I plan on upgrading my MRC Prodigy Advance (Non Squared) system to one of the NCE systems. I'm not sure how many amps I need though. I have searched this site and it seems that 1/2 an amp per loco is a good avergae to use, but I have two questions.
1) Is 1/2 an amp still valid for a loco with sound?
2) If I have additional locos that are on the track in yard, etc which aren't running, do I need to include those in my amp count? I would like to have 6 to 8 locos (most with sound) on the track even though I only plan to run 2, or maybe 3 at the most at a time.
Depending on the answers, I will decide between the Power Cab (2 amps) and the Power Pro (5 amps).
Thanks, Dan
I would go with the 5 amp Power Pro. Our club runs as many as twelve sound locos and the current is a little over 3 amps. I built a DCC amp meter for our club. With the Power Pro, we can unplug and move to another part of the layout. Not so with the Power Cab that I use at home. I would have to get the booster upgrade to be able to have other plug in points around the layout.
I doubt you will get two amps out of the Power Cab. I think mine shuts down around 1.8 amps the last time I did a shut down test.The Power Cab has a track current reading.
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.
richg1998 I would go with the 5 amp Power Pro. Our club runs as many as twelve sound locos and the current is a little over 3 amps. I built a DCC amp meter for our club. With the Power Pro, we can unplug and move to another part of the layout. Not so with the Power Cab that I use at home. I would have to get the booster upgrade to be able to have other plug in points around the layout. I doubt you will get two amps out of the Power Cab. I think mine shuts down around 1.8 amps the last time I did a shut down test.The Power Cab has a track current reading. Rich
I agree.
For all practical purposes, 500ma (1/2 amp) is a good average for a sound locomotive. I would also include idle locomotives in your count, although the current at idle is less. How much less? I don't know.
I would use the powered up figure of all your locomotives for system design considerations. That will allow you a little wiggle room. I have 10 sound locomotives on my layout. Not all are running at the same time, but they are on powered track. I use Tsunami sound decoders for 8 of them, and have set the sound to go off after they are idle for about 30 seconds or so. So far I don't have any problems. I have an NCE Power Pro - but - I do think I am getting close to my locomotive limit.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Dan.
I have run 11 locos at the same time with my Power Cab and 7 had sound. The Power Cab will do what you are asking now, but in the future you may need more. Another thing to watch for is lighted cars. Lighted passenger cars can rob some serious power from your track. If you can afford a full five amp system then go for it. There is no such thing as having too much power.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Thanks for the quick and useful responses. The cost isn't a huge issue so I think I'll go for the Power Pro 5 amp system which will give me more flexiblty down the road. If I had made a long term choice when I bought my MRC a few years ago I wouldn't be spending more money now. I guess the only question left is, do I spend even a few more bucks and get the wireless radio version of the Power Pro? My layout is an around the room 16 x 11 which I can control anywhere with a 6 foot cable, but when I did this with my MRC, and people were in the room, the cable got in the way.
I use the NCE ProCab Radio throttles (2) on my HO scale home layout and we use them (5) for the large HO scale club layout.
Whether or not you should get radio throttles for your home layout depends on how many people you foresee operating trains at the same time. If only one or two, I'd stick with the regular tethered throttles and place plug ins around the fascia so the throttles can be moved from one location to another. If you expect to have more than two operators, then radio may be the way to go to avoid the tangle of wires.
But radio is expensive and the ProCab Radio throttles run on four AAA batteries. We have to replace batteries in each throttle about twice per year at the club. Here at home a set of batteries lasts for almost a full year because my throtles are not used that much.
The club layout is so large that we have three receiving antennas. I have only one at home.
My layout is an around the room type in a 9 x 24 foot room. I have operating sessions with four operators. Each town or switching area on the layout has it's own small control panel, a UTP for plugging throttles into, and a throttle holder. Since you can unplug the Power Pro throttles while a train is running (and it will continue running), there is no problem getting tangled up in the throttle cables. Operators simply unplug, move to their new location, and plug in again.
I agree with the radio throttles. Adding them would be the best thing you ever did. You'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.
Springfield PA
I am using an MRC Prodigy Advance with the included 3.5 Amp supply. In line with the power to the track is an RRamp Volt/Amp digital meter. I have run as many as 2 sets of four DCC sound locos under load (25 cars each) pulling a light grade of 1.5% and have never seen more than a 3 Amp draw. Nor has the cooling fan inside the unit ever run during operation. I run everything: Tsunami, NCE, TCS, MRC, QSI as well as locos by KATO, Athearn/Genesis, Broadway Limited, MTH, Bachman, Proto 2000.
A moving loco draws only slightly more than at idle from my experience and seems the biggest draw is getting the loco moving and usually see a drop in Amps once moving. Horn and lights do of course draw some but not enough to be concerned about.
Anyway, that is my experience over the past 4 years with DCC sound and am sure many other members have other experiences.
gandydancer19 richg1998: I would go with the 5 amp Power Pro. Rich I agree.
richg1998: I would go with the 5 amp Power Pro. Rich
I would go with the 5 amp Power Pro.
Ditto !
Alton Junction
Thanks for all of the advice. I have decided to go with the NCE 5 amp Power Pro radio system for the reasons above. I think this is a system that I will not soon outgrow, and if I do outgrow it later, it is expandable with additional boosters. My LHS offers very generous discounts so I will order it through him rather than a mail order house. If you want to have a LHS, you have to support them.
DanJo Thanks for all of the advice. I have decided to go with the NCE 5 amp Power Pro radio system for the reasons above. I think this is a system that I will not soon outgrow, and if I do outgrow it later, it is expandable with additional boosters. My LHS offers very generous discounts so I will order it through him rather than a mail order house. If you want to have a LHS, you have to support them.
DanJo,
Good choice!
It is virtually impossible to outgrow the system that you are choosing and, as you point out, you can always add additional boosters, if need be.