[Makemineadouble]

The feed back bus is required for Xpressnet (Lenz), not for loconet (Digitrax) users.

 

[Makemineadouble]

Doug:

I know what to call it but for the sake of friendship I won't

Moving away from the Lenz/Digitrax debate, what then do Canbus users have ? do they need a feedback whatsit ?

 

[Makemineadouble]

QUOTE I remember reading somewhere that as a matter of safety discipline it is a good idea to avoid mains cable colours when wiring a layout. As in the UK that would now include at least red, brown, blue, black, yellow, green and green/yellow stripes I am not kidding when I say my wholesaler doesn't have enough colours.

Its a defacto standard in DCC that the front bus is the A rail and is red, the rear rail or
B rail is black. This concept that one could confuse it for mains cable is crazy. It's another form of the nanny state. As I stated a long time ago I used bare earth wire on my last layout and this work really well, but you have to plan where and how you lay your bus. Try to avoid chocolate box connectors they are a scource of trouble. Automotive snap type cable connectors are far better and if your using sheafed bus you don't need to strip it. If you need a ring main type bus there's no reason at all why you can't do this.

 

[Makemineadouble]

where did those two very nice circuit diagrams come from neither are my big book of DCC or in Digital command Control ? my compliments !

 

[Makemineadouble]

Keep on adding those boosters and you have more power than a home welding machine. It's an intresting compairison. Its one of the reasons why I stuck to 5 amps for the control and boosters rather than going for 8 amps (Digitrax), far better to have more power districts than too many amps in one district.

 

[Makemineadouble]

Your correct dynamite, and if it suits you use a ring main with no problems.

 

[Makemineadouble]

Why not connect up your droppers with the track power on. Your DCC control unit has built in protection, and gives you a very nice buzz if you make an accidential short, it then shuts down until you recify the situation, thats what it's designed to do. I always make a point to wire up with the track power on. Not that i make many mistakes, but then it only takes on lapse of concentration I suppose.

 

[Makemineadouble]

There appears to be a lot of lashing of teeth on this subject, it's no big deal.
The basic rule is have a pair of droppers for each length of track. If you can get away with less, and it works, fine. No DCC inspectors coming along to inspect your work. Your the customer, and your the one who need to be satisfied, so if you want less track feeds fine.
Do put a track feed at each section of track, IE before and after a turnout. Yes you can have a ring main if you want. If you have set track and you dont want to put in 100's of droppers fine, try it with a few droppers, after all you can always add a few more if running in an area becomes erractic.

This is hobby it supposed to be fun, so enjoy your Hobby and DCC it will be fun

 

[Makemineadouble]

My last layout was a horse shoe simply because thats what suited the layout. My only comment is that using a telephone in the railway room was impossible with the layout powered up. There was zero interferance outside the room, and zero interferance with the TV's.

 

[Makemineadouble]

Cell phone & cordless.
hope that clarifys things

 

[Makemineadouble]

But I've never had a problem with TV interference and DCC.