Digital for absolute dummies?

TheMartin said:
in regards to boosters: What constitutes a "big" layout?
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Pretty big - not like Space is big, but quite big nonetheless (with apologies to the late great Douglas Adams!).....
Sorry, to be serious, I don't know of anyone in my area who has had to resort to a booster because of sheer size of layout or length of track - you'd be talking of hundreds of yards of track before you'd need one for that reason.
The more common need for a booster is if you have a central station with a relatively low power output (5 amps or under) and want to run quite a few trains at the same time. This can happen with central stations that were primarily designed for the smaller scales, where a booster might be necessary to bring them up to the sort of power output that G scale needs.
If you have a central station with enough output (like a 12amp Massoth setup), you don't have half a real-world mile of track and you don't want to run ten or more trains all at the same time, then really a booster shouldn't be necessary for most people.

Jon.
 
TheMartin said:
in regards to boosters: What constitutes a "big" layout?
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As much to do with the total amount of current you need, as the size of the layout..
Multiple multi-bogie US outline diesels, pulling prototypical length trains. Lots of accessories, and perhaps using the track supply for 'power' to other items as well.

(preparing to be shot down in flames)

I doubt there are many in the UK who *really* need boosters?? - proviso being they have a big enough single unit for the current they need.
They make it easier to fault find, and not all the railway shuts-down when there is a fault.
 
TheMartin said:
in regards to boosters: What constitutes a "big" layout?
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One with a current draw exceeding the rating of your Central Station.

A friend of mine was on the 12A current limit for his Massoth, with all his locos, sound and lights running, so he purchased a booster to double his current rating. He does have a large layout with a lot of stock though, far more than most of us will ever have....
 
TheMartin said:
in regards to boosters: What constitutes a "big" layout?
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Now there is a question!

My layout is around 3 scale KM's long in a 80x20 foot Garden. Around 50 Points (all Air Operated) with probably 7 Locos on the line at a running session. Could be considered as a large layout, but I have never found the need for a booster. Andy Rush's line was similar in size re points, again Air Operated. But we had some 15 por so Locomotives on the Line for Timetabled Sessions, again no Booster but both lines used Massoth Kit. If you set your line up with some Track Wiring Sections, you could always add a Booster at a later date if the need arose. I guess you would notice this by the System keep on shutting down when running. But perhaps better more experienced minds can explian when and how a Booster became required.

Fully concur re Pauls superb Drawing.
JonD
 
When deciding on boosters you need to know the current draw of the locos under power so there's enough to run all the trains in that section of layout.
If you have a big storage yard or shed with locos sitting with sound on they could all be drawing 1/4 to 1/2 amp at rest with lights and sound on, a loco starting away with a big train might draw 2 amps but settle down to 1 amp when on the go. The big US diesels can draw 3-4 amps accelerating and settle down to 2 amps each on a big train and some US modellers with huge lines have controllers up to 20amp capability to run several multi loco freights.
So it depends on the number of locos, size of trains and the gradients on your line, as a result most UK lines will manage quite happily with 8-12 amp supply. If you had say 4 big stations though, each with a shed and visiting locos you could reach the limits of a central station. Then the best thing would be to split the layout so the main unit supplied about half the stations and track and the booster the other half. However if you have one big station with a big yard and three small passing stations then you might split it one unit powering the big station and the other the rest of the layout. It all depends where trains will be drawing the most current. A steeply graded line with big multi loco trains might need a booster just to cover the two inclines either side of a 'summit station' as when two trains approach at once you might draw 6-7 amps or more.
You can work it out roughly by seeing what amps the biggest train you run draws pulling away and climbing the steepest hill, that gives you a unit of max demand. Then see how many of those trains will run at once on your layout and add 1/2 an amp per loco sat on shed to allow for shunting around. If your total then exceeds the output of your controller you will need a booster and split the layout into 2 or more sections or more powerful base station. Personally I'd rather have a couple of boosters up to 5-8 amps than one really big central unit as higher current can burn out things when it shorts, pitting wheels or track.
 
Greg Elmassian said:
You can also use a big booster, and then run separate power districts each with a circuit breaker set to 5 amps or less.

you can find these breakers four circuits to a board.

Greg
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You do need to check that the booster and breakers are compatible though as I wanted to do that with my Z21 but the breakers available don't work with their signal type. There are two distinct types and I was warned about it on RMweb ;)
 
There again, you can KISS the problem, and just wire-in car bulbs.. you can see where the problem is then! ;)
 
I have no idea what it actually means but I was warned off using a PSX circuit breaker on a Uhlenbrock booster as there's the Märklin way of generating a DCC signal, where one terminal of the power supply is hard wired directly to one of the rails or the Lenz/Digitrax way, with a full H-bridge output stage and the wrong one will fry the command station.
Finding out which is which is virtually impossible unless you can get the manufacturer of the breaker to tell you it is compatible.
As a result I have the 8 amp booster for G and I'm getting the new Roco boosters to have a set up for the large freemo HO setup where I need multiple 3 amp outputs rather than one 8 amp which could zap the rails in HO ;)
 
Digital for absolute dummies?

Does this thread work for obsolete dummies, like me, as well? o_O:confused:
 
G-force1 said:
Digital for absolute dummies?

Does this thread work for obsolete dummies, like me, as well? o_O:confused:
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I feel obsolete too! But to be obsolete, doesn't it mean you (or me) were once state of the art? I keep looking at this thread and think I must be as thick as the proverbial two short planks!
 
trammayo said:
I feel obsolete too! But to be obsolete, doesn't it mean you (or me) were once state of the art? I keep looking at this thread and think I must be as thick as the proverbial two short planks!
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Nah! I think obsolete just means 'not a lot of use any more'. :think: I don't think I was ever 'state of the art', but I've certainly been in a 'state' once or thrice! :giggle:
 
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