Need More DCC Power--Watch This Before You Buy (270)
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- Most model railroaders eventually reach the point where they need more power to run more trains. Or they may want added capabilities to control accessory decoders, or add an off the shelf control panel. In this video I'll show you how you can add a 5 amp booster to your DCC system and get added capabilities in the process. So let's get started!
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Great explanatory video Larry. My one criticism of DCC Concepts is they try and explain their workings with a wall of text instead of upto date videos. Your explanations are a great help.
Still a DC runner..and proud of it.
Thanks Larry, that video was very useful.
Great video, another interesting DCC option.
Larry, I've had my eye on that DCC Concepts unit for 6 months now, but that higher Voltage has had me concerned, even though they say it's fine with my NEC Power cab. Well, I'm not worried anymore after today. I just wish someone here in the states would carry the whole DCC Concepts product line, not just bits and pieces. All of their products are very high quality, and just superb!!! Thanks for the info!
Iron Planet Hobbies does have most of their products or can get them fast from them.
Hi Scotabot, As someone who has gone heavily down the DCC Concepts path I can absolutely agree with you, However I got around the problem in a fairly simple way, Grab yourself a Digitrax UP6Z and it has options for stepping down the voltage to a much lower rate, I've got mine down to 15V and it's much happier than the standard 18V as it outputs.
thank you for sharing your detail video as all great watching all time
Thank you for sharing.👍👀
It's also extremely important to note if you are using ANY Digitrax system to use the required cables alongside the Alpha Box/Alpha power. There are special connectors for each system (Some don't need any as shown in the above video). If you don't use the provided connector then you are likely to blow the Alpha box pretty quickly.
I plan to do another video focused on using a Digitrax system.
Great video. I've gone wireless with my own layout command system and starting work on a Wi-Fi replacement for my DCC system. Just a lot of modules to run an intro system.
Morning Larry
Well mate you have just made my day :) I'm looking at building a medium size layout next year and it was going to be DC but then thinking a little more DCC might be a way to go as I would like sound for my layout, budget is not to big so was looking at the Digitrax Zephur but was then worried about not enough power ?? looked high and low and finally for this, so as I grow I can get more power :) fantastic thank you so much for all you hard work and helping the less knowledgeable :)
Cheers Mark
Sounds like a match.
Oh, and congrats on crossing 30k subscribers.
Did you ever checked other DCC centrals like the Intellibox II ? It has already 16 buttons for devices, can add as many boosters as you want, can connect manual controllers , has modules for steering signals and turnouts, modules for detection and can be connected to the computer
I just uploaded my recent one on this exact product with a flaw in it that drove me nuts! It will be live 9th SEP on my channel I’m sure you will get a great chuckle. Stay safe.
Which product-the Alpha Power/Box, or the Bachmann EZ Command? Also what is you channel?
Im sorry. But bachmann actually gots a way to flip a switch on dcc now actually. But i understand your showing the power booster and its helpful stuff. Just thought i would let you know that bachmann gots a dcc switch now.
Are you talking about their DCC Turnout Controller? If so that is simply an accessory decoder but you can’t control it with their EZ Command system. If you are talking about something else please be specific. I looked on their website and didn’t see anything else.
@@TheDCCGuy im replying to you again. Because UA-cam might have removed the video link. But all you have to do is look up Bachman DCC control box with turnout. Yes it might be a accessory but it upgrades the turnout to DCC to where the dcc controller can use it by being programmed from hit 9 and then functions and then you're able to program it from there as seen from Bachmans UA-cam.
I’ll check the video,out, thanks. I was not aware of that feature with the DCC turnout controller. There are a lot of other intro type DCC systems though that also do not have this feature such as the MRC/Gaugemaster Prodigy Express, some of the Hornby systems, etc.
@@TheDCCGuy i fully understand. No worrys. But yeah i just thought you should know that at least for bachmann ez dcc stuff. As for the others you said. Maybe and if you want. You can use some of them in your next video or two showing off the power booster. P.s. hornby might have a turn out controller as well. BUT! its part of the bluetooth system line they have. Where you can get a Bluetooth controller to run a DC engine and you can use a other Bluetooth thing to control the points/turn outs. All from the Hornby app. Just thought i would let you know. Just in Case you didn't know like you did with the bachmann EZ dcc thing.
