Using a DCS200 as a booster?

[gmpullman]

My present Digitrax setup incorporates a DCS200 command station/booster and a DB200 Plus booster. Each one of these feeds a Tony's PSX four circuit breaker giving me eight power districts.

I have recently come to the conclusion that I need an additional booster and I have on hand another DCS200 8 amp. command station/booster.

I understand that the command station function can be disabled and used as a booster only but Digitrax frowns on this practise...

[from Digitrax knowledge base]

Many clubs use a DCS100/200 as a Booster in their setups.  Digitrax does not recommend using a DCS100/200 as a Booster only for this type of setup.  If you decide to do so, please keep this information in mind:

 

• The DCS100/200 configuration is stored in memory that uses a CR2032 battery.  Over time the battery can get weak and the DCS100/200 will loose its ability to store its configuration.  When this happens, the DCS100/200 will sound 7 beeps at power up.  It will also revert back to its factory settings and once again become a Command Station.  Since LocoNet can only have one Command Station, undesirable operation will occur.

• Before using the DCS100/200 as a Booster only, change the CR2032 battery.

• Disconnect any connections to the Programming Track.  Crosstalk can be induced from the Rail A &B and the Prog A & B connections that again can cause undesirable operation of the DCS100/DCS200.

• If your DCS100/200 is in a ‘DCC in a Box’ configuration, you can connect 1.5k ohm resistors between Prog A and ground & Prog B and ground.  This will eliminate the crosstalk and will not have any negative impact on programming once the DCS100/200 is once again made a Command Station.

• Always connect a Heavy Gauge ground wire between your Command Station and all the Boosters in the system.

• A Heavy Gauge ground wire is also needed for PM42, BDL168 and any other hardware that requires a ground.

 

To make a DCS100/200 into a Booster OPSw2 needs to be set to ‘c’ (closed).  Instructions for changing DSC100/200 Option Switches can be found in the manual.

[end of Digitrax KB]

SO, I am wondering, aside from the battery going dead and reverting back to default (making the DCS200 a command station again?) are there any other reasons I should shy away from using this as a booster only or should I shell out $$$ for another DB200 Plus? The spare DCS200 is on hand from when I was shopping for a DT400 throttle and I found a close-out deal that included the command station too for only a few sheckles more.

Thanks and a tip 'o the hat, Ed

[rrinker]

 I assume you have a really big layout if 16 amps isn't enough power. If it's not really that huge, what makes you think you need that much power? What are youy powering them with? The PS515 and the MagnaForce 615 are not powerful enough for an 8 amp booster.

 Only real danger is the battery going dead or an OpSw 39 reset resetting the booster configured one. In which case nothing will start up. If you remember this, you can fix it pretty quick. If you forget about it a few years from now, it may lead to some frustration in tracking down the error. It is not always readily apparant that there are 2 command stations on the same network - it can manifest as some really goofy actions, like wierd displays on throttles. Found this at a club show where someone set a DCS150 in a place where normally a DB150 congigured as booster goes. Layout powered up but trying to select and run trains caused wierd results.

                --Randy

[mfm37]

BANTRAK has been using a second DCS200 as a booster since 2004. We change the battery once a year whether it's needed or not. Digitrax supposedly has a failsafe built into their firmware for exactly this situation. Any DCS command station will revert to booster if a command station is detected when it powers up. By changing the battery once per year we have never had to test this.

Martin Myers

[rrinker]

Theoretically - that DCS100 that got plugged in in place of a DB150 didn't, the 'real' DCS100 was already on at the time.

             --Randy

 

[gmpullman]

Hi, Randy

At any given time I might have 80 or so engines (most of these with sound) and up to 60 lighted passenger cars occupying active track (not counting staging and the passenger station where I electrically isolate the track) and when running I might have six trains with 20 or more engines running.

Usually these are scattered around the layout occupying any one of the eight "power districts" but there are times when several trains will happen to occupy one district. Usually I don't have any problems but lately if there is the occasional short (derailment or running a switch) the PSX will not reset itself.

There have been a few occasions recently where the PSX does not trip but the DB200 will beep 4 times so I am wondering why the booster is shutting down but not the PSX breaker. The heat sinks are pretty hot and I don't have a fan behind them but my basement is usually a cooler 65 to 70.

I'm powering both the DCS200 and DB200 with the old Loy Spurlock (Loy's Toys) DCC fuel tank (or whatever he called it) but it is supposed to be rated at 8 amps. One transformer for each booster.

Even the Digitrax PS2012 when selected for the HO setting provides only 15 amps at 18 volts. They say you can power up to four 5 amp boosters but that's stretching it. I prefer to have a separate power supply for each booster.

If the only issue with using another DCS200 as a booster is the battery (I've had those batteries last up to 5 years) I'll go ahead and use it as a booster only. I was mainly asking if there were any other risks.

Thanks to you and Martin for your help. Ed