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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2023 14:26:45 GMT -8
Ok, is there anyone out that using the NCE Powercab with a heavier gage bus wire than 18 awg? That likes it and finds it to be adequate for your needs?
Thank you all.
John
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Post by cemr5396 on May 25, 2023 17:22:22 GMT -8
Powercab user here. I love it, very user friendly compared to every other system I have operated on.
I have a small ish switching layout, about 2x12. So quite a different situation than yours, but mine has never once given me a problem of any kind. My power is all fed through the track for the time being, I should add an actual bus wire and feeders but I have not gotten around to it yet. My 'feeder' is 14 or 16 AWG wire soldered to the bottom of the rail under an Atlas snap track bumper and run directly to the NCE panel. I know that it is perfectly capable of powering a much bigger layout because I have connected it with alligator clips to the layout at my club and easily powered one power district while the main system was disconnected. While I physically can't run big trains at home, I have had 5 or 6 sound equipped engines running at one time before and it didn't have a problem with that either.
The Powercab is a 2 amp system IIRC, if you can't even get over 1 amp without issues something is wrong. I don't know enough to tell you what exactly.
But I would suggest contacting NCE, if you haven't already.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2023 7:19:47 GMT -8
I may try to replace the bus wire at least temporarily to see if it really makes a difference, but I likely can't do this for a couple weeks, so it will be awhile before I can post any kind of update.
I probably have to do that to eliminate the possibility of wiring issues being the main culprit.
Given that I can never seem to get more than about 0.96 amps to the track, I can't help wondering if there is something else that could possibly be the reason or at least a contributing factor?
Thank you all for your comments. I will reply back when able to do so.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2023 20:27:02 GMT -8
The NCE Power Cab controller failed tonight while a train was running. The speed control dial just literally stopped working, and I had to do an emergency stop. Once stopped, the train started running again.
May be awhile till I get around to testing a different bus wire.
I can note that on a recent production MRC 20 VA power supply, the very same 50 car train with 2 ScaleTrains diesels ran much better in plain dc than it did in dcc. ST default setting is all lights on and sound on, so other than not being able to control the bell or horn, everything else worked exceptionally well in plain dc and my son can be happy with that for awhile.
I suspect there may be more issues with the NCE Power Cab than just the speed dial. Due to the relatively short tether cord that they provide, which wants to entangle itself, the controller has hit the floor on too many occasions to count. Now I have to figure out if it's worth sending it in for repair or not.
Having become accustomed to MRC electronics typically never failing in the past I most likely did not register the warranty for this item.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 9, 2023 6:22:35 GMT -8
The NCE Power Cab controller failed tonight while a train was running. The speed control dial just literally stopped working, and I had to do an emergency stop. Once stopped, the train started running again. I suggest you read the following comments on that type of problem: ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201170269-Runaway-Loco-Have you disabled DC running, using CV29? Ed
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Post by bnsf971 on Jun 9, 2023 6:57:41 GMT -8
It’s been a while since I used one, but isn’t the max current output of a Power Cab supposed to be something like .7-.9amps? And a booster doesn’t help, because everything runs through the throttle, power-wise. Or am I thinking about a different model?
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 9, 2023 8:45:12 GMT -8
It’s been a while since I used one, but isn’t the max current output of a Power Cab supposed to be something like .7-.9amps? And a booster doesn’t help, because everything runs through the throttle, power-wise. Or am I thinking about a different model? Here's some stuff about the Power Cab: ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201479649-How-many-trains-can-I-run-on-a-Power-Cab-At the top, it mentions 2 Amps, which is very approximately 4 engines. However. I believe IF the Power Cab is overloaded, it will shut down, instead of developing a runaway. Ed
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2023 11:09:46 GMT -8
Even locos that were not involved in the runaway exhibited the same response. When I place them on the track in dcc, they take off, while throttle indicates speed step 0.
The train was moving when the failure occurred. It just suddenly began ignoring the speed dial. When emergency stop was pressed, the train stopped immediately, but then it started going again. I turned off the dcc system and put on other locos that were not involved in the runaway. As soon as power was applied and they completed their typical startup sequence, they took off, regardless of the setting of the speed dial (which was now at 0).
I have not been able to get the current readout to ever exceed 1.02 amps. That was with 3 engines on the layout at the same time, and a 50-car freight train.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 9, 2023 14:56:40 GMT -8
FWIW, I've had "runaway train" on two occasions with Digitrax. Never with NCE.
