you are racing on sectional plastic track, and there is a limit to just how good those connections can be. Ultimately jumpers are required on a track when it gets truly large. Even with the best connections there can be a significant power drop on a large track as measured at a distance from the power supply. Jumpers can fix that.
Routed tracks usually have less issues with power drop due to fewer connections, and in some cases better power conductors. A modest-sized routed track with braid power conductors can usually do perfectly well without jumpers.
Ed Bianchi