What is the "ideal" track voltage reading to have?...On my "test" track I have 18.1/18.0 (read-out from MS2), and on my layout when trains are running it varies 17.7/17.8V. Is this within "permissible" specs? (with MS2 off it reads 18.0)
I only have the 2 wires from the connector box to the track - C track, layout size about 2.9m x 1.2m.
The "Mains" reading on the MS2 depends on the amount of trains I run, and/or lighting, sounds, and smoke - the "highest" reading I've had is 1.1A, with 6 locos running simultaneously....Is this reading within "limits"??
Excuse the ignorance......electricity has NEVER been my string point
thanks, Joe

Thanks Tom - stoopid question coming up .....extra feeder tracks...How are they connected? I have read one should connect extra feeder tacks every 2 or 3m? I gather with C rack this is nice 'n easy, simply connect brown and red wires to O and B with the little spade connectors, but then where to??...do I join all the reds and browns together....and then join them to the "original" brown and red wires coming from connector box?
As always, thanks for the help!!
Joe

Thanks David!...Don't feel so stoopid after all...lol
Joe

An observation I have made is that too high track voltage will make some "Hobby" locos run less smooth at low speed. The test was made by supplying an MS1 from the "red" output of a 6647 transformer. At the maximum voltage the Hobby locos did not behave correctly. There was no error in the signal waveform, so it is probably the voltage that causes the problem. With the 18 V DC power supply it worked well. Also any configurations with the 6021 CU or the 6017 booster and either the 6647 or the 6002 transformer worked well. Only some Hobby locos were affected by the problem, all 6090x and mfx locos worked fine in a wide range of voltages, although non-SDS mfx C-sine locos that were not upgraded did show a much more than proportional speed variation with varied voltage. After upgrade at Märklin (free of charge) this excessive speed variation was cured.