When it comes to electrical circuits I think it’s best I ask questions before I get smoke and funny smells, so here goes! I’ve attached a picture to show what I need to connect up. I’m not sure how to connect my PowerCAB, the NCE power panel, my 10A DCC booster, and the 15V 5A power supply. NCE warn that only 13.5VDC regulated should be used on their NCE P114 power panel. The power supply for the booster is 15V 5A. My booster is built from a kit/article published in the July 2012 edition of Silicon Chip magazine here in Australia. Do I connect my 15 volt 5A power supply to the booster, or to the NCE power panel, then to the booster? I’m assuming I connect the PowerCAB to the NCE power panel using the flat cable, then run flat cable to the inputs on the booster, but which wire is which? Output from the booster then goes to 3 circuit breakers before going to the tracks. Thank you! Chris
Can I suggest you contact David Heap on dgheap@gmail.com who is a NCE man based in NSW and ask him those questions ?
Hi Chris As Sol Suggested Dave will be far more knowledgeable regarding this, however, your power supply is not up to the job, the booster is capable of supplying 10A, the power supply can only supply 5A. In the case of a short, the internal power protection (if the booster circuit has them) will never trip as it cannot draw enough current to cause the trip. The power supply needs to be able to provide more than the booster can supply, therefore greater than 10A. Older laptop power supplies were a good source of 16V 5A to 7A (now most laptops use 20V supplies with lower currents ) unless you need the 10A, can the circuit be modified to output 5A, which would solve the psu issue. As for connecting I would need to see the booster instructions, but for non-propriety boosters, most work by being connected between the track bus output from the command station (track out from the PCP) and the circuit breakers / track, p[retty much as your photo depicts. Paul
