The first unit is the Command Station/booster, the brains of the system. It is hooked to a 5 amp booster. These two units are powered by their own 5 amp power supply. The two boosters, each supply 5 amps of power to a separate Quad Power Manger. Each Quad Power Manager has 4 separate power outputs, giving us 8 separate blocks. If someone shorts out one block the other seven blocks are not affected. The first Quad Power Manager powers block 1 and 2 which are the return loops and they are equipped with Autoreverse units. It also supplies power to 2 more blocks. The other booster powers the other 4 blocks. We did have 9 blocks, so we combined the 2 branch line blocks into one, as there will be less power required there. Three smaller power packs, power the two Quad Power Managers and the Radio Transmitter/receiver/Infra-red receiver unit. Note, the radio transmitter/receiver has a three hundred foot range, so it was just located near the Command Station. There are 13 phone jacks around the layout, which are daisy chained with 6 wire flat phone cable, to each other, the Transmitter/receiver, the boosters, and the Command Station. We put in that many phone jacks in case someone wants to use a simplex throttle instead of a duplex one, there will be lots of plug in points. Note, radio waves from a simplex throttle will not be received by the Command Station so it would have to be tethered at all times. In addition to this there is a separate programme track, which is double gapped from the layout, that plugs into the front of the Command Station so it is isolated from the layout. Engines can be programmed and then pushed across the two feet of non-powered track onto the main line. The infra-red part of the system will not be used as it needs line of sight to work, which would require several receivers around the layout. Yep, DCC wiring is simple.
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| 2 quad managers |
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| lets wire it up |
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| all hooked up |
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