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Amp meter install

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  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Thursday, June 2, 2016 4:38 PM

Below is a link about DCC amp meters. I built two ZXCT systems a few years ago and it is accurate. Agrees with the current reading in my NCE Power Cab which measures the DCC curent.

In the club NCE 5 amp Power Pro, it tripped the booster at about 4.97 amps. I have a high wattage rheosat for a load. Works very well witrh a Harbor Freight digital multimeter on the 20ma DC current scale which the author use to mention. This guy makes sure all his circuits work befor posting.

By the way, the HF meters measure about 13.6 VAC on the NCE systems.

http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/DCCvolts.html

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • 1,047 posts
Posted by betamax on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 7:51 PM

An ammeter is always installed in series with the load, so there is no difference between an AC or DC circuit.

The only issue is you need an ammeter designed to work with the power source.  For DCC you need something designed and calibrated to read accurately the current flow. It may be easier to just install an ammeter between the booster and the power supply, as the current will be proportional to the amount of current drawn by locomotives.

 

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Amp meter install
Posted by ndbprr on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 6:04 PM
Any difference installing an amp meter between the booster and rails with the ac as opposed to in a dc circuit ( series in one leg as I recall)?

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