Thanks for all of the advice and helpful tips. As much as I would love to get the trains rolling, I’m going to take the wiring aspect extremely patiently and work methodically.
I’ve marked off the where the feeders will go by using small red and black push pins. I really took my time to make sure that I was going about things the right way as I wanted to ensure that things were going to be done right.
With no timeline for this part of the hobby, I’m going about things extremely slowly, making sure all of the bases are covered for some bulletproof trackwork.
Thanks again for all of the tips! The wiring endeavour begins this weekend.
This is one of the simplest questions to answer that comes up on this forum. Since you obviously can afford it (and many of us can, I’m not doing any whining or such here), go wireless from the start. As others have said, (1) for the size of layout that you have, the plugging and unplugging gets old, fast; (2) if you do it from the start, your savings on plug-in panels and the associated wiring will substantially offset the added cost of the wireless option.
I, too, am thinking of going with the NCE Wireless system.
My layout is about 20 X 20 on two levels with a helix connecting them. I have two power districts and plan on two more. I’m using Digitrax DCS100 and DB150 Boosters. I’m trying to add a second booster but when I connect the Loconet cable to it I have problems with my throttle and the booster is not even connected to the track yet. I’ve swapped the boosters around and it doesn’t help. Everything works fine with either boosters but when I connect the second the problem comes back. I have a DT400 and a DT402 and the numbers on the screen for a loco flash continuously no matter which numbers I press.
Anyway, the purpose of this reply is to ask if you have your layout divided into power districts with NCE boosters?
I think you’ve mis-typed something here. Do you have a Digitrax or an NCE command station? You can use NCE boosters with the Digitrax system, but you are not going to be able to use any of the NCE wireless throttles with the Digitrax system.
Wait, you want to toss out your current system and switch because you are having problems plugging in a second booster? The most likely problem is that you are forgetting to add the jumper between Config A and Ground on the new booster to force it into being a booster and disable the command station functionality of the DV150. Or you have a bad loconet cable connecting them. Our club layout consists of one DCS100 and FIVE DB150’s, all works fine.
Do you really run enough trains on that layout to need 15 amps of power, or are you just trying to set up power districts so a short in one area doesn’t shut off the whole layout? You can do that with circuit breakers instead of more boosters and power supplies.
I have the Super Chief Digitrax system (2007) with the DCS100 command station and two DB150 boosters which are less than a year old. I have the original DT400 throttle and a DT402 for a spare in case.
I want to go wireless and hence thinking about the NCE system to replace my Digitrax.
I’ve got everything wired up according to the book. This is several months old now. I’ve played with the Ops Switches, reset everything to default and start over and I’m just going around in circles now.
Everything works fine with the command station and ONE booster. But when I plug in the second booster (with the Loconet cable) I can’t select a loco (tried both the DT400 and DT402). I’ve tried switching the boosters around but I get the same results. So I can’t see that the boosters are at fault. The display shows Power 12.5V and stays there 'till I hit any key. Then the numbers where the selected loco is displayed (and it’s not even a number I’ve ever entered) just stay flashing no matter what number key I press.
My bus wire is 12 gauge and feeders are 18 gauge. I’ve got 12 gauge for ground between units. My command station and boosters all have their own power supplies. Either Magna Force or NCE P515. I’ve tested the Loconet cables. I’ve swapped them all around and nothing changes.
I’m still building so have only been running one or two locos to test as I go along so I can’t say I’ve overloaded the system.
The main reason for the power districts with boosters is I plan to have a lot of locos sitting around and while I probably wouldn’t be running more than two trains at a time I might have to move locos around to get the unit(s) I want.
There’s a thread on the Digitrax group about voltage readings between the various wires on the Loconet cable and I checked mine and they all seem to be where they should.
I’ve searched all over the Internet for answers but nothing has helped. There’s nobody anywheres close to me that I can ask.
I’ve been thinking about going wireless and if I went with NCE I could start fresh.
Otherwise I don’t know where to go next unless I stay with just one booster until I start having other problems.
Yes, it sounded like your layout was just a bit bigger than mine. I’ve got two levels connected by a helix in a space roughly 20 X 20.
I was wondering how many boosters I might need especially in my engine terminal where I plan to have a lot of locos sitting around. I wouldn’t be running many trains but might have to move a lot of locos to get the unit(s) I want.
I have a peninsula in the middle coming out from both levels. I was thinking of putting the antenna on the ceiling over the peninsulas. Would there be a dead spot on the bottom peninsula?
I was also concerned about batteries for the throttle. Sometimes weeks go by when I don’t have time to run trains and when I do I hate it when the batteries are dead or dying. Do you remove them? My little digital camera takes 4 AA’s. If I leave them in there and don’t use it for awhile it seems that I only get a few pictures before they go dead. Rechargeables are the worst. I can charge up a extra set but when you go to use them weeks or months later they’re dead. And they take forever to charge up.