Ed
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Post by cemr5396 on Jun 9, 2023 18:22:31 GMT -8
Due to the relatively short tether cord that they provide, which wants to entangle itself, the controller has hit the floor on too many occasions to count. That might have been worth mentioning earlier. I think it is pretty much certain that is why you are having so many issues.
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Post by cemr5396 on Jun 9, 2023 18:25:48 GMT -8
FWIW, I've had "runaway train" on two occasions with Digitrax. Never with NCE. Ed It's happened many times at our club, the command station's 'memory' gets filled up and everyone's trains quit responding to whatever they are being told to do. Including if you try and tell it to stop. Only fix is to kill the power and reset the stupid thing. I've been trying to campaign to convert to NCE or something else that's 'not Digitrax', but there is a lot of resistance from club members (most of whom aren't even all that active) because "well the system we have works, doesn't it?"
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2023 9:44:50 GMT -8
Dang it. Removed the brand-new NCE 5-amp booster and tried the NCE Power Cab one more time. This time it actually worked.
However, one post above said the NCE Power Cab is unable to actually get more than 0.7 to 0.9 amps to the track, and he may be correct. Funny, because that is exactly the current range at which my locos have problems with stalling, etc. If I get to the local store today or next week, the owner is going to let me do some tests on the store layout, which has practically speaking no bus wire of any length and is a small layout. I want to see exactly how much current their NCE Power Cab can actually get to the rails.
As I have mentioned, my home layout was built nearly 18 years ago, when dcc was still relatively in its infancy, and as such it was not ever designed for dcc operation. I used Kato sectional track for quality reasons and for scenic reasons (it looks really good, was easily installed, and most importantly I did not have to ballast it). Every time I ever ballasted track I was never happy with the appearance of the results or the operation of the layout turnouts after ballasting (have also ruined Kato turnout power contacts when using too much scenic cement nearby).
It is impractical for me to tear apart scenery and completely redo the track on a layout that will soon be torn down when we move to another house. It would be difficult to solder Kato track that is already glued into place (so that joints didn't move around and we didn't have much voltage drop).
Also, the same locos are all performing much better in plain dc with the recent 20 VA MRC power supply. Interestingly enough, Athearn's default settings have all the lights on in plain dc including CN DPU lights. We are thankful for that. We can even triple head those locos in plain dc if we want (which my son will as 50 car trains are not enough for him).
I would never change the setting of CV 29 because we run trains in both dc and dcc.
I did see on NCE's website that they do not recommend any toggle switch to turn power off. Guess they don't want anybody using any plain dc. Hmmmm.
IF I actually end up buying another dcc system, at this point I'm not planning to use NCE. We factually had only rarely used plain dc for several months if not the last year, but we still have a couple plain dc locos. With very careful throttle handling, everything operates better in plain dc even at very low speeds.
John
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Post by Gino Damen on Jun 10, 2023 11:49:22 GMT -8
Hi,
Runaway trains are often caused by decoders who autoswitch from DCC to DC. The solution is simple (of you only use DCC) and that is disable DC in the decoder. Solves 99% of the runaways.
Digitrax command stations especially the older ones need to be setup correctly to be able to handle lot of engines. Also do not use Digitrax Universal consisting. That uses a lot of power of the command station. Basic (= same address) or advanced (= decoder based) consisting is the way to go.
OpSw Settings for Command Stations at Train Shows OpSw Effect on System When “Closed” - setting 02 Booster Only Override – sets DCS100/200 to Booster only - As needed 03 Command Station’s Booster is Auto-Reversing - As needed 05 Command Station is Command Station - C 18 Extend Short Circuit Shutdown Time form 1/8 to ½ Second - c 20 Disable Address 00 / Analog Stretching for DC Locos - c 25 Disable Aliasing - c 33 Allow track power restore to prior state at power on - c 34 Allow track to power up to "run" state - c 44 Expand Slot Refresh Area from 22 to 120 (DCS only) - c
Optional OpSw Settings for Command Stations at Train Shows OpSw Effect on System When “Closed” - Setting 15 Purging forces loco to speed "0" - c 21 If you want to default your command station to advanced consisting, set OPSW21/22/23 to the sequence "ttc" (128 step FX mode) - t 22 t 23 c 28 disable DS54 interrogate commands at power ON - c 36 Clear all mobile decoder info & consists (instead of 39) - c 43 Disable Loconet update of command station's track status - c
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2023 13:22:17 GMT -8
I just tested the NCE Power Cab system at my local train store in New Cumberland, PA--the STORE's system and not mine. It was an EPIC FAIL. The system does NOT put out anywhere near the advertised two amps to run trains. In fact, it doesn't even get to 1 amp indicated before bad things happen.
