Currently running the NCE Power cab which in the begining only powered 1 main line, 56 feet of track around a room.
Now I currently have a few crossover tracks with 8 tortoise motors and a total of 3 main lines. 168 feet total. And 3-4 locos will be running.
Now that I'm almost done with the layout, will I need to upgrade? Is the basic 2 amp system enough for all this? Thanks
Yea, I think your current mainline scenario might push your Power Cab - even if the Tortoises are being powered with a separate power supply. You can either upgrade to the Smart Booster (SB5), or move up to the PH Pro. The former would be the least expensive option; with the latter giving you an extra throttle with the upgrade.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I agree with Tom. You will be maxing out the Power Cab with four locomotives especially if they are sound equipped.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
tstage Yea, I think your current mainline scenario might push your Power Cab - even if the Tortoises are being powered with a separate power supply. You can either upgrade to the Smart Booster (SB5), or move up to the PH Pro. The former would be the least expensive option; with the latter giving you an extra throttle with the upgrade. Tom
Is this the correct one?
https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/NCE-SB5-5-Amp-Smart-Booster-with-Power-Supply-p/nce-524027.htm
I have to disagree with the others. Your 2 amp system is more than enough to power what you described. Even with sound locomotives you're probably pulling just an amp or less.
The best way to find out is to put an ammeter on the system to find out it's drawing.
Peter
robkoz tstage Yea, I think your current mainline scenario might push your Power Cab - even if the Tortoises are being powered with a separate power supply. You can either upgrade to the Smart Booster (SB5), or move up to the PH Pro. The former would be the least expensive option; with the latter giving you an extra throttle with the upgrade. Tom Is this the correct one? https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/NCE-SB5-5-Amp-Smart-Booster-with-Power-Supply-p/nce-524027.htm
robkoz,
Yes, that's the Smart Booster (SB5), which includes the needed power supply. When you plug the Power Cab into the SB5, it automatically bypasses the 2A booster of the Power Cab and turns it into a PH Pro throttle. So, the total output from the SB5 is 5A and not 5A plus 2A.
FYI: You'll still need the PCP panel to program locomotives. And it needs to be completely isolated from the SB5. In fact, you can program locomotives at your bench with just the Power Cab, PCP panel/power supply, and a piece of track. When you're finished programming: Plug the Power Cab into the SB5 (i.e. either directly or daisy-chained to a UTP panel), put the locomotive back on the layout, and away you go.
CNR378 I have to disagree with the others. Your 2 amp system is more than enough to power what you described. Even with sound locomotives you're probably pulling just an amp or less. The best way to find out is to put an ammeter on the system to find out it's drawing. Peter
Peter,
Correct me if I'm wrong but if you're pulling "just an amp or less" for two locomotives, you've already eaten up most of the capacity of your 2A Power Cab. And what if each locomotive are double-headed? And what if the Tortoises are also hooked up to track power?
Better to have extra capacity and not use it rather than push the envelope each time you're operating two or more locomotives simultaneously. Kinda like playing 24W of sound through a 25W receiver. Better to have 50W so that it sounds better and operates cooler.
You may get by with 2 amps, but I would look ahead anyway and upgrade for more power. That way you don't have to worry if you're pulling lighted passenger cars or running MU'd sound engines.
I run most of my Tortoise machines on a separate power supply, so they don't use track power, but if you're using stationary decoders you may need to account for that. They only use a few milliamps each, but eventually even that adds up.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Are you having problems now? If not, why upgrade now? Best way to find out is to try it. Amount of track means nothing because track does not consume power. Number of engines is the determining factor. I would suggest powering your switches with auxiliary power and not expensive DCC. They can get their commands from DCC and still work with analog DC or AC.
Martin Myers
I was running 3 sound locos with my NCE Power Cab, no problems. Added another loco to doublehead one train. Soon I had a problem. Unit went back to NCE and they repaired it and said the cause was the fourth loco.
If you plan to have more than three locos running at the same time, I'd upgrade or you will end up as I did. Remember, it is the number of locos running, not the size of your layout that makes the difference.
I'd suggest the smart booster for its minimal cost. If you want a 2nd throttle, get an O6, much less cost than upgrading to a Pro. Of course there are a few other features with it that you may want to consider.
Good luck,
Richard
The 8 tortoise motors are controlled by an NCE 8switch which is powered by the track. Which is the best way to do this for this elevated layout. And since I will probably be running 4 or more locos with sound, I purchased the booster. It was a no brainer.
When I first installed my Lenz DCC system, I powered it with an old train transformer. The Lenz system is 5 amps, but the transformer I was using probably gave me not much more than 1 amp. I started running into problems when I added a few old passenger cars with incandescent lights.
I replaced the transformer with an NCE 5-amp power supply designed for the job. I think it cost me $35 dollars, and I have had no power issues in the years since I did that.
How much are the proposed solutions to the OP's question? Mine was so cheap compared to other MR expenses that it was a no-brainer.
Rob,
If you ever want to move your Power Cab around to various spots of your layout for accessibility and viewing reasons, the UTP panels work very nicely for that. All you need is a UTP panel and a 4-contact RJ-12 cable to connect it to the SB5. Additional UTP panels can be daisy-chained from the back of the first UTP panel with additional cables. It works quite well.
MisterBeasley How much are the proposed solutions to the OP's question?
How much are the proposed solutions to the OP's question?
MB Klein has the SB5 & power supply for $165. The 5A PH Pro would be considerably more than that ($400, discounted). That's the only options for upgrading the Power Cab.