Has anybody tried the Bachmann EZ Command 5 amp booster?
Thanks,
Dave
Dear Dave,
I've installed one on a new display I'm building. It's easy to wire up, and it seems to work fine, but the display is too small to really challenge it.
Have fun!
the Bach-man
To the Bach-man:
I just got the 5 amp booster. The supplied track connector black wires appear to be heavy gauge and are bare wire at both ends. Can I splice those to the much lighter gauge bare wire ends of the EZ track red connector wire (supplied with the EZ Command Center) which then plugs into an EZ track terminal rerailer?
The instructional DVD with the booster does not show how the booster connects with EZ track. The black track wires from the booster disappear behind a table and a red track wire emerges from behind the table and plugs into the EZ track terminal rerailer.
Thanks,
Dave
PS:
Can an MRC 9500 analog controller be plugged into the EZ Command Center "from DC controller" port for DC control or does it have to be a #44605 Bachmann analog controller?
Quote from: ripvanwnkl on April 01, 2007, 01:48:37 PM
PS:
Can an MRC 9500 analog controller be plugged into the EZ Command Center "from DC controller" port for DC control or does it have to be a #44605 Bachmann analog controller?
Do not use MRC 9500 --- use a Bachmann 44605 or 44212
Dear Dave,
I'm using the standard red wire to the track. No problems, but I'm certainly drawing very low amps...
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Bach-man,
Just to confirm, you attached the bare ends of the standard red wire to the Booster and the plug end to the EZ terminal rerailer, right?
Thanks,
Dave
Bach-man,
For safety ----
Check and let us know what the current rating is for the Bachmann power red wires with female plug and the E-Z Terminal Rerailer track piece power connection.
Or a statement these items can be safely used at the full rating of the 5 Amp Power Booster.
Thanks, Hunt. You're right. Wiring safety is the primary concern. Bach-man?
Dear Dave,
I have no idea how to test wire rating, but I'll ask.
Thanks!
the Bach-man
Update: I just finished testing EZ command connected to 5 amp booster connected to HO ez track with standard red power wire. I put all my 16 DCC with sound locos on the main track, 7 consists of 2 each and 2 singles for a total of 9 addresses. Locos were a mix of steam and diesel with manufacturer installed sound in 7 BLI, 2 Bachmann Spectrum, 2 Lionel, 1 Athearn Genesis, 1 MTH, 1 Proto 2K, and LHS installed ESU/Loksounds in 1 Kato and 1 Jouef.
I kept all consists and singles moving independently at slow speeds, with all horns and whistles blowing and all headlights on for @5 minutes. Made for a noisy Easter Sunday! Couldn't feel any appreciable heat in the red power wire. As my previous dcc/sound loco limit with EZ Command alone was 3, I was impressed with the new booster's performance!
It is good to know about your test; but, do you know the most Amps being drawn during your test?
So unless you want withdraw the question, your test does not negate the need for an official statement from Bachmann that the Bachmann power red wires with female plug and the E-Z Terminal Rerailer track piece power connection items can be safely used at the full rating of their 5 Amp Power Booster.
Thanks, Hunt. No, I don't know the max amps actually drawn during my test. So I definitely want to keep the question active to Bach-Man for an official statement about the safety of using the power red wire at the full rating of the 5 amp power booster.
Bump to Bach-Man re: wire rating and safety of EZ Command red power wire from 5 amp booster to EZ track.
I have no idea what the size or rating of the ". . . red power wire . . ." is, but 22 AWG is ~0.025" in diameter and is good for 7 amps. Whether it's used on DCC or DC is inconsequential for the purpose of this discussion. If the size of the wire in question is not marked or identified, just measure it. If you can't measure it, check its temperature in operation. If it feels warmer than your skin at full operating current, move to the next larger available size. 20 AWG is ~0.032" (1/32") in diameter and is rated at 11 amps.
Here are a couple of resources that show and discuss the current carrying capacity of wire:
http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm (http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm)
http://www.rowand.net/Shop/Tech/WireCapacityChart.htm (http://www.rowand.net/Shop/Tech/WireCapacityChart.htm)
Remember: This isn't wiring for the space shuttle!! ;)
Happy RRing,
Jerry
Jerry,
On the other hand, using your example ---- based on a curve fit to MIL-STD-975 --- a single copper 22 AWG wire at 20 degrees C (68 degrees F) the Ampacity is calculated to be 4.2 Amps.
But this alone may be misleading as it does not take all the components and their material between the Bachmann power booster and the rail of HO E-Z Track Terminal Rerailer into consideration. So I don’t think such info negates the need for Bachmann to answer the question asked. ;)
Hunt and Jim,
Not knowing anything about electronics or wiring, what is the worst case that could happen with improper wiring of this beastie?
Thanks in advance.
Best, Jack
Quote from: jsmvmd on April 12, 2007, 12:18:07 PM
Hunt and Jim,
Not knowing anything about electronics or wiring, what is the worst case that could happen with improper wiring of this beastie?
Thanks in advance.
Best, Jack
Jack,
Using too small AWG wire in a circuit can result in fire. Not saying that will happen with mixing these components.
From Dave’s testing, he now knows, as he is using the components, he seems to be OK by his feel for heat testing.
Dave’s question about using the original red power to track wires from the 5-Amp booster is a good common sense question because,
• Dave stated the power to track wires provided with the 5-amp Booster appears to be a larger AWG wire. If true, there is a reason.
• Bachmann rates the output of the E-Z Command Control Center as one amp. From testing, I know the unit is capable of just under 1.5 amps output to the track. I don’t know how much over the 1.5 Amps and for what time frame the power red wire, its female plug and the rail connect components are designed to safely carry.
The ampacity of wire varies depending on insulation and application. For example, #22 wire used in a transformer winding is rated at low as 1 amp but in a cable with other wires, can carry 5 amps. In open air, it can carry 8 amps at normal temperatures. My advice is to avoid burying it in the styrofoam if that is what you use on your layout.
But even if you buried it in the styrofoam, the chances of starting a fire are remote. If the wire got hot enough to melt the styrofoam, or even its own insulation, that melting would extract heat from the wire, tending to cool it. Eventually, you would end up with bare wire sitting inside a open "tunnel." If you have ever used a hot wire styrofoam cutter, you have probably noticed how the wire cools when cutting and if you stop cutting with the wire still in the styrofoam, it slowly forms an open hole around itself without reaching the smoke point, let alone the ignition point. Also from working with hot wire cutters, I seem to remember heating in the order of 1 to 4 watts per inch of cutting wire, depending on the type of foam being cut. If we were to translate that to #22 wire, 1 watt per inch at a resistance of 16 ohms per 1000 feet (.0013 ohms per inch) would require a current of about 20 amps to produce 1/2 watt per inch in a single wire or 1 watt per inch in two wires side by side. The 7 amps of so that a B-mann booster can put out would cause only 1/8 as much heating. Bottom line, in open air, no problem. Encased in styrofoam, no problem, but I wouldn't do it anyway.