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Wiring DCC circuit breakers
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[quote user="dadret"] <p>I'm just starting to wire my new DCC layout and have some dumb questions. The trackwork is complete and divided into (8) power districts by insulating the track sections, feeders dropped from the track (not yet connected to anything), and the power bus run completely around the layout from underneath (14 AWG). I'm using an MRC Prodigy Advance and an MRC Booster plus two Tony's Train Exchange PSFour circuit breakers. With all that background here's my dumb questions: How do I hook everything up?? I understand that the feeders from the variious districts connect to the Rail Outputs on the PSFours. No problem there. My confusion is from the "Main Track" connection on the booster/command station to the PSFour and the interface with the power bus. Do I connect directly from the "Main Track" terminal to the PSFour DCC Inputs? or is the connection to the DCC inputs from the power bus? What connects to the "Main Track" terminal on the booster? I have all the books and instructions but none of them clearly explain that (at least not so I can understand it). </p><p>What I really need is for one of you guys who knows a lot more than I do (and thats most of you) to walk me through the whole hook up scenario and assume that I am an electrical/DCC idiot.</p><p>[/quote]</p><p>I don't know what a PSFour looks like; however you said it was a 4 circuit circuit breaker. Id you ignore the booster (only needed if you run many engines at the same time), the following will work ( I have and use a Prodigy Advance):</p><p>Connect the Advance main track terminals to your DCC buss.</p><p>Connect the blocks (your feeders) to the output side of the circuit breakers (may be marked LOAD). Depending on the length of your track work; you may need to make short, heavy wire, busses for each of your blocks rather than run many long (small wire) feeders to the circuit breakers.</p><p>Connect the input side of the circuit breakers to the DCC buss which is hooked to the main track output on the PA.</p><p>Hook the program track output on the PA to a length of track so that you can use the features of the programming track (like reading CV's). This is the only way that you can find out what the existing CV values are, and is especially important to be able to read the loco number programmed into the engine.</p><p> </p>
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