Wire Gauge for Ground Plane?

quote:

Does the wiring for these devices run under the table in close proximity to your track power wires?

Yes.

Ground plane. Now there's an oxymoron.

Pete

quote:

Is that accessory power supply completely isolated from any track contact at any operating accessories or insulated track sections. Many of the accessories have a grounded metal chassis, such as the horse and cattle corrals.

The answer to that is complicated, but I think "Yes". I don't have corral or operating accessories, except for a 494 PW beacon tower, which is somewhat close to the trouble spot. But, I don't run it that often. The other accessories where the engine blows its horn are just bulbs in buildings and on block signals and the radio station tower. In other parts of the layout, there're also other metal towers with lights on them, some flashing.

All block signal bulbs and two of the radio tower bulbs (run thru a flasher board) are on a separate circuit powered by a PW 1034 75 watt. It has no connect to track power at all, except being plugged into the same computer strip that my New ZWs are plugged into. The ZWs provide main track power.

But, I also use the New ZWs for accessory lighting via B&C handles. There are three circuits for that. One is the 494 beacon (it needs variable power to work right). The other two circuits are just strings of various incandescents. One such circuit runs four steady red lights on the radio station beacon. So the tower gets its lighting from two different sources. All of that lighting is well insulated from the metal parts.

Btw, the old Am/Fm/Sw radio under the layout, when it's on, you get reception that is either correct or you have a station a little "off", depending on if the Command Base is on too. And they are on the same power strip.

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One is the track-conducted signal from the Base U terminal; the other is the airborne "earth ground" signal that radiates from the house wiring.

I just thought of something here. Does it make any difference WHERE the house wiring is relative to the train room? The trains are not in the main part of the house, which would be downstairs. They are in an add-on upstairs bedroom (once an attic). There is no wiring above the room or layout except one ceiling bulb. Otherwise it's just a roof overhead. The only other wiring are several wall fixture/sockets that are three feet or so below the surface of the layout. The main house wiring is downstairs. And those wall sockets, like I've said several times, aren't connected to earth ground.

Is the command base wall wart power supply plugged into an outlet which is actually connected to earth ground? If so, it's not as important where the room is relative to the rest of the house wiring. If you do not have access to earth ground in the room where the trains are running you will need to establish a local ground reference using pin 5 on the command base serial port. In this case your TMCC set up will be a two wire set instead of the usual one.

I run FastTrak layouts on my deck in the back yard. It's about three feet off of the ground (as in dirt). There is an outlet off of the deck (attached to the side of the house) that does provide access to the third prong of the outlet and therefor is tied to "earth ground". No problems running the trains on the deck. There is nothing under the deck in terms of wires or hidden metal, just dirt and concrete.

quote:

Is the command base wall wart power supply plugged into an outlet which is actually connected to earth ground?

No, I'm afraid it's not. Anyway, by this point, you can assume I'm unto the #5 pin idea. I done grasp the principle...

I think I'm just going to fix the house wiring.  Previous owner installed a four switch box and decided to chop the ground wires for switched outlets.  Hmm... maybe he ran the ground for un-switched outlets... I'll plug in the the tester thingie and see what it comes up with.

 

Mike

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Well, I tested the house wiring and it shows a proper ground.  Yet, the engine still seems to lose signal and stop.  It does not actually lose power, and a quick increase on the DCS thumb-wheel will cause the engine to immediately start.  The headlight flickers when the engine stops.  Last thing I can think of to check is the actual antenna connection within the engine itself.

 

DCS engines work flawlessly.  The engine is an Atlas RS-3 Trainman with ERR speed control added.

 

Mike