Manufacturer: PH Hobbies, Inc., 185 Jay Street, P.O. Box 36, Coldwater, MI 49036. Price: PS6G 6 Amp Throttle with Volt and Ammeters--not specified.

Our sample came in a heavy metal case measuring 3 1/2 inches high, 11 1/4 inches wide, and 7 1/2 inches deep. If you mount the unit in a cabinet, you will have to provide venting for the cooling fan on the rear left side. The fan is very desirable in a pack of this size and seems to be effective. The pack never overheated even though we operated it under a variety of conditions. (Overheating has been a problem with other packs we have tried.)

But you want to know how it runs trains. Smoothly, quietly, and powerfully. Before going into detail, a word of explanation:

PH packs use a form of pure filtered direct current. Under ideal conditions an oscilloscope shows pure filtered d.c. as a straight line. Our scope test (with an LGB 2028 Mogul on the track) indicated a slight ramp to that straight line (a "triangle wave"). For the purposes of this review (and to all practical purposes) we will consider that wave form interchangeable with a flat line.

The advantage of pure filtered d.c. is safety. It has no negative side effects on electric motors or on sound systems. LGB, for example, recommends pure filtered d.c. to power its locomotives.

The disadvantage is performance at the very lowest speeds. When the voltage rises to a level high enough to start a locomotive, many models tend to start abruptly. Lighter locomotives, such as 0-4-0 switchers, and locomotives without flywheels (virtually every large scale model now on the market) are more prone to abrupt starts than heavier ones. So LGB Moguls start more smoothly than LGB 2020s.

The PS6G started all locomotives at least as smoothly as any other pure filtered d.c. pack we have used.

The alternative would be to use a throttle with pulse width modulation. PWM provides gentle shoves of current to the motor. That allows the armature to rotate very slowly and the result is an ability to make any locomotive creep at a fraction of a scale mile per hour.

The disadvantage? The effect of PWM is analogous to turning a light switch on and off very quickly. The bulb may burn out prematurely. In fact, a characteristic of PWM and other forms of pulse power is motor noise--actually the buzz of the motor vibrating. The makers of some model locomotives and sound systems, including LGB, say PWM may be dangerous to their motors and sound systems and its use will void their warranty. Actually, PWM may have no significant negative effect on motors or sound systems but the jury is still out.

Putting the PH pack into perspective, then, it offers a very good compromise between ideal slowest speed performance and safe slowest speed performance. It performs flawlessly from slow speeds on up.

Another note: The volt meter on our sample read between ten and thirty percent under the correct reading, becoming more accurate as the voltage increased. It is small and curved and the scale goes up to 25 volts (it needs only to reach 18), so it tended to be a little hard to read. The ammeter appeared to be right on the money.

The rocker-type red on-off switch illuminates brightly in the "on" position and it is nice and big with a solid feel. It remains very slightly illuminated in the "off" position to indicate the unit is plugged in. The white direction control switch is the same size as the on-off switch and has the same feel. The throttle knob fits the hand well and turns with velvety smoothness.

The pack handled five LGB Moguls indoors on level track with no problems. Their draw was 4 amps. Grades and/or a string of cars would cause the current draw of a Mogul to reach an average of 1.5 amps. So the maximum number of Moguls the pack would handle safely on a layout is four. Unlike some other packs we have tested, PH appears to rate its packs conservatively; the circuit breaker never tripped. PH reminds us to avoid keeping the pack outdoors where rain or wet grass combined with the pack's relatively high output could cause a dangerous shock.

The PH PS6G is a very good power pack. Not perfect and, from the standpoint of appearance, essentially utilitarian but a very good compromise between idealistic and realistic. It is also fairly expensive in comparison to some other packs, but that is a reflection of the quality of the components. As one hobbyist said, "You pay five or six hundred dollars for a locomotive; one or two hundred for a power pack good enough to run it safely seems reasonable."

Overall, the PS6G has very few peers; it will stand with the very best power packs available to the hobby. None is perfect; current technology requires every manufacturer to make some compromise in performance or risk potential damage to locomotive motors and sound systems. In the case of PH, the compromise is living with the inherent limitations of pure, filtered d.c. Considering that reality, a little more attention to cosmetics and providing larger, more consistently accurate meters could elevate the rating of the PS6G to "virtually perfect".--RR, GR