DCC Impulses Column - 3
I think this is left over from the CB days, when folks saw that
an (illegal) amplifier would send their signal further. So, a DCC
booster must be needed to send the DCC signal further down
the track.
Okay, assuming that your layout is wired as I described in my
column, the power required to run the
layout is not determined by how long the mainline is, or by
how many yards or spurs you have.
Whether your layout takes up 2000 square feet or it is a 6-foot
shelf layout, your power needs will be determined by power
consumed on the layout, not the physical size. Points to con-
sider are locos (powered, either stationary or running), lighted
cars, and accessories like lights and stationary decoders pow-
ered from the track bus.
Each locomotive will always draw some power, ranging from a
little when it is sitting quietly on track with its lights turned off,
to a lot when it is making loud sounds and pulling hard with
3: The RR-AmpMeter is designed to measure DCC sig-
nal voltage and current. Photo courtesy American Hobby
Distributors.
3
MRH-Mar 2013
