Power-on with sound decoders


MikeOwnby

MikeOwnby

Active Member
Yes, I know this has been addressed, and I've honestly googled and tried to look up the thread, but since I can't even remember the NAME of what I'm looking for I'm gonna have to be "that guy" and ask a question I know has already been answered. Sorry.

I've now hit 9 sound decoders all on one booster (along with probably another 20 or more non-sound), and while the trains run just fine as long as the booster is already powered up (8 amp Digitrax, btw) I find that after adding sound loco #9 I can no longer get the booster to power up if all of them are parked on that one booster. I know there's a device that "softens" the power-up to the rails so that all of the load doesn't hit the booster quite so quickly and solves that problem. Can you guys just point me in the right direction?
 
The product you are looking or is a "SoftStart".

D&J RailRoad posted this information on the Forum....

"Softstart is a product made by NCE. It reduces the current inrush to the track just enough so the breakers don't trip if you have a lot of locos on the track, especially sound equipped. In electrons time, the delay is significant. In our realized time, you see nothing. They cost about $30 and go right in line with your power input to the command station. Takes about 5 minutes to install. No soldering, just wire screw terminals. Two wires in, two wires out. No programming involved either."

- Greg
 
Greg@mnrr said:
The product you are looking or is a "SoftStart".

D&J RailRoad posted this information on the Forum....

"Softstart is a product made by NCE. It reduces the current inrush to the track just enough so the breakers don't trip if you have a lot of locos on the track, especially sound equipped. In electrons time, the delay is significant. In our realized time, you see nothing. They cost about $30 and go right in line with your power input to the command station. Takes about 5 minutes to install. No soldering, just wire screw terminals. Two wires in, two wires out. No programming involved either."

- Greg
Click to expand...

Thank you! That is EXACTLY the post I remembered and the information I was looking for, I just couldn't seem to find it and couldn't remember the manufacturer or product name. I browsed through Google and some of the DCC sites, but without knowing the name it was like trying to find a needle in a pile of needles. Appreciate the help.
 
Gdelmoro said:
If your find the product please post where you got it. NCE claims they do not have that product.
Click to expand...

I hadn't gotten around to ordering one yet, so I didn't realize. But yeah. I don't know if he just had the brand wrong or if it was discontinued by NCE. Now that I know what to call it, however, it was easy enough to find the device. The one that's available now is called TurnOn Module, and Litchfield Station has them for $16.95. Tam Valley Depot has them also, but they're a bit more expensive there. Haven't really searched any further than that to see if other places have them cheaper.

http://www.litchfieldstation.net/product/turnon-module-soft-start-circuit/
 
THANKS ! I gave up and now you have provided the answer. ;) When I talked to NCE they sounded like I had 2 heads and claimed they never heard of such a thing.
 
Mike:

I just ordered a TurnOn Module from Litchfield Station and will install it on my layout.

I also have some problems with some of my locomotives with sound decoders starting up when I power up my layout. Just time consuming to turn the critters off every time. But, at least I'm memorizing each locomotive's assigned number!

Thanks.

Greg
 
Put a TurnOn module on both my boosters, and everything is back to working like a charm. Wonderful little devices. I'm surprised the major DCC manufacturers don't offer something similar. I know it's a very simple circuit, and schematics for it are all over the place, but I can't be the only one who'd just as soon spend $17 instead of locating all the parts and building one myself.

Ironically, it's the booster controlling my "railroad museum" portion of the layout which is giving me the issue. Ironic because it only RUNS at most 2-5 locos at a time, depending on consists, but it's all the parked locos that are sucking the power at startup.

I'm not sure I'll ever have the same problem on Booster 1, because I really have no desire to try and turn my mainline diesel fleet into sound units. Far too many of them would be very difficult if not completely impossible. BUT, I do know I will have a ton of locos parked in the main yard facility once it gets finished (in addition to the 12-18 running & same number parked now), so I figured I might as well install one now and be done with it. Future proof. Not sure if a ton of non-sound units would even end up causing this same issue, but now I know they won't. And who knows, if they keep putting sound in more and more units there's no telling what'll happen in years to come.
 
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