Can a Dual or Hex Juicer be used across circuit breaker regions or power districts with separate boosters?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
kasskabooseOne question with the juicer: can I use 16 gauge wire or must I use 20+?
Here's the directions for the Hex Frog Juicer
http://www.tamvalleydepot.com/images/Hex_Frog_Juicer_Manual_v2.1.pdf
16 would be OK for the inputs from your DCC buss. Don't you have finer wire coming from the frog? There you would want 22 to 28 gauge so you don't have to use too much heat to solder it to the brass screw that you thread into the eye of the frog. You could attach heavier wire to the juicer (18-20 ga.) then splice finer closer wire to the frog.
MisterBeasleyCan a Dual or Hex Juicer be used across circuit breaker regions or power districts with separate boosters?
This statement is in the first paragraph of the instructions. To me it isn't very clear but I guess it would be OK?
Installation of the Hex Frog Juicer (HFJ) is simple. Place the board on a non-conducting surface (wood or wallboard). Connect the 2 pin terminal block to the track bus. It should be in the same power block as the frogs will be (but not necessarily if you are powering frogs across the layout). Connect a single wire from each frog to any one of the pins on the 6-pin terminal block - it doesn’t matter in which order. You are done.
Regards, Ed
gmpullmanDon't you have finer wire coming from the frog? There you would want 22 to 28 gauge so you don't have to use too much heat to solder it to the brass screw that you thread into the eye of the frog
I thought it was also to have the proper resistance but I'm not sure why I thought that, but the specs for the mono juicer specify a frog-juice distance of 3' while the hex is 15' A 16 ga wire on the frog is going to look fugly.
gmpullmanMisterBeasley Can a Dual or Hex Juicer be used across circuit breaker regions or power districts with separate boosters?
The directions say the input to the FJ should not run via a circuit breaker, but connect directly to the booster. Any booster should do.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
MisterBeasley Can a Dual or Hex Juicer be used across circuit breaker regions or power districts with separate boosters?
You wouldn't want to put the frog juicer downstream from a circuit breaker. If your layout is big enough for multiple booster, you probably have a lot more than 6 turnouts. The Juicers for all frogs controlled by one booster should get their power from that booster, and the Juicer for frogs in the section controlled by the second booster should be powered from that booster. Theoretically crossing sections should work - turnout gets power from Booster A but the Juicer for the frog gets power from Booster B - but ONLY if the booster common is actually connected - for Digitrax this is the terminal on each booster and command station provided for the purpose, for NCE you attach a wire to one of the case screws. Best bet - each booster power district gets its own Juicers. Guaranteed to work with no hassles that way.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I think the green wire I soldered to my frogs is one size thicker than my usual feeder - because that's what was available. It's #18 or #20. Soldered to the brass screw - but I put the brass screws in before putting the turnouts on the layout. So I ran the screw in from the bottom, then sut the excess off flush witht he top and painted the exposed brass black. The I stripped the wire, laid in in the slot in the screw head, and soldered it, never came close to melting the frog loose like happened when I first attempted to solder a wire directly to the pot metal Atlas uses. Even with the blackening cleaned off - it doesn't take solder.