In the last few days I have been working on the bench. It has two main lines one DC and Other one DCC. Well it is all DCC now and the 18" turns are gone!
With making both lines DCC I added around 75 feet of track if not more. So as I knew there would be there is a power drop that was a given.
Before you flame me, I like my Bachmann EZ command it is simple and I like that. I can use K-10 Trains layout to set CV’s for free. Plus there is no “what button did I push to top making something work”! I will all so point out when I was worried about needing more F fuctions and was a waste of time “did I want to push buttons or run the trains”!
Yes I know there is a Bachmann 5 amp booster and K-10 trains will let me know what my cost is next week if I go that way. On E-bay only seller I have seen wants $180.00 plus shipping, no way at this point am I going to pay that much for now.
While I was looking around on Tonys Train world I came across this.
If it were any other DCC system besides the Bachmann, I’d say look into it a bit more and go for it. However, since the E-Z Command is somewhat unique, I’d be VERY careful about hooking up anything other than their own 5-amp booster.
You could also e-mail or call Tony’s directly and ask them whether that particular booster would work with the E-Z Command. I would do that before taking a chance and inadvertantly frying it.
Is the voltage drop because of the extra length in the run or because you are running more engines at the same time? If it is just the extra length, then you may not need a booster, but just a heavier gauge bus wire. If you do need a booster, the MF615 is not one, it is only a power supply. Most boosters will work with most DCC systems if you know how to wire them up, but here is a booster that should work with any DCC system because it uses the track outputs from the DCC system to get it’s DCC signal:http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=82034
As far as the Bus wires (that is from the power back to the feeders right?) it is 14 gauge silver wire low oxgen moster cable Audiophile grade wire at $4.00 a foot. Had some left over from my stero hobby. Feedes are 18 gauge but they have some long runs before I knew to block the feeders which I will do as I go.
On the B line that was DCC only I have ran 4 BLIs with sound with no problem. With both A and B line now being DCC I have only ran 3 BLI’s with sound. Reason I think I may need more power?
Engines volume seems lower than before
Sometimes the engines stop and the Bachmann reboots for lack of a way of saying it better.
Other reason I ask there is a new section getting ready to come on line in a few months and it will add around 50 feet of track.
Thanks for the link of the other power supply as well.
If you are running fewer engines, the problem isn’t lack of power. It’s just voltage drop, and the ability to provide more current won’t help. More feeders should, unless there’s something else going on. Does the probelm happen everywhere, or just in certain places? I’d give the wiring a good inspection, and make sure nothing has gotten messed up. And think about anything else you might have changed. You can measure the voltage, but you will need to have a load (an engine perhaps), and measure it lots of places.
I don’t know much about the Bachman systems but it sounds like either you have a reverse loop somewhere now with the A line added or you are reaching the limit on power output from the Bachman. It doesn’t sound like as voltage drop issue, although you mention the volume being lower. That could also be current related since current is really what does the work, not the voltage. A couple of qustions to help narrow things down:
Does everything on the A section work fine including volume and being able to run all 4 BLIs ? And the problem is only with the B section ?
Do A and B sections connect together at more than one point ?
Does the volume change based upon where the locomotive is on the track or is it generally lower everywhere ?
Answers to these may help narrow down the issue. A track plan would also be helpful.
5 amp booster for 180 plus shipping? HOW MUCH!? To me that Ebayer is hoping to profit off a dummy.
Im sitting on a Digitrax 2012 power supply that I got out of the hobby shop for 140- and that thing has basically all the power I will ever use in my life time. (Way too much… but let’s not go there now)
I feed my track every 6 feet or so minimum and ideally at every joint.
I know it’s a lot of work, but do you have a feeder going to every section of track or have you soldered the rail joiners? Rail joiners can be a source of voltage drop and are not dependable to route the current to all sections of your layout - particularly when you are running a bunch of sound equipped BLIs. Are you running anything else that draws current from the track like lighted passenger cars or stationary decoders?
On the reverse loop, yes the A and B line connect but all the turn outs use plactic joiners. I have yet cross from one line to another. On the joints, I have solder a few of them but not many. Where I have solder them have been problem spots and it did fix them.
I have around with out counting them 30 feeders between the two main lines. There is apx 150 feet not counting spurs and interchanges between A and the B line.
There is no problem sections, engines sound the same all the way round. In fact excpet the engines sounding a little lower in volume there is no real problem. The rebooting, some times that happen with a single engine. Maybe a rolling stock with metal wheels might hit something just wrong at the right time and cause the reboot.
More than likely the answer is more feeders and then more power.
Right now my Big Boy is making the rounds and is running sweet. I am a happy man right now.
If some answers this question it will take a long answer I am guessing. What is driffrent between wiring a DC bench and a DCC bench? When I started I made sure all the out side rails went to one block and inside rails went to another. I have 4 main blocks 2 for each for main line using what I just listed above.
Maybe that’s a question better asked and answered on the Bachmann forum. Seriously, I would post the question for “The Bach Man” and see what he/others have to say…
Looks like it. All a booster does is take the input signal and ‘boost’ it, so that is probably right. Some boosters can take a signal at almost any ‘reasonable’ level and put out the ‘right’ stuff. Remember, feeders are still important. I’ll go back to the original point, if you have not added engines, more power capacity isn’t the problem, getting the power to them may be.
