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LayoutI am new to wiring a layout and wanted suggestions to how many points should I wire my layout. I have enclosed a SCARM file of my layout. I am using MTH Realtrax and would like to know how many lockons would I need for this layout.

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Last edited by tlcottone
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IMO for best performance you should have a power feed about every 8 to 10 track joints, irrespective of how long the track pieces are. Especially if you are running conventional, so as to avoid slow downs in the corners, which is very annoying. With command operation you don't get this problem. The track joints are where you will get the most discontinuity and therefore power loss. If you are wiring for dcs the recomendation is every 12 track joint maximum, I believe.

In the end regardless of what you choose, you can always add more feeders if you have any bad areas.

Rod

Last edited by Rod Stewart

Richie's suggested power feeds look pretty good.

Another thing you probably have read is the recommendation for DCS to insulate the center rails between power feeds, thus making a bunch of isolated blocks. While well-intentioned, this really does not work well with most modern track systems like Realtrax and Fastrack. It works pretty well with old-school tubular, as long as you do it when laying the track, not later. My layout was built well before DCS, so they blocks are not insulated, and it all works quite well anyway. Also I did not star wire, and there are 2 or 3 track feeds from each power wire run, which is another DCS no-no. But as a wise man once said, hey go ahead and give it a try, you have nothing to lose.

Rod

@tlcottone posted:

Ok so if I add 7 lockons as in Richie's diagram, can I use this to connect all the wires

50-1014_1

That's the perfect thing for DCS star wiring.

And a further bonus to what Richie mentioned is you can put a TVS right across between the red and black input connectors at the near end of that terminal block. Easy-peasy! You can (almost) never have too many TVS's.

Rod

TVS  Transient Voltage Suppressor.  Designed to reduce Printed Circuit Board damage from voltage spikes.  I always thought most of them were,  one and done.  Foggy head says, maybe not.

TIU  Track Interface Unit.  Designed to supply track power, with the RF (Radio Frequency) signal(s), that does/do all those magic push button functions.   Two Part device, there is a handheld remote also.  MTH product comes as a kit.

TIU pictured upper left of this power board.

Last edited by Mike CT

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