Anyone built their own DCC Boosters?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I was just wondering has anyone built their own DCC boosters?

I’m electronically inclined and was simply wondering if there is a cheaper way of getting DCC boosters than buying the expensive ones that are out there for sale.

Any chance someone sells kits?

Have any of the magazines printed articles on how to do this or is it something that just isn’t done? Thanks in advance.

2

I’ve considered it, but the high power output devices aren’t exactly cheap from places like Digikey and Jameco. Another consideration is the short protection circuitry. If you want to go the route of building it yourself, CVP still offers their booster in kit form, it’s the same one that was presented in an MR article entitled “The Big Boost”. You can see it at http://www.cvpusa.com. But the kit version is only $20 less than the assembled. Being cheap, and loving to assemble electronic projects, I’d probably still opt for the kit, but there’s not realy any significant savings for DIY. The MR article is available, and I think you can still get schematics, if you would want to attempt a complete DIY project.

–Randy

3

It is done. The boosters are basically big audio amplifiers, if you do not use the bit stretching option of the standard for a DC locomotive, a high powered audio band amp with pretty poor specs will do fine.

4

Nigel,
Please elaborate. I have a Ampeg guitar amp… how would this be used as a booster.
Dave

EDIT: bump

5

I just received last week two books that have schematics for boosters:
“Model Railroad Electronics 4”, and “Model Railroad Electronics 5”, both by Rutger Friberg. The first has a 3A booster, while the second has a 6A booster with computer interface.

I have not had time to even consider actually building anything (these were more purchased for curiosity and potential future construction), so I have no idea as to availability of parts, cost, etc. However, since they were about ~$17 apiece from Internet Trains (http://www.internettrains.com/higstatrailp.html), you might be interested.

Brian Pickering

6

Unless you like to tinker with electronics and can afford to see a DCC system turned into a smoke generator, by the time you get all of the additional items you would need to use an audio amplifier as a power booster, you will have spent more than a booster costs. A good booster uses opto-isolators to insure that track power and the DCC command signal are totally isolated from each other.

7

Not necessarily. The NMRA spec allows for both direct differential input signals AND optoisolated inputs. The advantage of optoisolated inputs is that such a booster can work with any system, it just gets its input from the original booster’s track output. Plus it allows for common rail wiring but you shouldn’t do that [:)]. It really doesn’t matter if you aren’t going to mix brands at that level in your system.
I think there are more boosters that AREN’T optoisolated than ones that are, although some manufacturers offer a retrofit option if you really need the capability.

–Randy