Digitrax - adding booster feeded from rails

[Arras88]

Hi,

I have two layouts in two rooms. Layouts are connected by the one track bridge.
I use Digitrax Super Chief 8 Amps to power first layout.
First idea was that the second layout will be only a yard - a place where I can keep trains so it supposed to be powered from the same DCC system.

After some changes the 2nd layout became bigger than 1st one
Therefore, I decided to add booster with additional power suply to power 2nd layout. Unfortunatelly, I don't have a cable with Loconet network (6 wires) from the 1st room to the 2nd one. I placed only two wires to feed rails.

Is it poosible to connect the 2nd Digitrax DCS200 as a booster and feed it using power from two rails only ? Can Digitrax command station/booster read DCC signal from powered rails ?

I really want to avoid adding a new cable between rooms.

 

[MisterBeasley]

With 8 amps, you should have plenty of power and I doubt that you need a booster, unless the rooms are very far apart.  If you want plug-in throttles in the other room, you will need to provide the Loconet cable, whether you add a booster or not.

I have a similar situation, with a long staging yard connected across a bridge.  Everything is in the same room, but the tethered throttles don't reach to the end of the new section.  So, I bought wireless throttles and eliminated the need for a control bus cable and jacks for throttles.

[Arras88]

Rooms are 10m (30ft) apart. But, tracks at the end of the 2nd room are about 40m (131ft) from the source of power. There are total about 100m (328ft) tracks. There are sometimes even tens of locomotives on tracks. Of course, they don't run all at the same time but they are on powered tracks and consume some power. Digitrax DCS200 is hot very often. This is why I'm affraid that one 8 amps command station might be not enough.

My mistake that I didn't do switches to turn off power in tracks on yards in the first room. Every track on yard in 2nd room will have a separate switch.

Steering is not a problem. Apart Digitrax throttles I use computer interface and JRMI. With WiFi network I can use tablets and smartphones to operate models.

 

 

[Stevert]

You really only need the two RailSync conductors, which are pins 1 and 6. 

If you have a shorter LocoNet cable, cut it in half and splice in a length of zip cord or similar.  Just be sure to cut back and insulate the other four conductors, so you don't short something and destroy your command station and/or booster.

That *should* work, but no guarantees due to the different characteristics (capacitance, etc) of the wire you splice in vs the 6-conductor flat telephone cable that LocoNet was designed around.

[rrinker]

 You really need the proper cable - though for a booster it does only use the Railsync lines - however if you don't include the loconet wires you won;t have any control!

 You can't feed off the rails unless you get a special order optoisolated booster.

        --Randy