That store's system is hooked up directly to a small circular test track. There is effectively NO bus wire to speak of and NOT enough track for voltage drop to be an issue at all. The store's SD40-2 was drawing only 0.13 amps of power, which is really good. The track looked clean and shiny enough.
We took 4 of my mint/like new consignment locos (various makes that have sound and dcc) out of the box and put them on the track (without the store engine as it is not set to address 3). At 0.80 to 0.90 amps indicated on the Power Cab with a short train and nowhere near maximum speed, the sound, lights, and power of the locos began cutting out and some units began to stall. One of the units was a dcc--no sound unit.
So the store's system, which has NOT been dropped like my home controller, has faired no better than my home system.
Needless to say the store's owner was not happy to see that NCE's system does not put out the amount of power to the track as is and has been advertised.
If someone were attempting to run more than a four car freight train at anywhere near normal track speed, there is no way we would ever have gotten 4 units to start at all, and I seriously doubt that 3 would start with a long heavy train like some people actually run.
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Post by cemr5396 on Jun 10, 2023 17:31:37 GMT -8
I have run my Power Cab at over 1 amp indicated lots of times, and never had a single problem.
I guess I must be special or something.
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Post by bnsf971 on Jun 10, 2023 18:15:10 GMT -8
I have run my Power Cab at over 1 amp indicated lots of times, and never had a single problem. I guess I must be special or something. It could be like the bumble bee, that doesn't know it can't fly and merrily goes about its business flying around.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 11, 2023 5:13:34 GMT -8
Do I have this right:
A guy's locomotives don't run right on his home Power Cab.
That guy's locomotives don't run right on the store's Power Cab.
Thus Power Cabs are crap.
Do I have that right?
Ed
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Post by Baikal on Jun 11, 2023 5:57:25 GMT -8
Do I have this right: A guy's locomotives don't run right on his home Power Cab. That guy's locomotives don't run right on the store's Power Cab. Thus Power Cabs are crap. Do I have that right? Ed
Depends if you take the OP's last sentence literally or not:
"If someone were attempting to run more than a four car freight train at anywhere near normal track speed, there is no way we would ever have gotten 4 units to start at all, and I seriously doubt that 3 would start with a long heavy train like some people actually run."
If you're intending to run at "track speed", the train will not start. Just define track speed as something faster than you'd run (say goes to 11), then run slower. The end result is the same, but should be tested just the same.
If the OP was not being literal, then it's likely something else.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2023 5:41:13 GMT -8
1. I am not the OP. Ed was.
2. I was being literal. There is effectively NO bus wire to speak of but only a very short wire connection from the NCE Power Cab to the store layout. The layout is only a small circle of nickel silver E-Z track. This means that wire resistance or any track voltage drop have been practically eliminated from the test. (Since you all told me that my unsoldered track and or bus wiring must be the culprit, I decided to do a test to see if that was actually true).
3. It is the STORE's NCE Power Cab and not mine. They have a holder for it on a corner post so it does not get dropped, as I indicated in previous posts mine had been.
4. For those somehow insinuating that it was MY home engines that won't run, because somehow I don't know anything about what I'm doing and have therefore somehow messed up my engines, the engines tested were all mint/like new engines that are for sale at the store. They were engines I had at one time purchased and maybe test ran but ultimately didn't need to keep; they are on consignment and listed as "used" but in most cases are very nearly brand new. They have been run enough to absolutely know that everything works just fine.
5. At 0.80 to 0.90 amps indicated on the NCE Power Cab, the sound/lights/power begin cutting out randomly and the 4-unit lashup with 4-car freight train begins stalling--literally individual engines will not move at all while others spin their wheels. Normal people might agree that this would be a bad thing.
6. The highest indicated amperage was 1.0 amps but only for a split second as I was already reducing the speed to stop the wheels from spinning against non-moving adjacent engines.
Based upon what I saw, I'd say it is reasonable to conclude that the Power Cab as tested is not capable of getting 2 amps to the track, and that trackwork/wiring is actually not the problem. Though of course there might be some voltage drop it is minimized due to the very short length of track, etc.
