I knew eventually I would have to divide my DCC layout into multiple districts, but up until now my layout had been operating well with a single district and I am a proponent of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. Well, it finally broke. The new high end locos I recently added to the layout pushed it past the tipping point. When I started up in DCC, I read briefly about multiple power districts and had been under the impression that it was a simple matter of dividing the layout electrically and providing a seperate power source for each. I thought I could just use one of my old power packs from my DC days but looking at the documentation for my Lenz 100 system, it appears I need an additional power station as well. My documentation tells me I need to add an LV101 but looking on the Walthers website, Lenz now offers an LV102 instead. This ain't cheap and before I drop a couple hundo on the new power station, I'd like to have someone confirm if that is what I must do or if there is a lower cost solution.
Run fewer engines at the same time? How many are you running that it trips the system? With 5 amps of power ypu should be able to run quite a few locos at the same time. If you really do need or want to have that many locos running, then yes, you will need to add on an additional booster. You'll have to figure out a logical split for your layout, and put gaps in both rails at each end of this break. And also cut your power bus. Conenct the new booster to this now isolated section of layout and conenct it to the ommand station per the instructions and you should be good to go.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
You don't have to use a Lenz booster for an additional power district because some other brands will work with it. CVP Products of Richardson, Texas, makers of the EasyDCC System, have a universal power booster that works with practically any DCC system, and there are others.
http://www.cvpusa.com/doc_center/sec_ZoneMstr_Flyer_Feb08_upd.pdf
Jeff But it's a dry heat!