Various factors influence booster capacity needs, including track arrangement, locomotive storage, and the number of locomotives in use.
DCC is a distributed power system where the boosters should be in the center of the area being powered. DCC accessories should be positioned as close as possible to the item being powered.
The purpose behind this is to keep all wiring as short as possible to prevent voltage drop under load.
If you have many DCC accessories, such as light-its or switch controllers, consider adding a dedicated “DCC accessory bus” booster.
For multiple levels, you require a minimum of one booster per level, primarily for the sake of wire length, ease of construction, and troubleshooting.
Idle locos will draw between 20 and 100mA, depending on whether the lights or sound are on.
For track arrangement considerations:
It is recommended to give locomotive storage areas and offline train staging dedicated booster(s).
If you have large A/D yards, you might consider giving them dedicated boosters.
For mainlines and switching areas, figure .50 amps per locomotive RUNNING. Remember that each booster needs at least one circuit breaker. A DCC Meter is also recommended to monitor capacity usage.
Comments