Why anyone would want all those controls when Digitrax will do it all or the NEC. That's a lot of controls the Bachmann System has.
Just provides another,option.
@@TheDCCGuy but I believe in KISS.
But Thank you for providing the information.
The DCC power box upgrade is primarily aimed at those with a DCC starter system and dont want to lash out a lot of money all at once or those who want to power a number of districts as opposed to full blown out of the box systems that cost a lot more.
The Alpha Central is one separate option for controlling accessories which some starter system dont have and enables people to build their DCC control in installments.
Thank you for your comment on the system at hand
Larry very interesting In the video I noticed a board hanging from under your layout was that an NCE EB1?
Yes, good eye. I use that to protect whatever is powering the modules at any given time.
Larry you are wrong about the ability to control you accessory with the digitrax system they have a a adapter leads for Four different systems where you can make use of the full system functions without the Alpha Central.
Also you can use the NCE Power Cab just use the 6 wire cord to the alpha Box just that simple
Ed are you talking about DCC Concepts? I am aware of the adapter dongles for the various systems to interface with the Alpha Box and that is what I meant in the video when I said you could connect a command station or throttle to the Box using am interface. However you don’t need the interface if you just use the track power feeds to provide the DCC signal and you can still have a throttle bus connected to Digitrax throttle panels. I probably will do a video showing how to do that.
On the NCE system Power Cab all you need is the Hammer head and a 6 wire cable you could hook it up direct to the DCC Concepts and you don"t need the the alpha central you could use the hammer head controller to control your switches same also you can do the same with digitrax system if you need the digitrax adapters for your demo I have them and would let you use them.
I have done both systems with the info from DCC Concepts and both work very well.
Yes, I know, I showed how to use the Alpha Central with the PowerCab in video 262.
So basically if you with back man and want to control all non engine functions you have to buy all of this other stuff? Better off to go to buy the NCE power cab starter set with power supply
Thanks for a great video Larry. I am thinking of getting one of these straight away to increase the capability of my NCE Powercab. But I am still worried about that 18 volts. Everything I have read/heard up to now has suggested that 13 to 15 volts is right for HO scale. I have mainly ESU decoders. Can I feel comfortable using 18 volts? I would appreciate your comment. Thank you, John
The NMRA specifies a min/max for HO scale of 7-27 volts on the rails with a nominal of 15 volts. Personally I have always used a 15 volt power supply which gives me about 13.8 volts at the command/station booster outputs and I have known guys who used 12 volts on the rails with HO scale. I don’t think the issue is you might blow a decoder, especially those designed for HO as they are generally designed to meet the NMRA 27 volt max. It mainly comes down to the fact that in most cases the function and motor voltages are proportional to the track voltage. So if you size you LED resistors assuming 12 volts and then provide something close to 18 volts you’re likely to get very bright lights! Also your locos will run at a proportionally faster speed at any given throttle setting. It is easy enough to find a 15 volt 5 amp power supply at Jameco as well as various other DCC suppliers and the barrel plug is available from these companies as well as All Electronics. So if you are comfortable doing this then no problem. BTW the barrel plug for the Alpha Box needs to be a 2.5mm center positive one. And as I showed in the video the NCE power supply for the SB5 gives 12 or 13.8 volts at 5 amps. I also have been told that down the road DCC Concepts is considering providing a slide switch voltage selector on their power supply but that won’t help you now.
@@TheDCCGuy Thank you for the reply Larry. I think I will source a 15 volt supply and then I will feel more comfortable using it.
Hi Mate, as mentioned to another user, Grab yourself a UP6Z and connect your main power out into that and then your main feed from the UP6Z, It allows you to step down either to 15V or 12V DCC
I'm still waiting for the "perfect" DCC system.
Digitrax is the most functional and easiest to use, but all their stuff looks like it was built by a kid in his bedroom.
NCE is modern looking, but overly complicated to use.
Bachmann is a good in between, but it just feels cheaply made.
There are some European DCC systems that look amazing, but come with amazing prices!
I currently use MRC Elite. It's modern looking, easy to use, and sturdy, but proprietary. So none are perfect.
