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Adding power to a Prodigy Advance Squared

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  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 311 posts
Posted by 1948PRR on Thursday, July 30, 2009 10:27 PM

I think you will be fine out of the box. I also forgot to mention that my layout is doubletrack, and I only have one set of feeder wires. Go figure. I AM picky about using only "tight" rail joiners, though. I also doublehead 2-10-0s and run ABBA sets at the same time. All with sound. I use LokSound and QSI.

I'd like to see your trackplan,as I'm abouttobuild a garage/building to house a larger, more permanent layout.

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: East central Missouri
  • 1,065 posts
Posted by Santa Fe all the way! on Monday, July 27, 2009 11:09 PM

My layout is a HO shelf layout 14' x 28'. I will be running sound equiped locos only. Right now I have a BLI Big Boy,two Genesis AB consists, a Bachmann Spectrum N&W 4-8-2,and a Proto 2000 GP-7 all with sound. I also have a few older(mid80's) that Im going to add decoders to. I will probably have two to three in action at one time with a few on sidings.

Come on CMW, make a '41-'46 Chevy school bus!
  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 311 posts
Posted by 1948PRR on Monday, July 27, 2009 10:00 PM

What size layout do you have and how many of what type locos will you be running at the same time?

Ihave a 19x15 and have about 11 locos "on the table" right now (sitting on powered rails), and have had at least double that ammount at one time.They are mostly later model BLI, but some are LL P2K,Atlas and even a couple brass with can motors.

I have had my PA (Prodigy Advance) for about 8 years,and typically run two or three but maybe up to 5 or 6 of those 11 at one time  The only power issues I've had were the results of motors drawing too much current because of stalling due to binding or shorts from really bad decoder installations.

When that happens, you can hear the fan in the PA kick into high. Then it makes a metallic beep and resets.

Again,only defective equipment,has been the cause, not load due to multiple engines or track length.More power wouldnot have been a resolution.

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Christiana, TN
  • 2,134 posts
Posted by CSX Robert on Monday, July 27, 2009 3:13 PM
You probably could use another brand booster with it, but unfortunately, MRC has not released any informaton that would allow you to. Digitrax, NCE, Lenz, and CVP Products have all made public the pinouts of their command station to booster connections, and because of this, you can use a booster from any one of them with a command station from any other. MRC prefers to keep their system completely proprietary and at least thus far has refused to give out any such information.
  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: East central Missouri
  • 1,065 posts
Adding power to a Prodigy Advance Squared
Posted by Santa Fe all the way! on Monday, July 27, 2009 12:40 AM

Im new to DCC, I just got a Prodigy Advance Squared and was wondering exactly how do you add more power. I might like to do this down the road. I noticed MRC's power boosters are expensive, does any other manufacturers boosters work on Prodigy Adv Sq.??

Come on CMW, make a '41-'46 Chevy school bus!

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