One can think of a booster as an amplifier for Digital Command Control signals. It supplies the power needed to operate the trains, switches, railroad crossings, etc.
The output is an exact copy of the digital waveform supplied by the command station. Explained by using a component audio system. You have in input device, such as a tuner or CD player.
By itself, it cannot provide enough power to drive a speaker. The input device is connected to an amplifier, which boosts the low-level signal to an amplitude sufficient to drive a speaker. The booster functions as the amplifier, taking the logic level low voltage and current signal from the command station and amplifying it to drive the track. The booster is sometimes referred to as the "Power Station". Since the booster contains no intelligence non-thinking , it can be thought of as the "Pack Mule" of a DCC system as it is responsible for combining the intelligence from the command station with the power from the power supply.
Some boosters may not have autoreversing , where others do. Many Digital Command Control systems integrate the command station and booster into one package. For the remainder of this article, the definition of a booster is a separate device which requires instructions from an external command station.
However, you will soon learn, it's typically best to have a couple of smaller boosters distributed around your layout. The reasons include: Additional trains, reverse sections , and to isolate derailments.
On a larger layout multiple boosters keep the power bus runs manageable. Being able to switch on districts separately, using soft power up circuits like those that Tam Valley Depot offers, separate power on for lights and signals, and sequestering locos to specific districts will help balance that power up surge. It's trial and error unless you are an electrical whiz I am not , and are able to calculate the power draws and power up requirements for every device in your layout.
Good luck! Thanks for the replies. I wouldn't expect more than locomotives on the layout at any one time. So reading all this, when would I use a booster vs. It seems that I would employ a booster where the power needs are greatest engine facility, staging yard or other places where there will be a large power draw due to a large number of locomotives or DCC-powered accessories, and use a circuit breaker for the yard ladders where shorts would often occur due to people lining up turnouts wrong, or running through turnouts.
Thanks for the help. Entry level DCC Systems boosters are sold the same way. Stated another way, the manufacture has already figured out the power levels you need for your entry level system assuming it going to be a typical size layout. But what if your layout is bigger than a typical layout? O scale track voltage can vary between HO and O scale depending on the type of O scale engine you running but it is technically it is the same as HO.
Current: DC power-packs or throttles come with current level rating that are optimized to run one train for the given scale.
DCC booster come in different current level ratings depending on how many trains the system is most likely going to run for the given scale. The higher the current rating, the more longer or more trains you can run. Given the voltage for a given scale is going to be the same for DC as it is for DCC then we can be considered this value of the power equation to be a constant value.
That leaves current as the only variable left in the power equation that can change. So when one says more power for a given scale, this means more current and visa versa. Each power-pack provides just enough power current to run just its own train.
It does not need to provide power to all the trains on the layout. Stated another way, collectively all the DC power-packs work together and provide all the power to run all the trains. So DC power scales with the number of throttles which corresponds with the number of running trains. With DCC, there is no scaling of power on a per throttle bases.
Track power is global. All the power to run all the trains on a given layout must come from one booster. If that is not enough power, then you add more DCC boosters to add more power. Assuming your DCC system can support more throttles than trains you can run on the layout, then the DCC power needs scales with the maximum number of trains you can run on the layout. It is important to understand the level of power levels involved here for there is a big difference between DC and DCC.
For HO 14V , that means the amount of power available becomes. These system are not targeted for G scale. Entry Power Level DC:. A typical soldering pencil is 25Watts. This is also why the protection systems on a DCC boosters are so much more aggressive than the very forgiving DC throttles have. With these medium and high power level boosters, we now have some serious power levels such that they can potentially start a fire. We are talking soldering gun levels 70W or more of heat.
The point is that you much make sure your layout wiring is up to the job and that your using the right booster for the right scale. For more information on good layout wiring, go here: Wiring Planing. Remember, from one booster, or the command station, you can run 30' or more in each direction with a properly sized bus wire not opening that discussion , so one power source can cover a lot of ground.
You might even try powering the whole thing from the DCS to get started, but I'd plan on one or more boosters at the far end of the layout. Sounds like good short circuit protection is a really good idea. It's not hard for a turnout to be set the wrong way. The 5 amp booster with 8 engine capacity sounds about right. If you assume 0.
From what little I know, most modern HO engines are lower draw, on the average. The layout is only just going up with benchwork right now, so no track down and wired yet. I was leaning toward adding switches to cut power to each of the staging yard tracks and possibly other blocks as well. Sounds like it is a really good idea.
As for loco's, I have around purchased over the past 25 years. The oldest are some Life Like Proto Most of the engines have been bought in the past years and the older ones sold off except for a few LL P2K, No blue box Athearn. The only possible high amp engine is a 2nd run P2K PA unit. Sound, not very many but growing slowly in number. Don't anticipate more than one sound unit in an MU lashup most of the time.
Rio Grande typically ran power heavy trains to avoid helpers during the "short fast frequent" train era so would plan on running 2 to 4 engines at the head end. Sounds like I'm in the right ball park with boosters, 2 or 3 sufficient. Main thing is power switches on blocks and breakers. There is a basic track plan see below. The staging yard runs from where the track disappears at the top right and along the left wall under the main yard to the helix.
I've drawn a early draft of the staging on a separate sheet. I am mulling over a branchline to run from the left side of the peninsula underneath and around to the staging as well. You do NOT need a booster for each power district The Digitrax PM42 splits one booster into 4 individually protected power districts. If you're running strings of lighted passenger cars, or multi-engine MUs, you'll need to take that into consideration as well, and that might warrant the use of a booster.
At an N Trak show, we had a guy once that was running 6 powered E8 units pulling a 30 car passenger train, all lit But usually we prefer more boosters with less power each, usually they are configured for a maximum of 2 A or 3 A output, not more.
We won't use boosters with 5 A or so. Imagine you have a short on a turnout with 4. Instead you will electro-weld your loco wheels to the switch. You do NOT need a booster for each power district. I had them on an old layout, but didn't include them on my current one.
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