Dan,

First please look on yahoo.com and join the NCE-DCC users group. They can answer all your questions.

I am a 14 year user and more of the NCE system.  You are not hooking it up the way that will work the programing track .  It is for programming.  Assume that you have a power house pro 5 amp system then you need to hook up the wire form the programming track connection to the programming track. When you go to the programing mode the rest of the power is shut off. Do not run the programing lead though a circuit breaker. You need to be able to program sound decoders and they do not need any interference. 

Contact me directly by click on my name and you will go to my contact page then send me email with the exact type of unit you have and I will be able to make better comments.

Watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uanrMwlcqHE

 Dan.

 Is this a PH pro system or a Power Cab system? If this is a Power Cab then no program track booster is needed. The Power cab has the program track power to read and write most sound decoders. Even those power hungry Paragon2 decoders read and write with mine.

         Pete

I am running a PH Pro system. Based on observations at my friend's layout,

he does not use a booster. But the only programming done is fairly basic.

I really want to use Decoder Pro to drag as much as possible out of the

sound decoders for enhanced realism (brake squeal, various steam sounds,

loco coast and braking, etc.

So......... Do I or do I not need the programming booster??

Thanks,

Dan