Still gathering information before I order my DCC system (might be ordering in the next few days), at the moment my layout has all the switch motors wired to individual Peco electrical switches and just takes a 16v AC feed. I know DCC can use switch decoders, however, I don’t want to rewire it having spent ages redoing the switch controls recently. Will I be ok hooking the switch power feed up to the same transformer as my DCC controller’s power feed or should I have a second transformer to power the switches?
The transformer will be a Lenz TR100 and the DCC controller a Lenz Compact - wondering if the current fluctuation when a switch is thrown might upset the Compact in some way? I have a spare power pack I can use for switch power if needed but I’d rather only use one mains socket!
I would use a second transformer, just to avoid any potential issues with what you mentioned. Plus, I would strongly consider using a capacitor discharge power supply with that. See the topic just posted within the past day or so.
Voltage sags and spikes at the input to the command station are not a good thing - it’s not the same as a sag on the output of a DC power pack, which only causes a momentary and annoying slowing of the train. It’s more like when the power main fluctuates and you are trying to use your computer.
Thanks for the advice - that’s pretty much what I figured. I’ll use an old Minitrix power pack I have hanging around as a 16V AC supply for switch motors, though I may well have to look at a CDU - I’ll see how it goes first as I only have 5 switches and the cable runs aren’t that long, so it may be ok without (if I can get by without a CDU it saves money for spending on decoders…). Thanks again for the help!
Certainly, that’s a perfect use for those old DC power packs after converting to DCC. Or if you stay with DC, use the train set cheapy power pack for switches and accessories after you change over to a quality pack to run the trains.
The CD unit marked from Rob Paisley’s site int he other thread would probably run about $5USD in parts, if that. Certainly a lot less than a commercial unit, and a good first time electronics project. Not trying to hard sell you here, a regula pack will likely work just fine given the small number of switch motors and the short wiring distances. I just dig the snappy action they give - I had about 7 switches on the 3x6 N scale layout I built my CDU for, and it just gave me better results for little effort and little cost. But N scale switch motors are a bit less (!) robust than HO ones (these being Atlas, not Peco).