Hi I’m finally ready to wire the longer of my 2 reverse loops. The loop is about 10’ between the gaps at each end.
I purchased a PSX AR for this loop. According to the manual it shows the wires from the PSX output to the reverse loop connected in the middle of the loop. That leaves 5’ to the gaps on each side of the connection. Is that sufficient? Should I connect the PSX output to a terminal strip so that I can run wires to each end of the reverse loop closer to the gapped ends? Does it matter?
Also the Manual says to connect the input side of the PSX to the mainline Bus. Can this be anywhere along the bus? Or should I also connect wires from the mainline tracks on each end of the mainline just before the gaps to the reverse loop and then to the PSX AR input?
Thoughts?
Gary
gdelmoroThat leaves 5’ to the gaps on each side of the connection. Is that sufficient?
Ten feet is at least 3+ sections of flex track. Are the joints all soldered? Additional feeders are always a better idea. The PSX-AR has to sense the "short" immediately. A feeder near each end, on each rail, and an additional one near the middle would be advisable, if it were me.
My PSXAR is fed off the same buss that feeds the entrance track, before the breaker. The exit track is on a different power zone but the same breaker and same booster as the entrance track.
https://tonystrains.com/wiring-psx-ar-circuit-breaker-auto-reverser-reverse-loop-crossover/
gdelmoroAccording to the manual it shows the wires from the PSX output to the reverse loop connected in the middle of the loop.
A wiring diagram, or schematic is just that — a representation of how something is wired. IF the schematic shows a connection to the middle of the track that doesn't necessarily mean the wire has to physically be attached to the middle.
One of my "reverse loops" isnt a loop at all, it is my entire engine terminal that actually makes up part of a wye. There are turnouts and run-around tracks all over. I probably have thirty feeders to the rails there all going back to the PSX reverser.
Good Luck, Ed
I have 4 circuit breakers and 2 auto-reversers on my layout. I run the main track lines from my DCC base station directly to the inputs of each of them.
Each breaker and auto-reverse unit then feeds a separate bus which goes to the track. Both of my reverse sections have enough track within them that a bus is justified. I suspect your 10-foot loop does too.
Label and/or color code the reverse loops.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
OK Thanks, so it sounds like a run from my controller to the PSX AR and then a bus along the reverse loop with track feeders close to the gaps on each end and one in the middle.
gdelmoro Hi I’m finally ready to wire the longer of my 2 reverse loops. The loop is about 10’ between the gaps at each end. I purchased a PSX AR for this loop. According to the manual it shows the wires from the PSX output to the reverse loop connected in the middle of the loop. That leaves 5’ to the gaps on each side of the connection. Is that sufficient? Should I connect the PSX output to a terminal strip so that I can run wires to each end of the reverse loop closer to the gapped ends? Does it matter? Also the Manual says to connect the input side of the PSX to the mainline Bus. Can this be anywhere along the bus? Or should I also connect wires from the mainline tracks on each end of the mainline just before the gaps to the reverse loop and then to the PSX AR input? Thoughts?
I then run a separate bus (14 gauge wire) from the output side of each PSX-AR to power its respective reverse loop. I connect the feeders from the reverse loop to bus coming from the output side of the PSX-AR for that reverse loop. With a 10 ' reverse loop, I would at least have a pair of feeders at each end of the reverse loop.
Rich
Alton Junction
Thanks Rich, That’s what I’m doing.i have three feeder points. One very close to each gapped end and one in the middle.
Oh, BTW I used different color wire for the reverse loop wiring!
Good work on the color coding.
I would add two more feeders, just because it's so much easier to do when you're first installing the track and wiring them than it is once you've got the track all ballasted and realize you need an extra feeder. Feeders are cheap, and more feeders never hurt anything.
Installed and working! Getting to really like PSX.
There is a video (via Google Search - PSX AR) that compares several AR’s and the PSX far out preformed the others. I switched my NCE EB1’s to PSX and I’m thinking of replacing my Dual Frog Juicer/AR with a PSX AR at the first sign of any problem.