New product: Kato Powerpack Super D

[to2leo]

According to Popondetta from Kato's latest briefing, a new power pack will be coming out.  More details will be provided at JAM on August 17.

The product is still in its infancy stage but judging from the buttons, it looks like it will be a big jump from the basic blue power pack that Kato has.

There is also a working launch date of October/November of this year.

Unfortunately, aside from the pictures, I have no ideas what all the buttons are about.
http://popondetta.com/blog/

Perhaps some of you can shed light on this.

[bill937ca]

Buttons: on-off switch, direction and speed dial.  The fourth button might be something like momentum.

The green thing at the top might be a power-on light.

The red button on the side is probably a circuit-breaker re-set.

Looks like it will feed two tracks, but with a single speed dial, trains run at the same voltage (and perhaps the same speed on both tracks).

Nothing really remarkable there.

[David]

My interpretation of the 2 directional switches and 2 power outlets is that they serve the same function as the Tomix advanced controllers - to run a reversing loop. However the inset dial at the top is a mystery. It could be for momentum, it could be for running a second "scenary" train (though why would the direction dials be the same size if one of them was supposed to match this secondary train?)

[to2leo]

More info from Joshin blog
http://blog.joshinweb.jp/joshintrain/

It looks like the upper right button is for 常点灯用, which enables train lights to remain while the train motor is turned off...like Tomix's.

There is also two feeders slots which suggested for more options?  I wonder if there is a slot for switch box too?

Hope someone who reads Japanese can shed light on it...

[Hobby Dreamer]

It's great knowing nothing - so no one has expectations:

Could the mystery buttons be something to do with building lighting ?



Rick

[KenS]

The text under the photo says (Google translate) that it's a 2 Amp output power pack:

"So with that 2A high current,
HO HO gauge is also compatible with long-span interior light so easy to organize. "

So it sounds like it's a high-output pack compatible with lighted HO trains (which could draw more than the standard Kato pack if they use bulbs and are fairly long).

I was about to mention that there were more photos on this site, but to2leo beat me to it.

Despite it being labeled "Super D", both sites use the English label "Hyper-D" in their text: パワーパック「HYPER-D」 (power pack "Hyper-D")

[bill937ca]

There is also two feeders slots which suggested for more options?  I wonder if there is a slot for switch box too?

I'm thinking a little clearer in the morning.  The two slots probably are train power and accessories.  That would be standard.

[Shashinka]

Bil beat me to this, but I don't see connection ports for the accessories like switch track controllers of the three signal controller.