Power Booster

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

The MRC Command 2000 I’m currently using will soon be replaced and I have a question about my existing power supply. Here are the specifics:

– layout is around the wall of a 27x12 foot attic space, one level and about 30 inches deep.

– track is basically two concentric loops with three yards and about seven sidings of varying length. Total track linear feet about 350.

– track bus wire is 16 gauge (I think) solid copper.

– the power supply to the Command 2000 is a Ramtraxx RXPS01 currently providing 5 amps. It is capable of 5 additional amps in what they refer to as 2x4 mode. In parallel it can deliver 8 amps.

Several questions:

  1. If I go with a new DCC system with say 3.5 amps built-in, will this layout size and configuration need a power booster? Likely it will never have more than three operators and eight locomotives (some consisted) operating at any one time.

  2. If it does need a booster, will the power supply described above do the job?

  3. If so, would the correct location be at the opposite end of the layout from the command station?

  4. Finally, is the correct wiring of the booster simply to use the same 16 gauge wire and splice directly into the track bus?

I don’t know how many times I’ve read items that speak to one or more of these matters, but the answers I need when it comes to my specific situation never seem to be there.

Thanks for your help.

Mike

2

Layout size and system amperage are 2 unrelated items. System amperage has to do with how many locos you intend to run at the same time.

On thing you might consider is power management. This means to seperate your layout into blocks, and then route power to that block through some sort of power management…there are many different ways to approach this.

Power managament is good in your case for a few reasons. The first is short localization (when a short happens, it wont shut down your whole layout, only that block is affected).

Theoretically, you can run an entire empire with a Bachmann EZ command (1amp). but there is never a reason to have overkill amperage if you dont need it.

David B

3

Thanks, David, That helps a lot. I thought that amperage was not a function of distance down the wire, but I’d recently seen a diagram with boosters and a comment that lead me to believe that their placement was related to the location of the controller/power supply.

Think I’ve got it straight now. I’ll consider the power management idea as things evolve.

4

Do you run sound engines?

We have here at FREMO meetings now a few 6 ampere boosters. If you have consists with sound and in one station a meet, the booster goes down.

Wolfgang

5

Yes, I have one sound locomotive, and will soon be adding several more. I guess that raises the question of how to figure what my system needs are.

Mike

6

No, it doesnt.

I suggest you purchase a RRMeter and use it to see what your locos are actually drawing. There is no ‘rule’ of thumb when it comes to sound locos and amp draw.

I have seen Katos with sound draw no more that .1 amps under load. I have also seen Protos with sound that draw close to an amp…keep in mind that I have had Protos WITHOUT sound draw more than an amp.

In a nut shell, Sound Decoders are miniscule in terms of curren draw…

David B