My layout plan is HO scale consisting of about 400 ft of track with 20 plus turnouts running several engines. I'm considering the Digitrax Super Chief. Should I use the 5 amp or 8 amp? There is only $15 difference from Tony's Trains. Also they recommend the Magna Force MF 615 power supply for this Super Chief for $40. However, they have Digitrax PS2012 20 amp power supply for $140. That's $100 more. Am wondering if it would be best to go with the 20 amp as I don't know how many other accessories will be involved plus the numerous engines I have. Finally Tony Trains has a programmer DCC Specialties that they recommend for B Ltd engines but also good for other manufacturers engines. Do you think it would be a good tool for programming?
hobojohn My layout plan is HO scale consisting of about 400 ft of track with 20 plus turnouts running several engines. I'm considering the Digitrax Super Chief. Should I use the 5 amp or 8 amp? There is only $15 difference from Tony's Trains. Also they recommend the Magna Force MF 615 power supply for this Super Chief for $40. However, they have Digitrax PS2012 20 amp power supply for $140. That's $100 more. Am wondering if it would be best to go with the 20 amp as I don't know how many other accessories will be involved plus the numerous engines I have. Finally Tony Trains has a programmer DCC Specialties that they recommend for B Ltd engines but also good for other manufacturers engines. Do you think it would be a good tool for programming?
I would get the 8A version for $15 more. Consider it an investment. I'd also get the MF615. It won't quite put out 8A continouosly but it can certainly handle 8A surges. I bought this combination on my latest expansion and it works fine. You'll likely not power accessories from track power. Thinngs like DS64s, UP91 panels and such should be powered by a 12V supply. I'd only consider the 20A supply if you plan to add more boosters in the near future. I have 3 boosyers and use MF615s for each one.
I'd hold onto yout money and not by the DCC Specialties programmer. I've never had to use any third party program track booster with my Super Chief system. If you are going to use a computer interface then look closely at the Digitrax PR3.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
go with the 8 amp unit. my club was at a show last year and we were running five or six sound equiped locos and some lighted passenger cars and our five amp empire builder was getting very warm and shutting down until it cooled off a bit. we replaced it with the 8 amp super chief. as you say it's only a $15 difference but worth it. in our case a small 12 volt chassis fan blowing across the heat sink would have worked too. you don't need a 20 amp power supply if the unit can only handle 8 amps unless you are going to power accessories wth the same supply, but i would try to keep the dcc power seperate from the accessories.
The DS64 will handle four turnouts. I will have appox 20 turnouts which thus would require five DS64s. How many power supplies like the MF615 would be necessary to handle five DS64s?
the ds64's have a built in capacitor discharge system. since you won't be throwing every switch at the same time you may be able to use a 12 volt wall wart as long as it puts out maybe one amp. the ds64 is able to throw 4 double ended turnouts either using track power or a seperate supply. i've been waiting for 6 months for my supplier to get me one ds64 to handle 6 switches on a module of mine. two single switches and two doubles.
retsignalmtr :
Do I understand that you are having trouble getting a DS64?
They are readily available from most of the on line stores. I bought one from DCC Train about 2 weeks ago.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
hobojohn The DS64 will handle four turnouts. I will have appox 20 turnouts which thus would require five DS64s. How many power supplies like the MF615 would be necessary to handle five DS64s?
A DS64 doesn't require much power and I'd suggest you run it off a 12VDC supply, not rail power. You didn't say what kind of turnout motors you are using (i.e Tortoise or something else). You can easily run 5 DS64s off a single 12VDC 1A supply. I have 7 running and they don't draw 1A of current, with 28 turnouts attached.
You can get DS64s at Litchfield Station. They show them in stock.
I went with the 5 amp but I have every plan to use boosters. I am not sure how many engines etc my layout will end up doing in a run session but if I do exceed the 5 amps, I will get boosters. I would think any serious club layout would not try to run with a single 8 amp anyways either. Simple derailments cause a full layout rucuss so splitting the demand off is a good thing as well as not melting down your layout....
You can about assume 1 train to use 1 amp, with the low current draw can motors, probably more, but big heavy brass...err, nopers.
the train supplier that i use gives my club members a better discount than we would get by mail order so i have to wait until he gets it from digitrax. he's also out on the road at train shows for several weeks at a time. he's someplace out in the midwest area now. not that i need the extra saving. it's just that we like giving him our business. the lhs's in this area don't deal with dcc at all, so it's either deal with someone on line or him. also no shipping charges and other considerations.