slantr40 Posted November 27, 2011 Share #1 Posted November 27, 2011 Hi all. I was wondering if someone could help me. I just received an r40 rollsign from NYC transit (I think it was from a slant r40, as it was set to the line), however it came without a power cord. I was wondering if anyone here has purchased one and what they actually use to power this thing. I've opened the case up and noticed that the sign on the ballast/controller box reads 37.5VDC 1.2A. I assume I'm gonna have to find an appropriate adapter to convert from 120VAC? I've looked around the internet tubes and its not as easy as i thought to find one. Has anyone had luck finding an appropriate power adapter? I'm also trying to clean the case as its grimy. I've managed to clean a lot of it but can't for the life of me figure out how to remove the rolls to get underneath to clean. Does anyone know the proper way to remove the rollsign from the case? I've got a few more pics if you need or can take more. Just let me know and I'll gladly post them. Thanks so much! I really want to get this sign working for my kids. The overall sign (I believe it was from a slant R40): Big picture overview of inside: Ballast/controller? label that reads 37.5vdc/1.2amp input: 3-pin power connector: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 27, 2011 Share #2 Posted November 27, 2011 You can use a 32 volt power supply...shouldn't be that expensive for you if you were able to buy the sign. Signs are powered off battery voltage (37.5v) so 32 is a good approximation of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted November 27, 2011 Share #3 Posted November 27, 2011 I have one of these signs and I have changed the actual sign in mine to an older one. I'll take some photos of it during the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slantr40 Posted November 27, 2011 Author Share #4 Posted November 27, 2011 You can use a 32 volt power supply...shouldn't be that expensive for you if you were able to buy the sign. Signs are powered off battery voltage (37.5v) so 32 is a good approximation of that. I never considered going the battery route. I was looking for a power adapter that I could just plug into 110vac. I saw some guy on flickr post a pic of an r40 sign with what appeared to be a power pack attached to it. Thats why I considered something similar. But using a battery is a good alternative! Only issue I'd have is whether or not it's got the power to drive those two T12 fluorescents + 2 motors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slantr40 Posted November 27, 2011 Author Share #5 Posted November 27, 2011 I have one of these signs and I have changed the actual sign in mine to an older one. I'll take some photos of it during the week. Thanks so much! Would truly appreciate any insights into how to remove the rollsign. By the way, how did you manage to power that sign? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slantr40 Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share #6 Posted November 29, 2011 I think I found something that would get pretty close to 37.5vdc, but the search continues. If i had the option, i would rather get something that can convert from 120vac to the voltage needed by the rollsign, rather than use battery power. PLN-100-36, Mean Well PLN-100-36 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 29, 2011 Share #7 Posted November 29, 2011 I never considered going the battery route. I was looking for a power adapter that I could just plug into 110vac. I saw some guy on flickr post a pic of an r40 sign with what appeared to be a power pack attached to it. Thats why I considered something similar. But using a battery is a good alternative! Only issue I'd have is whether or not it's got the power to drive those two T12 fluorescents + 2 motors. I didn't say specifically to get a battery, although that could work in a certain circumstance. Again, the best fix is to get a 32 volt power supply - which approximates the 37.5 volts the subway car's batteries provide to the sign motor. You don't need to get exactly 32 volts, it will run at less, albeit at a slower speed. If you got this it should work just fine. Or you can build something yourself, but that's a route recommended for someone with more experience with electrical components. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slantr40 Posted November 30, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted November 30, 2011 Subwayguy: thanks for the links. Appreciate it! You mention the motors only. Would 30v be enough to drive the fluorescent lights as well? I assume (i'm no electrician...far from it) the three pins on the rollsign connector are for two separate + and one -, with one positive each for light and motors, and a shared negative. Does this mean i'd need two supplies? Or some fancy wiring using one supply? Once again, thanks all for all your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 30, 2011 Share #9 Posted November 30, 2011 Subwayguy: thanks for the links. Appreciate it! You mention the motors only. Would 30v be enough to drive the fluorescent lights as well? Yes, it would reduce the speed of the motors and reduce the intensity of the lights slightly (barely noticeably) but it would work. The power supply at the link I gave you also allows you to regulate current somewhat which will allow you to toy with the settings. You can run the sign on less than 32 volts. I wouldn't recommend running at anything higher than what the power supply is rated for as that can cause damage to the machine over a period of time. So in this case, 30 volts. I assume (i'm no electrician...far from it) the three pins on the rollsign connector are for two separate + and one -, with one positive each for light and motors, and a shared negative. Does this mean i'd need two supplies? Or some fancy wiring using one supply? Once again, thanks all for all your help! You need only one power supply and the cable that goes to the sign. You can connect the power supply leads to the plug at the end of the cable (the power supply leads are too large to connect directly to to the connections inside the sign). You can call MTA surplus material, mention you bought the sign, and you'd like to "add on" the purchase of the cable to go with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slantr40 Posted November 30, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted November 30, 2011 You need only one power supply and the cable that goes to the sign. You can connect the power supply leads to the plug at the end of the cable (the power supply leads are too large to connect directly to to the connections inside the sign). You can call MTA surplus material, mention you bought the sign, and you'd like to "add on" the purchase of the cable to go with it. I asked the surplus department for a cable and they said they ran out. I will definitely follow your suggestions and get a 30 or 32v power supply. It's amazing how many 30-32v supplies are out there, and how non-existent 37-38v supplies are! Now all I need to figure out is how to remove/dismantle the rollsign so I can clean it. As an interesting aside, I just got a certificate of authenticity for the rollsign in t he mail from the MTA, but the certificate read "R32 brightliner", not R40. After a brief mail, a revised certificate is now on its way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted November 30, 2011 Share #11 Posted November 30, 2011 To remove the sign after you take that back cover off, remove the light tubes by turning them untill they unlock. Then on the top of the sign there are 4 bolt like things which hold in the sign rollers that the sign is attached to and metal rollers that spread the sign to fill tge window. If you clean the actual sign, ONLY use water. You can use regular cleaning stuff for the box and plexiglass. Now the power plug ontop, the center pin in the negitive, the opther two are positive, one for the lights and one for the motors. The rocker switch on top applies power to move the sign in one direction or the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slantr40 Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted December 1, 2011 Then on the top of the sign there are 4 bolt like things which hold in the sign rollers that the sign is attached to and metal rollers that spread the sign to fill tge window. Thanks so much for the instructions! I've hit a problem though. The two outer knobs (for the small rollers) were connected to the screw that holds the metal rollers. However, the two inner knobs for the actual rollsign are not attached. It's just a nut and washer that come off, leaving the screw post in tact. Am I supposed to brute force the screw posts out? I've attached an image to better describe the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slantr40 Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share #13 Posted December 1, 2011 Nevermind. I did it! It required tightening the smaller nut and using a larger wrench to twist the hex washer, using the nut to secure the washer to the rod. Rollsign is out, and the cleaning commences! Thanks so much for everyone's help!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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