The origin of this newbie question is that I saw some NCE festoon bulbs on the clearance shelf at MB Klein, didn’t know what they were and assumed it was something for O-scale.
Then I saw the CP6 on the NCE page. If you don’t use a booster, and while I don’t plan on using one in my future layout, they also you can’t use their EB1. They don’t say why. Does that mean that other aftermarket circuit breakers aren’t recommended with the Power Cab?
I should add that I am planning on a L shaped layout with yard and industrial switching. Down the road, I might expand to an □ shape and if I am going to need power districts in the future, now would be a good place to start.
You might not need a booster now but down the road you might. It depends on how many locos you have, the size of the layout and what kind of wiring you use. Don’t scimp. I too have looked at the NCE CB6. You must have some means of short control or you will frey the DCC boards, track or everything including the Power Cab. My districts will all use the same CB6. In your case you will need the CB6 or some other means of stopping shorts. I found that the CB6 is a cheap means on controling any shorts. The circuit breaker kind of short management is a little bit (OK a lot more) expensive. All in all it is good that you ask these questions now and not later when you have wired everything and you put a loco on the tracks and it doesn’t go anywhere but you smell the burning DCC equipment. Good luck.[C):-)]
The Power Cab is rated at someplace between 1.7 and 2.0 amps of output power. Many commercial DCC circuit breakers will not trip at this low value. The PSX line of breakers will, as long as the the Power Cab is at firmware level 1.65 or higher. The PSX line of DCC circuit breakers are very good. Jim
The trip value on the PSX and PSX-AR can be adjusted.
The currents can be adjusted over a range of 1.27 to 17.8 amps.