Lifehack - 6A Booster for garden railway from 2 Roco Boosters 10764

[BR95009]

Hi all,

Booster for garden railway is way to expensive so, why not use what I have already? I have 2 Roco boosters 10764 which I bought with 2 Roco multiMouses.

So basically idea is that if we connect them in parallel to the rails we double the capacity so we have 6A instead of 3A. Which is fairly enough for garden railroad.

To be short, pls take a look on video with such experement.

Prerequisites:
- 2 boosters 10764 by Roco
- 1 multiMouse from Roco
- cabling - to rails from booth boosters and B-Bus booster link cable to both Booster out holes .

Result: there small interference with 0,078V which gave 7 micro amper. Which is nothing for 6A station.

DCC commands work perfect.

And I suppose if we could youse station to booster connection (B-Bus, i.e.) then we will have less interference or even zero due to less latency.

Video:

 

[JimmyB]

I assume this means something to the DCC boys.

 

[PhilP]

I assume this means something to the DCC boys.

Yep.. Even in a different language..
Running to boosters / command stations in parallel to have the same track-voltage, but double the current available..

That help?

 

[Zerogee]

I'm actually quite surprised that you can do this.... I always thought that booster stations needed to each be connected to their own separate "power district".
But hey, if it works......?

Jon.

 

[PhilP]

I'm actually quite surprised that you can do this.... I always thought that booster stations needed to each be connected to their own separate "power district".
But hey, if it works......?

Jon.

In theory.. It ought to work, but it may not!

If all the cable-lengths are the same, then it should take the same amount of time for signal processing and transmission to happen, and the DCC signals should be 'the same' and arrive 'at the same time'. - In which case it will work..

If one signal path is an appreciably different length, then the timings would be 'off', and who knows what would happen?

 

[BR95009]

But hey, if it works......?

Yep, indeed.

 

[BR95009]

who knows what would happen?

I know. I have checked with oscilograph, voltmeter and ampermeter.

DCC signal difference abour 5 micro(!) secund which is far below DCC standart tolerance.

Volts and amps are also nothing to take ot account. So... it works. But keep in mind, that upper hole to upper hole, lower - to lower.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Test the overcurrent protection, that's usually what does not work well..

And yes, JimmyB it does mean something to the DCC guys, and this is a DCC forum...

 

[BR95009]

Test the overcurrent protection, that's usually what does not work well..

Tested. It works.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

That's great, although I have a question, if you get at the "edge" of overload, I would guess that one of the 3 amp units would cut out first, and leave you with 3 amps into the "short circuit"...

It might only be a short time, i.e. say it cuts out at 8 amps total... so you slowly increase the current until one of the 2 units "trips"... as soon as it does, it would make sense that the load is then way too much for the remaining unit, and it trips right away.

As long as the overload "smarts" are not so smart, it might work very well.

In any case, a nice discovery..

Greg

 

[BR95009]

That's great, although I have a question, if you get at the "edge" of overload, I would guess that one of the 3 amp units would cut out first, and leave you with 3 amps into the "short circuit"...

Everything way more simple. When first (any) booster catch overload, it gives command to DCC source( multimouse, DR5000, z21, whatever) to stop and station cuts signal => both boosters become off.

But even considering your scenario, how do you think, what are amps if you put screwdriver on the rails? And booster manage this in microseconds to cut the power. So - nothing special.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I did not know this booster sends a signal back, that is not for every booster type.

In any case seems to work fine.