RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion

RailPro and DCC Modules Compatability

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nodcc4me:
I have found that one other disadvantage to running DCC on your modules will be the need to clean your track frequently. That is the biggest problem I have experienced while trying to run my RP engines at the club. RP modules seem to be very sensitive to dirty track.

G8B4Life:

--- Quote from: LanOsb133 on July 06, 2017, 10:10:47 AM ---Thanks for the insight guys, I figured this was the case but wanted to clarify before I started building my little switching modules.  Tim so if I wired it all up for DCC, and I was at home, I could still plug in the Rail Pro power supply and power the tracks and than unplug it and take it to the club and have them plug in all the DCC stuff and it should (theoretically) work for them?  Given of course that all the wiring is done correctly?  I would love to be able to run my modules that way if possible.

--- End quote ---

Alan has answered this quite well but yes, you will be able to do that. Are the module specs that the club uses online? if they are point us to them and we can ascertain once and for all anything that might throw a spanner in the works.

 . . .

Alan brings up an interesting point on powering with DCC at home as well so DCC frog juicers could be used, and I'm just pondering this in my head and not actually suggesting what has been suggested to be a viable solution to any RailPro user that needs dual capability for auto polarity live frogs. I wonder if one could get away with powering with just a booster and not needing a command station for at home use. A second hand booster only for home use would be a lot cheaper than a complete DCC system sans throttles just for powering RailPro at home so DCC frog juicers can be used.

- Tim

Alan:

--- Quote ---booster - command station
--- End quote ---

Different words for the same thing?

G8B4Life:

--- Quote from: Alan on July 07, 2017, 07:18:52 AM ---
--- Quote ---booster - command station
--- End quote ---

Different words for the same thing?

--- End quote ---

No they are separate things. A command station can incorporate a booster but a booster cannot incorporate a command station. Let me explain that better.

A command station takes input from devices (usually throttles) and outputs the required DCC packets to the command station output. This command station output is usually "boosted" by an internal booster, but not always.

A booster takes input from the command station output (usually a separate low level line for stand alone boosters but contains the same DCC packets) and amplifies them (boosting) for outputting to the track. A stand alone booster cannot accept throttle input or generate DCC packets by itself.

Stand alone boosters are used to divide a large layout up into power districts and as such there is a need to get the DCC packets from the command station to the districts.

- Tim

Alan:
Ah yes. Sorry, was thinking Zephyr / PowerCab style. Relative to the OP's question we can think of the command station and booster as a single component, no?

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