gunrunnerjohn posted:Stan, shouldn't you consider the voltage drop of the diodes as well?
GRJ is of course correct. I was careful to insert the term "IDEAL" bridge rectifier for the purposes of discussion and to work through the "math". But, yes, a diode drops about 0.7V DC when it turns on so any DC measurement output will be a tad lower.
I haven't seen it in model train electronics, but what amount to "IDEAL" bridge rectifiers are now routinely used in electronic devices. They go by the name synchronous bridge rectifiers where 4 transistors are used instead of 4 diodes. Transistors turn on with essentially zero voltage drop whereas the conventional diode eats 0.7V or so. There are tiny little men hiding behind the curtain that tell the 4 transistors when to turn-on (diodes know when to turn on with no external assistance).
