I am building a layout after years of delay. Have a System 1 set-up and will need to add a NCE booster, as well. Have read about using #1156 bulbs as a "circuit breaker" but don't know the sensitivity of my booster or the NCE boosters. Can anyone help?

Also, a tremendous thank you to Allen Gartner for the knowledge and confidence he passes on to people like me who might otherwise be intimidated by DCC.

-- George Goebeler (atbasslake@aol.com), February 22, 2005

Answers

The only boosters I have heard that had any problems amoung SystemOne and NCE was early versions of the NCE PB105 and PB205A PowerHousePro boosters. NCE offered a free chip upgrade for those that had problems This was 3 or 4 years ago. The change was not about bulb support put a problem that showed up at a large club. NCE short circuit protection was simply to aggressive. Since that time, all NCE boosters have the less aggressive chip installed.

To prove it to yourself, simply go to your nearest automotive store, get a #1156 bulb, solder some wires to the bulb and try it. It a very simple and cheap experiment to convince yourself.

-- Mark Gurries (gurriesm@macconnect.com), February 23, 2005.