how many amps do I need please

Chris Wright

Chris Wright

Rev-Up
I am using a Roco Z21 Pro system which gives 3.2 amps output to track. I also have Bachmann locos, Shay, Climax converted to sound that work just fine. My concern is the Aristocraft units.

I have a Dash and three Alco warship units which I link together. I have QSI chips with sound coming for the Aristocraft but as the Dash is four motors and the Alco set is six motors in all plus smoke units does anyone know what I can get away with as far as booster goes? The options are 5 amp and 8 amp Digitrax that take a DCC signal

The most I will ever have running on the track at the same time are two Bachmann or the two Aristocraft. The two Bachmann run just fine on the standard output of the Z21 but once the QSI sound decoders come will I wish to be able to run both Aristocraft at once and if not which booster will be needed?

The manuals for the Aristocraft do not give power output needed to track hence the question if anyone can help.
 
Go for the biggest booster you can afford and which is compatible with the Z21. It's always advisable to allow some headroom. The Dash-9 and Alco lash-ups will be quite power hungry (expect 2-3 amps or more), plus consider you'll probably have coach lighting etc. in the future. "The most I'll ever run together" might be true now but in the future....?
 
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Thanks for that. I did not want to over-egg things as the cost difference of 5amp against 8 amps is considerable. Coach lighting I have already as battery LED in each coach with battery boxes underneath each coach so works fine, however, I have just sourced an Aristocraft coach with a smoke unit and lighting which both take power from the tracks but this will be used only withe the Bachmann Forney I have
 
I agree with Nick - the most you can reasonably afford - you will ultimately use it.
 
POWER! (as Clarkson is wont to say..)..

You might want to power points in the future.. You might want to add building lighting (dead easy to hang it off the track).
The Aristo's will consume 2-3 Amps, easy.. Especially if you put a decent load behind them. Do you have gradients? do you have any reverse curves? What (minimum) radius are your curves?
 
I may have got my wires the wrong way round here so please can some well informed user correct me if necessary.
As I understand things, a booster is used on a separate section of track. So for a high power set up like the Alco/Dash you need plenty of amps on each section. So a big booster wont always help.
 
stockers said:
I may have got my wires the wrong way round here so please can some well informed user correct me if necessary.
As I understand things, a booster is used on a separate section of track. So for a high power set up like the Alco/Dash you need plenty of amps on each section. So a big booster wont always help.
Click to expand...

Correct.. If ALL the loco's are in the same section, and running at the same time.
Normally (running) trains will be spread around the layout.. If you do get two, or more, in the same section, then it is highly likely that some of them will be stationary (even if not at a station!) so drawing a lot less current..
 
Boosters can be used for several reasons....

1) When your DCC system does not provide the correct voltages/power requirements for the whole layout (e.g. using a DCC system designed for smaller scales via a booster to operate larger scale trains). In this case the output from the original CS is not used (except possibly as input to the booster).
2) To add additional power to larger railways after splitting the railway into smaller sections. Booster and Central station are evenly matched (same voltage, similar power).
3) To provide specialist DCC functionality (i.e. station stop & slow sections) within an existing layout.
 
Yes I connected the Z21 to the booster then the track. The Z21 had no direct connection to the rails it's signal was boosted first. The thread linked above shows how. If you've got two Aristocraft locos you may well pull 4-5 amps on starting a heavy train and coaches like the USA trains streamliners pull half an amp each with the lights on ;)
 
Well I bought the 8 amp MRC 1521 which arrived this morning only for me to find that the cab cable is too big for the B-BUS 4 pin socket on the Z21. Obviously I can cut the plug off and wire in the cables but this is where I come up against a dead end.

Where do I get one of these 4 pin plugs?

Has anyone done this before that could help?

Which cables of the supplied cab connection cable (there are 8 in all) do I use?
 
Before you start cutting plugs off cables (which would almost certainly void any warranty on the unit), are you sure that the MRC booster is 100% compatible with the Roco CS? You're mixing US and European manufacturers here.....
Not saying they WON'T be compatible and work happily together, just suggesting that it's best to be certain before starting to re-wire things! ;)
In any case, I'd be tempted to make up an adaptor lead rather than modify the leads that come with the unit, for the warranty reasons already mentioned.

Jon.
 
I accept your concerns but MRC do state it will work with other units but fail to say which of the 8 wires you need to connect by colour. If all else fails I will sell the Z21 Pro unit and connect up a Prodigy unit but trying the wiring thingy first.
 
Usually best to stick with one make. Sure, they should be cross compatible. but the word is 'should'.
 
Maybe someone else has put together the same combination and documented it on the net, if you've previously determined they should be compatible? You'd expect there to be pin-out / cable core diagrams somewhere.

The socket looks like an RJ11 - you can get the connectors and crimper from Maplin and elsewhere, I bought a kit a while back to make up some long cables for my NCE system.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/rj11-and-rj45-crimping-tool-and-cable-stripper-set-a43qw

Suggest you make a new cable rather than cut the ends off existing cables.
 
Chris, if you can come up with 'what should connect to what' I have the connectors, and assorted number of cores flat cable..

If you PM (conversation) me, I can knock you up a cable.
PhilP.
 
Current state of play.....

I have done two things, emailed MRC for the colour wires needed in their standard Ethernat cable which is 8 wires to 6 pins so two wires are either redundant or bound up to two others in say a common earth. Waiting on their response.

Secondly I have identified the Roco 4 pin socket as RJ11 and the cable provided by MRC as RH45 I have also ordered a male RJ11 to a female RJ45 converter. My thinking here is that it is only carrying a DCC signal so should only need 2 wires. My opinion is that MRC have taken a cheap and cheerful route in the standard Ethernet cable. If we look at a standard USB plug versus a mini USB plug, both work perfectly but the mini one does not carry power due to less wires hence my thoughts re the just bought converter.

When it arrives I will try it and post the results. I could have course bought the Ullenbrock booster but this is a two part unit and together they add up to 340 quid. This combined 8amp MRC unit was 123 shipped so quite a saving so if a cheap converter works others may wish to save money and do what I have done.

If all else fails I will buy a second hand MRC PRODIGY handset from a Club Member if a Lenz handset from the Club does not work and use the Z21 just to program all the sound functions and reassign them to different function keys thus making the Prodigy/Lenz handsets work easier.

Thanks to PhilP as I may take up your generous offer.
 
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