Probably an incredibly stupid question ... but ... I understand how to connect feeder wires to my main track or bus wire, but what I can't find any information on is what do I do with the other end of my bus wire? I connect one end of the bus wire to my DCC, what do I connect the other end of the bus wire to?
I am no where near an expert and I am bulding my first DCC layout. It's true the begining of your bus wires are connected to your power source or controller - I am using a Digitrax Zeypher.
THE OTHER ENDS DEAD END - DO NOT CONNECT THE LOOP.
There are many opnions on the location and quantity of feeders - I am going with app every 6' (every other flex section).
This Forum is a plethra of information - use the search box on most any subject - good luck!
Larry
The other end just dead ends. Tape the ends to keep the spare electrons from getting away
The wires at the end of the DCC buss do not connect to anything but they must be insulated from each other. I have a pass through barrier strip that my buss is secured to at the end. I am also using an old N scale loco light board from a decoder conversion connected at the end of the buss for trouble shooting purposes. If the light is lit I know the buss is energized all the way to the end.. There have been some articles that recommend placing a resistor of a certain value across the buss wires at the end but i'm not sure why. It is also not recommended to connect the end to make a power loop from the command station.
retsignalmtr There have been some atricles that recommend placing a resistor of a certain value across the buss wires at the end but i'm not sure why.
There have been some atricles that recommend placing a resistor of a certain value across the buss wires at the end but i'm not sure why.
Some DCC systems recommend a resistor at the end of the control bus, although we're discussing the track power bus here. The control bus is where you attach jacks for walk-around wired throttles. My Lenz system is one of those that says to do that, and I found that the resistor was necessary. A resistor across the track power bus will just waste power.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I just connect the end right to my last feeder wire. So the end is soldered to a feeder wire that is soldered to the track.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Out of curiosity, what is the problem with looping the bus? Feel free to be technical, you will not be talking over my head.
Also, I suspect that the terminations for an unlooped bus are most important for very long runs and would be a (specific value) capacitor in series with a resistor to "tune" the system, preventing interference or reflections. If I had DCC I would use a scope and experiment. But I still run DC for now. Some day ...
Karl
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
MisterBeasley retsignalmtr: There have been some atricles that recommend placing a resistor of a certain value across the buss wires at the end but i'm not sure why. Some DCC systems recommend a resistor at the end of the control bus, although we're discussing the track power bus here. The control bus is where you attach jacks for walk-around wired throttles. My Lenz system is one of those that says to do that, and I found that the resistor was necessary. A resistor across the track power bus will just waste power.
retsignalmtr: There have been some atricles that recommend placing a resistor of a certain value across the buss wires at the end but i'm not sure why.
For long buss runs, a capacitor in series with a resistor is recommended.
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/track.htm
Go to Track Wiring, page two at that site for termination info. Yes, this gets quite technical.
Everyone store the link in Favorites and read though the pages.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Looping the bus is fine but not necessary. Just think about it. Isn't the track a part of the Bus? and isn't it already looped?
Typically on high speed data systems with long runs you avoid looping to prevent data collisions where the data arrives at the location at a rate enough for the receiver to notice and scramble. The DCC signal is far from being high speed data and isn't affected.
Springfield PA
We may wish to be very clear about our concepts for the sake of electronically challenged viewers.
There's looping and then there's looping. One good, the other...uh....well....
There is no reason whatsover that you cannot loop the individual bus wires back onto themselves or their own output terminals back where they are screwed to the base command station.
However! Taking the two bus wires and combining them where they end, wraping the ends around each other? And making a different kind of loop? Please don't. Really...it will be very noisy, hot, and smokey.
Crandell
The ends of my bus not connected to the power are simply tied to a wire tie to hold them from drooping down - I literally tie a knot in the wire. Nothing else. The free ends face away from each other so there's really no chance of them shorting out but you can wrap them with some tape or paint on some liquid electrical tape if you are paranoid.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Once again though. The actual track is the same thing. It won't hurt if you loop them into each other but you don't get any benefit doing so.
Actually what I do is branch out both directions from the controller like a horse shoe. Both branches end about 6 feet from each other since it's not necessary to complete the loop.
Depends on your layout though, my around the walls layout IS a continuous loop of track but it's not connected all the way through - there are multiple power districts feeding from circuit breakers. Looping the bus would require adding extra unecessary wire. For a smalelr layout where the entire main line loop IS all connected with no gaps, then sure, it doesn't matter, either way works equally well.
I take somewhat the same view on twisting the bus wires - it's all connected every 3-6 feet to the track above which is all perfectly parallel (or it had better be) so I fail to see how twisting the bus wires is goign to make much difference. FOr a long run from a centralized power distribution point where it runs many feet without being conencted to anything, there it might make a difference.
You do not have to connect it to anything. I just stapled mine to the ends of my layout table with heavy duty staples. Your power connection will come from the wires you run from your bus wires to your DCC system, which ever brand you use. I am using the Digitrax one. Take care.
<<There is no reason whatsover that you cannot loop the individual bus wires back onto themselves or their own output terminals back where they are screwed to the base command station.>>
Actually, this is incorrect. We need to remember that we are sending a digital signal down the bus wires. If you "close the loop" by connecting the two ends of the bus together, the signal continues to loop and eventually interferes with later commands. Whether or not this impacts the performance of equipment on your layout depends on a several factors, but the recommended practice is to _not_ close the loop.
Steve Haas
Snoqualmie, WA
Actually on my 3 deck Santa Fe layout I have the command station and boosters centered on the layout and run a total of 5 busses radiating out different directions. They are NOT tied together anywhere and trains run just fine.
Bob
goatfisher <<There is no reason whatsover that you cannot loop the individual bus wires back onto themselves or their own output terminals back where they are screwed to the base command station.>> Actually, this is incorrect. We need to remember that we are sending a digital signal down the bus wires. If you "close the loop" by connecting the two ends of the bus together, the signal continues to loop and eventually interferes with later commands. Whether or not this impacts the performance of equipment on your layout depends on a several factors, but the recommended practice is to _not_ close the loop. Steve Haas Snoqualmie, WA
My original test track when I first started playign with DCC was a simple loop. No insulated rail joiners - thus the TRACK formed a complete loop. This is NOT going to cause a problem. It's not like the signal is racing around the wire like a couple of cars, and if one side is slightly shorter than the other they will arrive at different times. If you loops the bus wire, the 'center' will be the center, not the point where the wires are connected.
The ONLY time you could have a problem is if there were two lines running out, one in each direction, from seperate boosters. In this case you would not want to connect the far ends together because those ARE different signals. There is absolutely no issue looping the bus output from a single booster. Again, even if you cut the bus wires, the track provides a continuous path, if it's a loop.