# your opinions on the NCE Power Pro-10R



## Newsted (May 29, 2012)

I Have Been Using Bachmann Dynamis for inside use for about a year. It has been recomended that Dynamis be used only indoors. I have been very happy with it! I want to purchase a system for use outdoors and the NCE Power-10R has been recomended by several people. I am fairly new to the DCC Technology. Can anyone please also explain the benefits of using power-blocks? Thanks!!!


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I've been using the NCE PowerPo 10 amp for 3-4 years now. It's been really good. Easy to use, very robust. For the frist two years, I left it outside, in a waterproof plastic box, all year long--100 degrees in the summer, 14 degrees and snow in the winter. 

I don't use blocks though--I just have a few wires going to the track. The only time I set up a block was to run an automated crossing, where a trolley crossed the mainline.


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

I've been using an NCE PowerHouse Pro 10 for @ 9 years or so (slightly longer than the age of my existing "Watuppa Railway" garden railroad). Initially started use with it on a small indoor layout; after about a year, construction commenced on the outdoor layout (spurred on by the acquisition of my first live-steam loco, an Accucraft 3-cylinder Shay







). In order to use the PowerHouse Pro on *both *railroads, I installed it in an inexpensive plastic tote (cost maybe @ $4!







) from WalMart. A set of banana jacks installed though the wall of the tote enable easy connection to either railroad. Here's a few pics:










I call this my *"Box of DCC" *







...










& here's what's inside: starting clockwise from upper left, the back side of the banana jack output terminal strip (just happened to be a three-terminal strip, only the upper 2 are used), Meanwell 27-10 (27 Volt max., 10 Amp) switching power supply, NCE 10-Amp booster, NCE Control station, wireless Pro Cab, spare booster (not connected, at bottom of tote), wireless receiver with antenna, wired Pro Cab, manual down the bottom for reference).










How the "Box of DCC" looks in use; take out the wireless receiver & sit it on top. That's the wireless Pro Cab sitting next to it. The outlet strip behind is used as an AC power ON / OFF & connects to an extension which is plugged into a ground-fault protected outlet in a weatherproof box outside the house.










This 2-pin banana plug connects to the railroad's main DCC power feed; there is a fuse holder in line as well.










The entire "Watuppa Railway" is built elevated @ 2 feet above ground; the rubber garden edging along the front serves mainly the function of *"derailment catcher" *







. The very convenient holder for the wired Pro Cab was provided from a long-ago scrapped wired phone.







The "Box of DCC" is just below (out of view in the last photo). Having the entire system in the tote makes it easy to carry in & out (although I've acquired so much equipment over the years that the indoor railroad was re-configured last year to serve *strictly as a storage yard & test track *for equipment that normally runs outdoors!). 

One caution I would make is to be certain that you use an *adequate power supply *for the NCE system. About a year or so after completing the outdoor layout, I began to have some *erratic operation *







. I eventually determined the culprit to be the old "Hogger" power pack







I used *before *converting to DCC; the power pack (which I initially used to supply the NCE system) became *intermittent *







under high-load conditions. It was temporarily replaced with a *far older (@ 1948 ~ 1950 vintage *







!) American Flyer transformer - but the Flyer transformer's 18 volt AC output was a bit on the low side. Broke down & bought the modern Meanwell switching supply (normally set to deliver @ 21 volts DC to the NCE system) & haven't had a problem since...







Tom


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## Newsted (May 29, 2012)

Thanks for sharing your experience! Your use of the plastic box for the equipment is a superb idea! I have been going round and round trying to select an operating system. I also like what aristocraft is doing with their new system! I get discouraged about switching to aristocraft as it will require a lot of modification to locomotives that are already running great. I am glad to hear that NCE products can stand the test of time. Thanks again!

Mark Newsted


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## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Mark,

I put all of my NCE DCC equipment in an old DeWalt case that I cut the inside out of and it now fits three NCE 5A boosters along with the controllers and wireless units. If I could figure out how to post pictures from my iPad I would send you some.


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## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Tom, by the way, very nice set up!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I've used the NCE system for a long time. I saw that many clubs used either Digitrax or NCE, and then looked and tried them out, and the NCE ProCab was better designed, the booster had more amps, all the features I wanted were superior.

They were also the first with full duplex radio communications as I remember.

My electronics are in an inverted drainage junction box:

















I llikewise enclosed my radio base stations:


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## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

That looks good, Greg. You're an engineer, aren't you? 

Robert


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## Newsted (May 29, 2012)

You guys are quite creative. I plan on buying the NCE 10R. Can you tell me how you should arrive at the amount of amps to have available? Are the NCE power units a good bet?

Thanks,

Mark Newsted


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