i have three decks to my layout with a NCE Booster running each deck,
whilst exiting the bottom deck onto the first helix i am getting a short, have tried reversing poles to which the problem moves to the other side of insulation joiner. as it would.
connected a test light to bottom side of insulation joiner to test apposing poles, but get no reading what so ever from top side of joiner, yet testing each side both have power
have run the layout through an anolog system and can get a train to run complete a circut no hassles!?
any suggestion please
It sounds like your boosters are out of phase. it is important with DCC to keep all the "Rail A' and "Rail B" (sorry digitrax terms, not sure what they are called for NCE) consistent between boosters to maintain proper phase. The locomotive will stop and short out if it bridges the gap between two power districts that are not in phase, much like exiting a reverse loop (without some sort of reverser). Try switching the power leads connected to your lower level booster (assuming the helix is a separate power district).
What do you mean by reversing poles?
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
to the forum.
It would really help if you could provide a diagram or pictures of the layout. There could be any number of things that could cause your short circuit. Boosters out of phase, hidden reverse loops, non insulated frogs, and a crossed feeder are just a few.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Does the problem occur if you simply use a wire to jump over the insulated gap? Or, does it take a running train to do it? Is the gap between ordinary track sections, or very close to a turnout?
It may be that the problem isn't related to the gap or the boosters at all, but rather to the trackwork nearby.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
It sounds like your power districts are out of phase.
This is where I would start:
Make sure that your Power districts have both rails gaped at each end of each district. Make sure they have not closed up.
Make sure that the cable connecting the boosters together, and to the command station, are wired correctly. (The control bus?) Also, no track wires should go from one booster to the next.
Make sure you don't have a reversing loop track connection at the end of a power district. If you do have one of these, make sure the reversing section track is also gaped at both ends on both rails and they have not closed up.
Now, once having checked all of that, you can test to make sure that the tracks in the power districts are in phase. Take an AC meter or automotive light and connect it as follows: At each power district gap, test the voltage ON THE SAME RAIL, across the gap. If you get a voltage reading or the light illuminates, the two power districts are out of phase. The voltage reading will be the same or close to what the track voltage is. To correct it, reverse the track power wires AT THE BOOSTER. This will reverse the phase of all the tracks in the power district.
Since you have three power districts, start with the one that is powered from the command station. Call it correct. Then check the second one. Test the gap between the first district and the second district. If it is wrong (the light illuminates or you get a voltage reading), switch the wires for the second district. Next test the gap between the second and third districts. If it is wrong, switch the track wires on the third booster.
That should correct it.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.