I have never seen an amperage indication above 1.02 amps on either Power Cab--the store's or mine, but dcc trains are stalling before you even get to that point. Also, a 50-car freight train does add about 0.2 amps to whatever current draw is required for the locomotives. "Normal track speed" I would define as being somewhere around speed step 14 out of 28.
Whenever I discussed train lengths I was being literally true. My son routinely is running 50 car freight trains with 2 ST Gevo's pulling them, and has pushed train lengths to 70 cars with 3 Athearn units, a DDA40X and two SD90MAC-H units. The problem is that he can't keep more than 2 engines running with any typical train length that he wants to run. A third engine added results in random stalling, which may actually have damaged the DDA40X. I tried adding a booster per instructions between wall and NCE Power Cab, but still cannot get any additional power to the track that way even though instructions say it will work.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 12, 2023 6:39:09 GMT -8
The layout is only a small circle of nickel silver E-Z track. A small circle of track. Your four engines on the track. Are you saying there were also "...non-moving adjacent engines."? And that your four engines kinda ran into them, and were spinning their wheels? All on a small circle of track. Ed
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2023 7:54:51 GMT -8
I coupled 4 dcc-equipped engines together, 3 of which had sound and one Intermountain Gevo did not. They all started moving ok with the 4-car freight train. As speed was increased from speed step one, the sounds and lights all came on as they are supposed to and they began moving the train as one would normally expect them to do. All was well until somewhere between speed step 10 and 14, when at that point the amperage draw had increased to between 0.80 amps and 0.90 amps indicated on the NCE Power Cab, spiking briefly for a split second as high as 1.0 amps indicated. At that point, the sound began to cut out on the sound-equipped engines. The lights began to flicker, and the consist which had been moving acceptably with minimal fighting between engines began to stall. Some engines continued to run and spin their wheels while other engines stalled completely.
The beginning amperage was somewhere around 0.5 amps at the point that all engines were making sound and beginning to move together as a group in speed step 1.
There was no significance to the engines used other than they were not screwed to a base like the Bowser units are. I just used 4 engines that were easily available at my fingertips.
The engines were:
A Rapido B36-7, an Athearn Genesis SD45-2, an Intermountain ES44C4 Gevo, and a BLI SD45. To be clear I was just trying to see IF the system could get beyond 1.0 amps indicated before anything would stall. I made a second attempt, and the exact same thing happened. The system could not get enough amperage and voltage to the track to keep the engines running, though it would actually START the train just fine and all engines were moving acceptably enough together without wheelspin.
The system is easily capable of STARTING 4 diesels, pretty much as advertised, but it will not keep them running especially if there is a significant train length behind them.
John
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Post by Baikal on Jun 12, 2023 12:46:23 GMT -8
1. I am not the OP. Ed was. 2. I was being literal. There is effectively NO bus wire to speak of but only a very short wire connection from the NCE Power Cab to the store layout. The layout is only a small circle of nickel silver E-Z track. This means that wire resistance or any track voltage drop have been practically eliminated from the test. (Since you all told me that my unsoldered track and or bus wiring must be the culprit, I decided to do a test to see if that was actually true). 3. It is the STORE's NCE Power Cab and not mine. They have a holder for it on a corner post so it does not get dropped, as I indicated in previous posts mine had been. 4. For those somehow insinuating that it was MY home engines that won't run, because somehow I don't know anything about what I'm doing and have therefore somehow messed up my engines, the engines tested were all mint/like new engines that are for sale at the store. They were engines I had at one time purchased and maybe test ran but ultimately didn't need to keep; they are on consignment and listed as "used" but in most cases are very nearly brand new. They have been run enough to absolutely know that everything works just fine. 5. At 0.80 to 0.90 amps indicated on the NCE Power Cab, the sound/lights/power begin cutting out randomly and the 4-unit lashup with 4-car freight train begins stalling--literally individual engines will not move at all while others spin their wheels. Normal people might agree that this would be a bad thing. 6. The highest indicated amperage was 1.0 amps but only for a split second as I was already reducing the speed to stop the wheels from spinning against non-moving adjacent engines. Based upon what I saw, I'd say it is reasonable to conclude that the Power Cab as tested is not capable of getting 2 amps to the track, and that trackwork/wiring is actually not the problem. Though of course there might be some voltage drop it is minimized due to the very short length of track, etc. I have never seen an amperage indication above 1.02 amps on either Power Cab--the store's or mine, but dcc trains are stalling before you even get to that point. Also, a 50-car freight train does add about 0.2 amps to whatever current draw is required for the locomotives. "Normal track speed" I would define as being somewhere around speed step 14 out of 28. Whenever I discussed train lengths I was being literally true. My son routinely is running 50 car freight trains with 2 ST Gevo's pulling them, and has pushed train lengths to 70 cars with 3 Athearn units, a DDA40X and two SD90MAC-H units. The problem is that he can't keep more than 2 engines running with any typical train length that he wants to run. A third engine added results in random stalling, which may actually have damaged the DDA40X. I tried adding a booster per instructions between wall and NCE Power Cab, but still cannot get any additional power to the track that way even though instructions say it will work.
