I have a small digital layout of approximately 8-meter total length of C-tracks. I have 3 locomotives and 5 coaches with interior lighting. The locomotives seem to run fine, though some times I have experienced some problems with the 1.2A Mobile station.

Should I use a booster for such a track length? If yes, what additional Marklin components I need and how to connect them on the layout?

Yes, I've seen. Some times when two locomotives are running with their lighs on, and I try to start the third one with its lights on, as well, all locomotives stop and start momentarily, and the Mobile station shows as if a short-circuit occurs. However, this doesn't happen all the time, and I don't know if this problem is an indication that a booster is needed. In addition, the cause may be the 1.2A Mobile Station, which I've taken from a starter-set.

This thread had a lot of discussion on this


https://www.marklin-user...ault.aspx?g=posts&t=6067

My experience is that also the little black transformer ('ugly box') that is delivered with many MS start sets can be a limiting factor. Changing just the transformer to a more powerfull one (e.g. 60052) might help. Maybe you can borrow such a transformer from soneone to see whether it helps.

If you use digital braking sections, and often some of the cars with interiour lighting are parked there, you might consider to power (just) this braking section with a separate, low-cost DC power supply. A regulated 13.8 VDC one of 2 Amps should be not much more than 20-25 Euro.

-rudi

Doesn't matter how big a transformer you put on the MS, it will not deliver any more current.

H-zero, there's no need to afraid to modify the MS. You can find plenty on E-bay at $20-25.

I gather it must be the interior lighting?

I have (still waiting for parts for level 3) about 10 meters of track right now, a 5% grade, 3 locs (2 old 4-dip switch Deltas one the V-100 "Delta" from the MS set) and 13 cars and have had no major problems running everything at the same time (other than keeping them from colliding). But I am NOT dealing with interior lights or smoke generators.

I have no additional track wiring other than turnout solenoids operated wtih a different transformer, and am using the 1.2 amp mobile station with the 18 VA transformer- - the only place I have found an issue is if one of the locs is running real slow when I activate the next one, a slow down is evident. If it is running at a middle or higher speed I hardly notice. I have noticed some places where I need to anchor the track better (connections that are perhaps a little bit under tension without a perfect fit but close enough - we are still in test run phase) and some issues in the middle of my double slip switch if the train is going very slow over it (seems like for that one it needs a little momentum)

The cheapest I have found a 2nd 1.2 amp mobile station so far is $39 (from Germany but at US ebay.com) - - - I would love to find one for $20-$25...I guess looking at ebay.de?

Thanks, Tom. I may try it when I can get the MS away from my Grandson for a few days.

Has anybody tried to use a HiFi-amplifier as booster?

Per.

All I can say is: this method of tweaking a MS to more output power is described on a German MRR forum.
I haven't tried it and I won't try it - coz my track power comes from two DC66045 using either an IB or the MS as controller. Therefore I don't need to tweak my MS now.

Rudi:
how to power this braking section...don't you need any booster to do it?
Or how to connect it ? Is it at the breaking module output?
thanks

The Märklin boosters transmit the digital signals they receive. So if you have an Intellibox or other equipment it is no problem to use the 6015 or 6017 booster and use DCC protocol. However in some cases the booster may shut down if it doesn't detect a Motorola signal of some kind. This may even happen when Central Station is used with an old booster. The cure is to have one "dummy address" with the Motorola protocol to keep the booster alive. I don't know how this can be done in a pure DCC environment. Perhaps by changning the polarity of the connector? Since the Motorola protocol gives somewhat more negative pulses and the DCC somewhat positive. The decoders won't mind if you reverse the connections, except for some very old specimens. But then you can reverse the track connection as well, so you get it right...

Hi Jeehring,

The ‘digital braking sections’, as often discussed this forum, are based on the fact that when M* locomotives see only DC power (where the pickup shoe is negative with regard to the rails), the gently brake until they are at full stop. Light and sound continue to work. The loco will start driving again once a regular AC (digital modulated) signal is received.

So, for a digital braking section, one needs DC. The most popular designs make this from the AC signal with a (fast) diode and a capacitor. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are short in 'digital power' then it makes sense to take this DC power from a less expensive source than a rectified booster ;-)

It is very, very important to make the brake section design such that no unwanted current will flow when the pickup shoe of the train (shortly) touches two sections at once. There are basically two ways to do that.
1. The regular design uses diodes (and often an extra short section between regular power and brake) to do that. There have been new variants on this, reported in this forum.
2. The alternative design in which the train, once inside the braking section, activates the brake itself (with a switch rail, for instance). In this design, the train never drives into a DC section, instead, the section turns to DC once the train is already in there. In those designs, you don’t have to care about unwanted currents at all. This is my favorite design, but I don't think many other use it.

Assuming you want or already use design 1, you take out the diode and the capacitor (used to make DC) and connect the point where the generated DC was arriving directly to the external source. The look carefully at the circuit, if unwanted currents may still flow from the booster to the DC supply (or the other way round) when the pickup shoes touches both sections. Use diodes to prevent that. I did not do this yet, but if you are not able to do it yourself I would be glad to figure it out for you.

/rudi