If you have un-powered UP5 panels daisy chained around a layout and connect tethered throttles without batteries inserted what are the limits to the number of throttles you can run this way without having problems with power over the Loconet?
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
2 or 3 DT400's. 2 DT402's
Martin Myers
Thanks Martin, well that explains it. I was visiting a friends layout, configured as I described, We had 1 x DT400 a DT402 and a UT4 plugged in and were getting some strange behavior. So I imagine we were getting close to some low voltage levels on the loconet. On my home layout all the UP5's and other panels are powered so never had the issue before. I knew that there were some limits and obviously we were very close to the limits.
Easy to tell on the DT40x throttles, when you plug in it shows the Loconet (ok Railsync) voltage. If it drrops below about 8.5 volts, the throttle willg et flakey, just liek a radio one does when the battery gets low.
Length of the Loconet cabling affect things too, I currently only have 1 UP5 temporarily screwed to the frotn of my layout, but I plugged in a DT400, a DT402, and a DT100 all at the same time with no problems. But my Loconet run is a 5 foot cable from my Zephyr to the UP5, another 5 foot fromt he other UP5 jack to the DB150, and a 1 foot peice from the DB150 to the PM42. Voltage drop adds up quickly in the thin telephone wire.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Problem was at my house. The daisy chain is about 35 feet long. If I have more than 2 operators again, will 1 PS 14 have sufficient power for 3 throttles?
Ken
I hate Rust
The documentation says you can power up to 9 or 10 from a single PS14.
Springfield PA
You can power 9 or 10 UP5's from a single PS14 - but it needs to be over 1 amp to be able to power 9 or 10 throttles.
ANd it's not.
When powering multiple UP5's with a single power supply, do NOT use the one wire in the solder hole method shown in the manual - that's the positive conenction only, the ground then still relies ont he thin phone cable. Instead run a 2 wire bus and tap off with feeders goign to a coax plug to plug into the side power jack on the UP's. The appropriate size ones are available at Radio Shack and also cheaper elsewhere. I have a 14V 1 amp power supply I intend to rig for this once I get enough fascia up to mount more than 1 UP5. Maybe. I don't see more than 2, MAYBE 3 throttles in use at any time on my layout so the extra power might not be needed. Might also end up using radio although I don't really need it - if I get my throttle updated to a DT402D to use at the club then I might as well get a UR92 and use it as a radio throttle at home too.
rrinker Instead run a 2 wire bus and tap off with feeders goign to a coax plug to plug into the side power jack on the UP's. The appropriate size ones are available at Radio Shack and also cheaper elsewhere.
They're 2.1mm, center-positive plugs. The same size and configuration is used on DS64's and the PR3, and maybe other Digitrax products as well.
If you're going to be powering a number of devices, or if you have other electrical supplies you also need, a large enough order from here can bring down the flat-rate shipping cost to be cheaper than buying a bunch of them at RS:
http://www.allelectronics.com/index.php?page=search&search_query=cb-204&x=0&y=0