I have my DCC command station and several small DC power packs that power my Tortoises, signals, and control panels, all plugged into a power strip which in turn in plugged into a household wall outlet.
The power strip is not a surge protector, it just has 6 outlets and an on/off switch. When I finish a session, I turn the power strip off and leave it plugged into the houeshold wall outlet.
So I am vulnerable to power surges.
One small thing that I could do would be to rewire the household wall oultet to make it switched along with my overhead lights. A 3 way wall switch (to control the lights from two locations) for the overhead lights is part of the same household wall outlet.
But, would that really add any more protection?
I could unplug the system from the household wall outlet, but I actually walk away from my layout in the other direction after turning off the power strip at the layout while leaving the overhead lights on until I reach the basement stairs where the other three way switch is located. I turn the overhead lights to the layout off at that wall switch at the bottom of the basement stairs.
Would it make more sense to connect the power strip into a surge protector?
What do others do to protect their layout against power surges?
Rich
Alton Junction
I would use a surge protected power strip. I have one for my DCC system stuff, BUT, I also pull the plug because I don't exactly trust surge protectors if lighting were to hit close to my house.
If you did want to unplug the strip but didn't want to take the walk, get an appliance extension cord (heavier wire than a regular extension cord) and plug it into the outlet, and run it to your power strip area and plug the strip into it.
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.
Most definitely use a surge protector! Unpluging the layout when through using is a terrific idea, but you may be using the layout when a t-storm hits and a possible stray bolt to your area hits. I've seen a surge protector that was blown to bits from a lighting hit and the computer it was connected to were not hurt one bit.
Terrific cheap insurance.
Wadda ya mean I'm old ? Just because I remember gasoline at 9 cents a gallon and those big coal burning steamers.
I have a whole house surge protector, originally installed by the power company (but I think now generally available.) It's installed under the power meter. In 20 years, I've never had an issue with power line surges from outside.
I also do radio monitoring as a hobby, so have a number of antennas. You can also have power surges from inside your house. I have lost a couple of antenna boosters in the attic, I suspect due to some sort of coupling between the antennas and the house wiring, so have those on a surge protector. So a whole house surge protector is not a panacea, but a good base to build on. I have multiple UPS/surge protectors for various electronic equipment to specifically protect it against surges inside the house itself.
On the other hand, I have not bothered with surge protection on my DCC gear. It's in the basement, so not exposed like the attic is. Maybe I just like living dangerously?
There's limited need for worry on this, since most layouts aren't internet enabled, yet, but one more thing to worry about is surges entering via telephone, cable, and other service entries that can carry current. Most UPS/surge protectors now make provision for running those lines through them for protection. We recently tied into buried fiber here, so we're in the process of dropping the POTS and cable, and going with VOIP for phone service, and so no longer need worry about that. YMMV
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
gandydancer19I would use a surge protected power strip. I have one for my DCC system stuff, BUT, I also pull the plug because I don't exactly trust surge protectors if lighting were to hit close to my house.
I'm in agreement with the use a surge protector AND pull the plug crowd. But there are surge protectors and then there are surge protectors. The following link, http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=surge+protectors&ic=16_0&Find=Find&indexId=13d057e9d96c&cdnHost=search-cdn.walmart.com&searchdropdowndiv=com.wm.module.305715.constraint&search_constraint=0, is to the Walmart site. This is not because I'm endorsing Walmart, but as an example of what might be available. The prices start from $5.75 and go up. They all have different ratings (joules and amps), and some come with a lifetime equipment insurance policy, although it doesn't exactly state whose lifetime or who's equipment, nor what proof one would have to provide to make a claim.
One would think that the protection afforded by a $5.75 item might be less than a $63.24 item, but I'm certainly not informed enough to make any sort of comparison.
I also purchased a reasonably good ( over $40) simple surge-protected power bar and I plug the cord of my DB150's power supply into that. I use the rocker on the power bar so that I don't have to keep using up the life-cycle of the DB150's toggle, which already has lots of flicks. However, when I leave the train room, I pull the power suppy's cord out of the power bar. I think it's a better and cheap insurance package.
Crandell
I have all my electronic equipment on surge protectors - tv, computers, stereo and the DCC system. I also have ground fault interrupters for some circuits - the DCC system is on one - and if I am home when a storm hits, I unplug everything. I haven't had any problems at all and feel pretty confident that I am pretty well protected. If you have a concern about your DCC system, unplug it when you are done.4
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
When my house was constructed, about eight years ago, I had the contractor install a dedicated 20AMP circuit for my DCC system. There is a wall switch at the basement stairs which cuts power to this circuit. I also have a computer/eletronics surge protector at the outlette. When I leave the basemnt I flip the switch and know all power to the Layout/DCC system is off.
Jim, Modeling the Kansas City Southern Lines in HO scale.
When we built our house I had the electrical contractor install whole-house surge protectors. In addition, I have all my DCC equipment plugged into individual good quality surge protectors which plug into the wall receptacles in the train room. When the train room was wired, all the wall plugs were placed on a separate circuit from the room lights. When I'm finished working or operating in the train room, I turn off the power to the wall receptacles by throwing the circuit breaker for that circuit. The circuit breaker is located in a panel in the next room. I think I'm pretty well protected from power surges.
Bob
Thanks, everyone.
I read and appreciate each and every reply.
OK, after reading all of these replies, my strategy is to install a surge protector at the wall outlet and unplug it when the layout is not in use.
Some of you have suggested flipping the wall switch to cut current to the surge protector and just leave it plugged in to the wall outlet. That was my first thought.
But if the surge protector is still pugged into the wall outlet with the layout plugged into the surge protector, can't a power surge still work its way through the wiring even though the power is cut off?
One other thing that I read in my research is that the surge protector should have an LED light on it to indicate that the surge protector has not degraded from power surges. If the degrading is sufficient to destroy the surge protector element, then the result is nothing more than a working power strip without surge protection. Supposedly, if a degraded surge protector remains in place, it can be a fire hazard.
Lightning can jump gaps, like those in a switch. Thats why I also unplug the power strip.
gandydancer19 Lightning can jump gaps, like those in a switch. Thats why I also unplug the power strip.
OK, gonna do that.
richhotrain gandydancer19 Lightning can jump gaps, like those in a switch. Thats why I also unplug the power strip. OK, gonna do that.
All fine and good until you have a power surge while running trains. To not have a high rated surge protected power strip is one of those, pound fullish, penney wise things.
English money terms.
Ken G Price My N-Scale Layout
Digitrax Super Empire Builder Radio System. South Valley Texas Railroad. SVTRR
N-Scale out west. 1996-1998 or so! UP, SP, Missouri Pacific, C&NW.
Lake richhotrain gandydancer19 Lightning can jump gaps, like those in a switch. Thats why I also unplug the power strip. OK, gonna do that. All fine and good until you have a power surge while running trains. To not have a high rated surge protected power strip is one of those, pound fullish, penney wise things. English money terms.
Let me rephrase that "OK, gonna do that".
My plan, as a result of this thread, is to buy a high quality surge protector that I will plug my layout into while in use. When not in use, I will unplug the surge protector from the wall outlet.
I have a CyberPower battery back up. Got it from Amazon.com, free shipping. They have a variety of battery back ups. Mine is modified AC. Works for me. I think they have some that are pure AC. Go look.
Got one on my PC and Internet connection equipment.
If you are going to do this, do it the right way. Surge protector strips are known to be iffy.
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.