If you keep expecting someone to develop the “prefect” DCC system you will always be disappointed! Technological developments always seem to stay one step ahead of what manufacturers are willing to build into their new products. Probably because they are never willing to take a chance on whether model railroaders will actually want the newest thing. Manufacturers waited almost 5 years before starting to include 8-pin decoder sockets in locos and LCC is still a technology waiting to be developed. I have been using Digitrax products since 1994 and in my first review of their first system I made the comment that the throttles looked like something someone made in their basement. Actually I was dead right as Zana and AJ Ireland started the company in the basement of their Norcross GA house. However I still have that equipment and it still works after 28 years!
@@TheDCCGuy That's not true, IMO. The Lenz system is really good, and the ESU system is pretty close to the perfect DCC system. These systems are just hard to get here in America. A lot of European shops either don't carry them (they are pricey) or won't ship to America.
Opinions are like belly buttons-everybody has one and no two are alike!
@@TheDCCGuy So true! 🙂
When do you expect to test the Alpha Box and Alpha Central with Digitrax? If I missed it let me know and I will look at that video. I am mostly curious if I can put Digitrax throttles on the Digitrax Bus and then see turnout changes made by the Alpha Central on the Digitrax throttles.
Also, if you start with a NCE Power System, are you limited to 6 cabs yet?
Thanks for all your work!
David Smith
I hope to test that in December. As for the NCE you can have up to 6 per cab but on the PH Pro system you can have up to 63 cabs!
@@TheDCCGuy Thanks! It is a busy time of the year! Great Job!
What is the best online source for HO scale model railroad supplies? Thanks for the help.
I get 90-95% from Frank Ruby at www.blueridgehobbies.com. Been buying from him since I moved to Asheville in 2009. For most things DCC related I go with Bryan Vianco at Streamlined Backshop www.sbs4dcc.com . For some I also turn to Ryan Mathews at www.ironplanethobbies.com . All have been very reliable for me.
I am considering the Cobalt turnout motors and Alpha panel on my layout expansion, but it is really hard to decide which system to invest in.
I would be interested in a video on the merits of 12v vs. 15v vs. 18v for N scale. Based on my Alpha Meter and RRampMeter, I am getting 14.9 volts out of my command station and 14.9 volts at the farthest end of my track, so I could drop to 12v without voltage drop. But I do not understand why, if DCC Decoders are rated up to 22v that I should run my N scale at 12v. Thanks
OK, the NMR standard for N scale decoders calls for 7-24 volts with a nominal value of 12 volts. So why is that important? Well, with most decoders the voltage supplied to the motor is proportional to the track voltage. The decoder will likely drop it a volt or so but if you start at 18 volts then the max the motor might see is 17 volts at full throttle. A lot of N scale motors might not take that for long if you tend to be a speed demon. Now of course if you tend to run your locos at about half throttle then they’ll just tend to run a bit faster and not overheat. That is one reason Digitrax systems have voltage appropriate scale setting switches and the ability to fine tune the track voltage. NCE has a similar ability to adjust the track voltage. However some systems such as the Alpha Box is what I call a voltage follower in that the track voltage is totally dependent on the input voltage. That is not bad, it just means that if you desire a specific track voltage you must select a power supply with a voltage about 1 volt higher. I have a couple of power supplies with slide switches that go from about 12-24 volts and the NCE SB5 comes with one that can be set for 12 or 13.8 volts track power. Hopefully that answers your question and will make it easier to make a decission.
@@TheDCCGuy I really appreciate this response, so it is the motor that I should be considering, not the decoder when talking about voltage. I do program all my decoders so the top speeds are not the top speeds, but this makes me wonder if I set a speed profile using a 15v PSU, then go to a club with a 12v PSU, then my Speed Table is going to be off.
I assumed the decoder had a voltage regulator built into it, but I guess that was an assumption I should not have made.
It also,affects the lights. If you assume 12 volts when choosing a resistor and then put it on an 18 volt track you’ll get very bright lights, for a while!
@@TheDCCGuy thanks for this back and forth, it was very informative.
I have an NCE POWERCAB which feeds directly into a CP6 and that gives me 6 power districts.
If I increase the current available with the SB5 the districts will still be limited to 1.75A!
I have 4'x9' N scale layout and don't run many trains at once.
My concern is all the Light-Its for Signals and structures, Switch-Kats and AIUs drawing track current.
How would I implement an accessory bus?
