# Power input pins on the 10 Amp power booster



## Davenport66 (Apr 2, 2020)

I bought a Meanwell LRS-350-24 for my system to replace the Brutus 10 amp 18 v which has the plug already wired. I have the PH 10R and I'm now running 2 trains and I'm only getting 17 volts to the track.
My question is it states in the NCE book that pin 1&2 are grouped together and pins 3&4 are grouped together so from the Meanwell would I use Pins 1&2 or 1&3 or 1&4?

Thank you,
Steven


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Your minus wire should be on connection 4, 5, or 6 and your plus wire should be on 7, 8, or 9 and if the Meanwell is disconnected from the throttle, you should see 24 volts across these pins.

There is a voltage adjustment pot, but it should go from 21.6 to 28.8 volts at the outputs.

https://www.trcelectronics.com/ecomm/pdf/lrs350.pdf


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

OK, there are several questions here.

Your NCE manual shows the power INPUT pins, and you want to use all 4. Also be SURE that plug is fully pushed home, this is a weak point of the design, not enough engagement of the pins.

No reason to use more than 2 terminals on the Meanwell, more important to use heavy gauge wire.

Do NOT exceed 27 volts DC input.

You measured the track output, do you have a DCC voltmeter? Otherwise you are only getting an approximate measurement, AC meters don't usually measure properly.

read this page, the part about "Tips for the Command Station"





NCE Mods & Tips


Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers




elmassian.com





Greg


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## Davenport66 (Apr 2, 2020)

Greg, 
I was not using a DCC Voltmeter just a regular voltmeter so I guess I need to get one. You state I need to use all 4 Input pins, so do two go to the booster and two to the command station? I currently have a different power source to the command station since the brutus takes up all four input pins to the booster.
So which two pins would go to the Meanwell, pins 1&4 or 1&3?

Than you, Steven


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Steven, ONE pair of wires from the meanwell to the booster. 2 terminals, one positive one negative. The meanwell has duplicated to allow several devices to be connected... there is nothing more implied.

As I said, you don't need more than 2 connections at the meanwell...., on the meanwell use ring or open terminals, crimped or soldered.










Now at the other end, the booster, you split each wire into 2 bundles of strands (use stranded wire).

the whole reason for the "duplicate" connections at the booster is the limitation of that connector on the booster

please read page 5 of your manual:


https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/211497866/PH-PROv2007.pdf



you can see the wires split into 2, although I would use 12 gauge, remember that most people 'think' HO scale.

There is no special magic here, just helping a connector that has limited current capability PER PIN

Greg


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## Davenport66 (Apr 2, 2020)

Greg,
Here is what I have. The question I am asking is about the connection to the booster. There are 4 openings on the connector to the booster, does it matter which two openings I use?
Thank you,
Steven


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

OK, did you look at page 5 of your manual? It shows what you are asking and what I have been saying.

use all 4 pins, split each wire into 2 parts.

You have the manual: I provided in the link. I gave you the reasons for splitting the wires and using all 4 pins.

On the face of it, your question makes no sense:

You asked *which *2 of the 4 pins to use. I told you to use *all 4 pins/connections.*.... 

Greg


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## Davenport66 (Apr 2, 2020)

Greg,
I joined this site to learn and ask questions when I didn't know the answers. 
When I looked at page 5, I saw two separate wires coming from the transformer to the power connection in the booster using all four pin connections. Since I am only using one wire from the Meanwell I didn't know if it made a difference on which two to use. Now I understand to use stranded wire, split the two and then split those two again.

Thank you for your help,
Steven


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