PSX

I have been using the PSX-ACs for a while now with no problems in DCS signal and no added chokes. I have a very similar setup to yours, although quite a bit smaller (6'x16'). I use PH-180s for power instead of a Z4000. The PH-180s have extremely fast breakers and the PSX's are faster. To be fair here, I have the PSXs set to 8 amps and the PH-180s are 10 amps. The PSX does not have a 10 amp setting. I have both DCS and Legacy and everything is working very well. I have not had any problems with signals with either system.

I wired my layout specifically for DCS as I did not yet have Legacy at the time. Legacy was added later, after the layout was up and running trains. I followed Barry's book as closely as I could. I used OGR wire (it's paired, red & black and also very nice wire) with MTH terminal strips. I have #14 going to the terminal blocks and #16 to my track blocks. Power is all #14 through the PSXs to the TIU and on to the terminal blocks are all #14. It all worked out very well. The PSXs have some very nice features, which I am using several of. I added the Sonalert alarm, remote LED indication and remote reset, all built in features of the PSX-AC.  

Brandy,

Unlike RTR12, I experienced a degradation of TIU signal when I tried using the PSX on my test track.  Keep in mind I did my test on just a small loop of track, not a full up layout like RTR12 has.  RTR12's experience may be more typical.

Here is a diagram of how I set my test track up.  Because of my particular setup, John (gunrunnerjohn) recommended using a 34A 22uH choke so that is what I bought.  Note that I have the TIU in passive mode because its channels are limited to 10 amps, and I have the PSX set at 15 amps.

I ran that setup with and without the choke, and as the pictures says I saw an increase in DCS signal strength from 5 to 9 when I used the choke.  Using the same setup but without either the PSX or the choke, I got 10 signal strength.  So from my limited test I believe the PSX does degrade the DCS signal.  RTR12's setup is a lot different than mine, which may account for the difference in performance. 

What Cap has for set up is close to the way I have mine wired, except my TIU  is not wired in passive mode.  I haven't blown any electronics since installing psx, just install the psx at the input of the TIU, just as effective 

Look for my YouTube video for my PSX demo

https://ogrforum.com/t...t-circuit-protection

I have my PSXs on the input to the TIU, probably from reading CapPilot's earlier posts about this. I remember that now. I was thinking they were after the TIU, but they are not, they are as superwarp1 has his. I was incorrect above and corrected the order in which I listed them.

I went and checked, mine are wired PH-180 to PSX-AC to TIU to MTH terminal block.  I am also not using passive mode and I have no TPCs, just one PH-180 & PSX per TIU channel. Just had the order wrong. I need to make a drawing like CapPilot has done. Didn't think I would forget all this that quickly...

Folks, I want to thank you for replying to my post. We do have some signal strength problems on our Club Layout, as it seems like we only take the time out to put more "Lipstick on a Pig" if you know what I mean!

Gunrunner John has been helpful to many folks here, on this forum, as he has done for our club thru my questions.

A member of our club was the one who found out about PSX  equipment. We're now planning to buy one, and try it out. With our layout set up the way it is, I'm going to address the choke situation, also asking one of our young "Guru's" to take the time and read this post, and last but not least to confer with Gunrunner John............Once again.....Thanks for replies to my Post!...........................................................................Brandy!     

You won't be disappointed.  No more arc welding every time you have a derailment.

Ya know, I really know da** little about model railroading, but I do know welding, and some metallurgy. What folks don't realize, if wired right , you could/can actually weld with a Model Railroad Transformer!

Then folks wonder why they burn up electronic boards, while awaiting the Transformers Circuit Breakers to kick out.

We have one club member who says that his Z4000 trips instantaneously, when a derailment occurs, and it seems like earlier in the life of the clubs Z4000's, that they tripped quicker than they do now.

I have seen this as you folks have, and that there is always somebody inventing a better mouse trap!

Once again, a special thanks to all of you forum members that gave us some help here..............................Brandy!   

I have the dual model smart breakers, one for each train loop.  The breakers output are connected to the TIU inputs and the breakers inputs preceded by 15A fuses "just in case last resort".  I put the breakers before the TIU figuring they would trip in case a TIU device went shorted, and less obvious, was there was no space to put them after the TIU without alot of tearout and rework.

The only problem I encountered was that the installation diagrams didn't agree with the boards.  When hooked up as shown the breakers would nuisance trip or fail to trip.  Found that breakers were interrupting the common/neutral/ground rather than the hot power side only.  So reversing the hot and grounds on both inputs and outputs fixed the problem.  I relayed this to the PSX people but never heard back, yea or nay.  Don't know if current manuals corrected this wiring.