DCC Bus and Electro Clips

[choralc]

I am in the process of fixing a DCC bus under the layout and connecting the dropper wires.

 

Even though I have droppers in the sidings off the points in my 'yard' do I still need to fit the electroclips to every point? Is it 'belt and braces' or absolutley necessary?

[westernwill]

Hi Choralc

No you don't need them at all.

Even if, like me, you don't have a bus, depending on your layout you might not need them then. I have none on my siding points and only a couple elsewhere where they are needed. And when I put an extra power rail in I can take all of them out.

Hope this helps.

[choralc]

Thanks W'l. I know that without them a siding would be dead when switched to the other side but I have tried to put in droppers somewhere along each siding.

 

I will test when it's all wired in and remove them a point at a time from the siding furthest from the main loops stepping back from there unless of course I have a short or yelrow's famous melting points!

[poliss]

No, you don't need the point clips if you have feeds beyond the points. They're only made so that those with DCC train sets can convert their layout  to DCC easily.

Some people have reported problems with melting points. possibly because of high electrical resistance where the point clips contact the track.

[choralc]

Thank you P's for confirming W'l. I'm still doing the droppers a couple of fixing points at a time. Might be done by Tuesday! When my tremors start there's no point continuing with the soldering (if I hear soddering one more time I think I'm going to crack) hence the delay in getting it finished rather than because of its size :)

 

When I turn it over to test I will remove them.

 

Thanks again.

[Fishmanoz]

It's very simple in principle CS, if there is anywhere on your layout that is on the far side of a point from any power connection, that place will be dead if the point is set away from it unless it has DCC point clips.

[choralc]

Thanks Fish for the back up even though I said it in the first para. of the third posting. Even I knew that one! :)

 

Down with a virus atm but steadily getting the track bus done. May have it finished for a test tonight.

 

I have bought a 16V AC 1.5 amp power thingy for the the two Lenz LS150 decoders that I will use and may start on connecting the point motors tomorrow.

[choralc]

Sigh, belay fitting Lenz decoders tomorrow.

 

Removed clips but on testing the Elite would begin startup sequence but as soon as the version number begins to show the dreaded error message comes up. I must have a short ... sigh.

 

Will post a new thread.