You probably damaged your controller when you kept dropping it.
Have the locomotives have been dropped?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2023 13:01:54 GMT -8
I was using the STORE's NCE POWER CAB SYSTEM and the STORE's NCE CONTROLLER, NOT my own system and NOT my own controller. I was using the STORE's layout, with the STORE's track and wiring to THEIR layout. NO NO NO, the locos are practically brand-new locos that have NOT EVER BEEN DROPPED. They were engines I happen to own, but the STORE is selling them on consignment, just like many others they have sold on consignment without any issues. The engines were all running just fine until they couldn't get enough power. If you drop an HO engine on a concrete floor, it is not normally going to run at all after it has been dropped. Seriously, I've done that ONE time in 47 years of playing with trains. Is the moon full or something that people are somehow this confused?
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Post by cemr5396 on Jun 12, 2023 13:13:36 GMT -8
I think the confusing part is the fact that many of us are Power Cab users and have never experienced the issues you describe, yet you have experienced it on two seperate systems.
using the rule of Common Denominators it would seem the locomotives MAY be the problem but we still need more information. Were they the same ones at the store and at home, etc etc.
There is a small chance you have several locomotives that are bad apples. The fact that they don't all experience the same issues at the same time when 'the system' begins to have trouble tells me it may not be the system at all. It could simply be seeking to protect itself from overloading, if indeed that is what is happening.
You yourself have stated you have had several locomotives go bad (motors, decoders,etc) so I don't think we can eliminate that possibility yet.
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Post by Baikal on Jun 12, 2023 13:18:49 GMT -8
I was using the STORE's NCE POWER CAB SYSTEM and the STORE's NCE CONTROLLER, NOT my own system and NOT my own controller. I was using the STORE's layout, with the STORE's track and wiring to THEIR layout. NO NO NO, the locos are practically brand-new locos that have NOT EVER BEEN DROPPED. They were engines I happen to own, but the STORE is selling them on consignment, just like many others they have sold on consignment without any issues. The engines were all running just fine until they couldn't get enough power. If you drop an HO engine on a concrete floor, it is not normally going to run at all after it has been dropped. Seriously, I've done that ONE time in 47 years of playing with trains. Is the moon full or something that people are somehow this confused?
You said you dropped the controller, I didn't realize it was the store's controller. Might be broken. Trying a 3rd Powercab would rule that in/out.
Are you sure one of the four locos isn't set up to run in reverse? Been known to happen.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2023 20:26:37 GMT -8
To my knowledge the Store's controller has NOT ever been dropped by me or anyone else.
Locos used at store were definitely NOT the ones I was using at home; they have been AT THE STORE for a year or longer.
Has ANY of you actually run a 50 or more car train with the NCE Power Cab and 3 or more units on your layout? And if so, what was the amperage reading?
What is the maximum amperage reading you have ever gotten with the NCE Power Cab? Has anyone actually gotten anything above 1.5 amps indicated on the controller?
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Post by jonklein611 on Jun 13, 2023 6:15:39 GMT -8
To my knowledge the Store's controller has NOT ever been dropped by me or anyone else. Locos used at store were definitely NOT the ones I was using at home; they have been AT THE STORE for a year or longer. Has ANY of you actually run a 50 or more car train with the NCE Power Cab and 3 or more units on your layout? And if so, what was the amperage reading? What is the maximum amperage reading you have ever gotten with the NCE Power Cab? Has anyone actually gotten anything above 1.5 amps indicated on the controller? Are the three units sound equipped? You may be hitting the limits of what the Power Cab can do without a booster. The power supply can only output 1.73 amps (P=VxI) (24W = 13.8V x 1.73A) in total. Subtract out the power required to run the Power Cab and you'd be left with right around 1.5 amps. That's assuming ideal conditions, you'll have less amperage if not running sufficient feeders to the track and the NCE cable is quite lossy. Most HO locomotive decoders are rated for 1 amp and some sound decoders can be 1.5 amps. Three decoders under load is probably overtaxing your power supply. I would say adding a booster should fix your problem.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2023 8:29:22 GMT -8
Thank you jonklein611--
That is exactly what I was trying to figure out! The claim is that it is a "2-amp system" but in actuality it cannot get there in terms of actual output to the track, for the reasons you stated including the power required to simply run the unit as well as any losses in wiring, track joints, etc.