I am not going to tell you to sell the Digitrax system, throttles and boosters. But, if you do, in favor of the NCE PH-Pro wireless system, you will not regret it. I chose NCE over Digitrax back in 2004, and I have no regrets whatsoever. The system is excellent, the customer service is beyond outstanding, and the support is awesome not only from NCE itself but also on the NCE-DCC forum on Yahoo Groups.
Yves, with a 20’ x 20’ layout on two levels and a lot of loco action, you could justify two boosters, one in the command station and one additional booster, a DB5 or an SB5. My power requirements did not truly warrant a second booster, but when I decided to split the layout into a series of separate power districts, I added the second booster for convenience as much as anything. It just made maintenance and diagnostics that much easier.
I leave my wireless base station and antenna at layout surface level, but I plan to move it to the basement ceiling for even better reception, especially when Programming on the Main. You should not experience any dead spots with the arrangement that you describe.
Rich will be back, but until then I’ll also sing the praises of NCE.His opinion on the circuit breakers etc may be different, too. I find them useful, but I run 2 or 3 trains at once often enough, plus have ops sessions with half a dozen others enough to make it worthwhile. It’s really not so much the expense of buying them as it is the hassle of rewiring your power feeds so they each feed a discrete zone via each CB. Well worth it for me.
Mind you, if you have tried it and the NCE just worked better for you, it’s a common experience. Not so much because one is inherently better than the other, but because you either relate to the equipment or not. Some folks are Digitrax people and some are NCE…or something else. But this is an area where your preferences are really important to just feeling comfortable with it, so this is very important. It’s also not a diss on anyone else’s system.
Yeah, if it’s just you, the need for breakers is less than it would automatically be with more ops. Just not so many folks getting into trouble. On the other hand, depending on your operating tastes, the state of your track, and how many trains you might be able to runs simultaneously, there’s still potential for shorts. Circuit breakers simply slice the layout into smaller sections, so that when a short triggers a shutdown, the neighboring zones aren’t affected. If you’ll only ever run 1 to 3 trains, less need for the CBs. If the shorts from what you run don’t interfere with your other trains yet, then you’re probably good without them.
But it’s also the case that if you have that limited a demand, then the command station and an extra 5 amp booster are likely more than enough juice. Unless you have multiple trains running under heavy load, you’ll never need the third booster. This simplifies your bus wiring some if that’s still an issue, if you can locate the two – command station and booster in the middle of things, run a bus
Do you need to add circuit breakers? The simple answer is no.
For years, I ran my lone wolf layout with an NCE PH-Pro 5 amp system with a single booster, no circuit breakers, and a tethered throttle arrangement.
But, I experienced a lot of problems and a lot frustrations. Although I operate as a lone wolf, I try to run a lot of locos and a lot of trains at one time. My layout measures 25’ x 42’ and is set up in an open-P arrangement. It is a double mainline, continuous loop with a large freight yard and engine servicing facility, a large downtown passenger station with an adjacent coach yard, and several sidings and spurs. There are four reversing sections on the layout, designed to reverse the directions of trains to simulate the actual movement of trains arriving and departing from points east and west into a freelanced Chicago-type setting.
The main problem that I encountered with this original setup was the complete stoppage of everything on the layout when an isolated derailment and/or short occurred somewhere on the layout. I had to locate the derailment or short, unplug the throttle from its location and plug it back in at the site of the derailment or short to get everything moving once again.
So, the first thing that I did was to add a wireless base station and antenna to free myself from the annoyances and limitations of a tethered system. What a tremendous advancement. I never looked back.
More recently, I decided to isolate derailments once and for all and keep the trains moving elsewhere on the layout once and for all. So, I divided the layout
Thanks for the advice. I’ll probably add Circuit Breakers as you suggest.
So I went ahead and ordered the wireless system from the DCC Shop in Idaho. They’re closest to me so the shipping was a lot less than from any other.
One last question. I want to add a booster and looking at the PB105 which is still available on many sites. Since I don’t need a power supply it’s a lot cheaper than the PB5 that comes with a power supply. Otherwise are they the same?
The PB5 is the same booster as the PB105. The PB5 in fact replaces the PB105. Although the PB5 appears more expensive than the PB105, the PB5 includes its own power supply so it is actually cheaper than the PB105. If you already have a power supply, then buy the PB105 if you can still find it.
Priceline - not just for airlines and hotels anymore!
Now, if we could get Shatner to do a model railroading commercial…
I really need to find another dealer shutting down - that’s how I got my DT402 and DB150, I bought a Super EMpire Builder Xtra set from a dealer who was retiring, at an amazing closeout price. Since my plan on my last layout was to drive the tracks with the 5 amps and use the 2.5 from my Zephyr to run the accessory decoders. Now that I am filling my basement, eventually, I figure a DCS100 for command station now, not that I will likely run more than 20, let alone 12 locos at once, unless I get op sessions organized. And being a much larger layout with more servo switch motors, a full 5 amps for the stationary decoder buss would probably be good, so DCS100 + 2x DB150, maybe 3 boosters, though I don;t think I will be able to have enough trains moving at once to tax 10 total amps.