Thanks
There is a video on that on here-with close to 300 videos I am afraid I cannot be more specific but just scan down through the list.
Is it safe to use a booster in conjunction with a Lenz LS150 Turnout Control Unit or will the additional current fry the unit?
Sorry but since Lenz left the US marketplace 20 years ago I have totally lost track of their product line and have no idea what the LS150 takes. However it should have the voltage and current limitations/requirements in the instructions.
Hi, I’m just starting on a “N” scale layout & I’m confusing terminology in regards to wiring in the questions I’ve asked of you. I saw on one of your videos that you had written at least 3 books. Basic DCC Wiring for Your Model Railroad: A Beginners Guide: 4/1/11, Wiring Your Model Railroad (Essentials) 8/1/15, DCC Projects & Applications V4 8/26/19
What book would you recommend I start with?
Thanks!
PS: I haven’t purchased any power system yet, just a Kato starter system.
I would say go,with “Wiring Your Model Railroad”. It provides some basics about DC and DCC and is one of the Essentials that Kalmbach publishes. Also take a look at the series of videos I did on building the modules.
@@TheDCCGuy Thanks!
Where do you purchase a cobalt booster?
In the US try Iron Planet Hobbies, in the UK any DCC Concepts dealer or DCC Concepts themselves.
If you have a two deck layout would you need a booster for each deck
No. You only add boosters if you need more power to run more locos, you use circuit breakers to divide power among various blocks. Watch my videos on boosters #113 and power management #112.
@@TheDCCGuy Thanks for the advice and I will certainly watch your video on power management
Larry with an NCE Powercab can the DCC Concept booster allow use of the programming track feature (unlike the SB 5)?
Not sure how that would work. The programming should go through OK but I don’t know that you would get the current limited to the 250 milliamps. Let me ask the DCC Concepts expert.
@@TheDCCGuy Thank you!
They say that it won’t work through the booster, you would have to make a connection to the programming track before the booster connection. The best option would be to T in an Auto-SW before the booster so that it would automatically shunt programming commands to a programming track or allow track power to pass on to the booster. I showed how to use the Auto-SW back around video 98.
@@TheDCCGuy I see. Thank you Larry for your quick follow-through!
@@TheDCCGuy Just checked out your video #98 and that is the way my layout is set-up! My "Main" power bus exits the Auto Switch and enters a bank of PSX circuit breakers. It looks like I could place the DCC Concepts booster in that main line between the Auto Switch and the PSX's. Simple! (One would also have to reconfigure the PSX to utilize the higher amperage via setting CV 49 to 03 or 04.)
I SEE YOUR VIDEO AND YOU SHOW bachmann AND I HAVE bachmann dynamis THAT HAVE 2.3 AMP WILL THE Alpha Box GIVE ME MORE AMP AND MY LAYOUT AS HO AND I HAVE AS LAYOUT FOR LONG TIME AND iUP DATE IT TO DCC
Yes it will give you an additional 5 amps.
Those old Bachmann decoders are no good. I bet if you were to switch out the Bachmann decoder with a NCE or Soundtraxx function decoder the motor noise would be reduced or eliminated. Good idea for a video?
Yes, these were made before anyone thought of silent drive algorithms.
Why did you take my comment down? It was a legit question as to why you're not talking about another product that's cheaper and easier to use.
What was it?
@@DavidSmith-dm8ew I enquired why this solution was being highlighted vs another product that has been shown on this channel. Looked the cost of the DCC Concepts solution up and it’s more expensive vs this other kit.
@@harrisonbs don't worry. Your not the only one a little weridly out. Bachmann dcc actually came out with a dcc switch set up about a good few months back. And i understand the video is for the booster power. But still. Bachmann has a dcc switch now. Its not very known. But its out there.
Ben-I just started looking at comments this morning and I didn’t remove it. If you included a link to a website then UA-cam may have removed it so I’ll look deeper for it. I try to answer all comments and only remove those with porno links and from trolls and the like-Larry
I can’t find it in among the porn links and other banned stuff so I have no idea where it ended up. Feel free to repost.
@@TheDCCGuy It did have a link - the Tam Valley DCC Acc Booster. I was wondering why the DCC Concepts solution is a better option since it seems to cost more vs just buying that board and getting a 5A DC power supply.