Various websites out there CLAIM that the NCE Power Cab can support 4 locos, based upon 2 amps output and 0.50 amps per loco, but that is an oversimplification and not necessarily possible because you can never get 2 amps actual output to the track, and particularly with a heavy train and all sound and lighting features on, the 0.50 amps assumed or calculated per loco can be simply not enough.
Each individual loco, with sound on and all lights on, draws anywhere from as little as 0.12 amp at speed step 1 to as much as 0.28 or 0.30 amps by itself, depending upon how fast it is running and what all features it has. At speed step 28 of 28, the current draw is typically at its highest, approaching 0.30 amps for the ScaleTrains locos.
The latest Genesis 2.0 units draw less current than the latest ScaleTrains locos. They just do. It's a fact I'm seeing on the layout all the time, with every single Athearn Genesis unit as compared to 4 ScaleTrains Gevos. I can take a new Genesis 2.0 unit right out of the box, and it will draw less current than the ST locos (ICG SD70 real world example, exceptionally low current draw right out of the box). I'm not saying that to bash ST; it is just a fact based upon all the features that are on the ST locos (extra lighting typically not included up to now on Genesis locos). 0.30 amps at speed step 28 of 28 is still a pretty low number for any diesel and to me indicates a unit that is functioning well.
So to start 3 or even 4 locos moving without a train or practically no train at all may only require as little as 0.50 or 0.60 amps but as they accelerate, the amperage requirements increase. By the time the 3 or 4 locos, again with sound and lights on, reach speed step 10 to 14 (of 28), then problems begin to occur. This is greatly magnified if one is trying to pull a really heavy train of current generation freight cars (some of which may not roll as well as past expectations especially if they have rotating roller bearing caps on the axles, though I myself might like that feature). A heavy train length can require 0.2 or 0.3 additional amps all by itself, which combined with three locos can then approach 1.0 amp total current draw.
That is where the problems begin, and for me that happens anywhere above 0.80 amps on my home layout, which probably does have some voltage drop but is nowhere nearly as bad as what some folks online are calculating for track voltage drop. (In DC with a recent MRC 20 VA power supply, my trains can fly faster than needed so I know based upon the 20 VA rating that the actual voltage drop in my track work is not that bad).
The kicker for me is that with the STORE NCE Power Cab system, the results were basically the same, and it only has a 4' or 5' diameter circle of track with practically speaking a 2' bus or feeder wire. So that test practically eliminated whatever voltage drop is occurring on my home layout from the equation and yet still the Power Cab is having difficulty supplying all that is required to operate the sounds, lights, and motors of the diesels.
I tried using an NCE 5 amp booster installed according to their instructions, and the net result was insignificant. I think the Power Cab when used as a throttle in accordance with the NCE instructions is completely unable to get the extra power of the booster to the layout. It just did not work. Tried it for weeks.
It appears to be the case that I need a 3-amp (or more) system if my son is going to pull heavy trains with more than two locos.
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Post by cemr5396 on Jun 13, 2023 9:15:26 GMT -8
That is odd that a booster wouldn't work. That is literally what they are for - Boosting power. The fact that the original system was 2 amps (on paper) should be irrelevent when you have a 5 amp booster hooked up to it.
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Post by jonklein611 on Jun 13, 2023 10:58:06 GMT -8
Thank you jonklein611-- I tried using an NCE 5 amp booster installed according to their instructions, and the net result was insignificant. I think the Power Cab when used as a throttle in accordance with the NCE instructions is completely unable to get the extra power of the booster to the layout. It just did not work. Tried it for weeks.It appears to be the case that I need a 3-amp (or more) system if my son is going to pull heavy trains with more than two locos.Happy to help. You may want to verify the booster was wired and configured correctly: ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/200499579/SB5_Manual.pdfDid you get the SB5 or the DB5? Is it in Dumb booster mode? Keep in mind that your layout use case may require more than 5 amps as well...
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