DCC Preferences

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M

maczimb

Member
I finally got my basic layout down. I will add a yard and some industry service later.
Thanks to you guys I got past the Shinohara turnout problem, both the outer and the inner work great and are connected with no problems. The reverse loop problem, I will broach the subject later.
Question: What are the preferences when considering DCC controllers and then what about decoders??
I would like to keep the controller cost under $200.00 ???
Mac
 
I got my Digitrax Zephyr for under $190 and I know there are places online where they can be had for less. For decoders, all I need is basic motor and light control so I use mainly Digitrax DZ125 decoders. Yes, I know they're Z Scale but they are rubust enough to run most HO equipment. I haven't lost any to my heavy Athearn BB SDP40F's yet. I also have them in a number of other Athearn locos an dsome Proto 2000's and a couple of Atlas locos.
 


Hey Mac,

You can't go wrong with a Zepher or NCE PowerCab... They are both around $150 and will do the job well...

You can use almost any manufacturers Reverse Loop Circuits with either system...

As far as decoders go there are many decent ones like the TCS T1, NCE D13SRJ, and Digitrax DH125P that can be found for under $20, depending on your applications you may need a smaller decoder or a different connector ie: 8pin or 9-pin...

Keep the questions coming we will be glad to help!
 
MRC or NCE. Zephyr has limitations unless you add an offboard throttle and its not as user friendly for a beginner as the other 2. Without the aux throttle or a DT400 on the Zephyr you cannot switch back and forth between 2 locomotives running at different speeds without resetting the throttle or the second loco will suddenly change to the same speed setting showing on the throttle knob..... which would suck if you were crawling in the yard with one loco and highballing out on the main with another.
 
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I use the MRC prodigy advanced squared. It is one of the mid range controlers that does everything I need for a bacement layout. Its all compacted into a walk around throttle so no need to operate from one location. I also think that it one of the better user frendly systems out there. NCE is also a great simple to use system with a few more options. I can run more locos than I can handle. operate turnouts and much more. Its very userfrendly and programing is as simple as a few buttons following the LCD screen.

I have also used Digitraxx and it is a very good system, has all the options some may want but IMO is too over complacated for simple reprogramming.


this is just my opinion as there is no wrong system out there!
 
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I use Digitrax, even with the afore mentioned difficulty, which is fixable, I found that once I had a bit of experience it is fine. I looked at Prodigy, NCE and another, whose name escapes me. I decided on Digitrax despite its reputation as not being user friendly. I found that to be a matter of familiarity.

I use various decoders. NCE, Digitrax..... It just depends on the engine and the use intended.

Bob
 
You know, it sure would be nice to have a sticky thread about DCC systems and preferences. I'll bet we have 25 different threads swirling around about this, all of which have some new information but most of which repeat exactly the same information. It would be a lot easier to point a new DCC user to one sticky thread.
 
I will echo what Bob has said. I use the old "clunk", the Super Empire Builder made by Digitrax. I can spank any decoder out there, and with 5 amps it can run all but the larger layouts.

Note that with Digitrax, I believe you have to order a power supply as a separate item...at least, I had to do that when I ordered my SEB in 2005. It may not be the case with the Zephyr, for example.

As Bob says, the Digitrax processes are not exactly untuitive. You do have to sit down for a while, with the throttle in one hand and the manual in the other, getting to know the "lay of the land". Once you have programmed a couple of decoders, you quickly realize that it is like anything else...a matter of time-investment in getting familiar with the system. Four years on, I may go back to the manual twice or three times a year to make sure I am doing the twice yearly cleanup of the recall stacks and such properly.

The fact is, each of the major manufacturers, Lenz, Rocco, Easy DCC, Digitrax, MRC, NCE, and Zimo (that I can recall easily) have many happy users who knew enough to buy something that they needed, something that would satisfy their needs in the short and medium term (say three-five years), and they knew enough to darned well read up on their purchase once it was in hand. Months later, few of them had much to beef about, and that is across the board.

It is best to make a concrete list of requirements, and then list the systems that meet those requirements as a minimum...or exceed them. It may help to assign a weighting to the more important considerations. Price may be key, but you can buy a lot of junk for next to nothing....right? Maybe the ease of use of the hand throttle is more important, or the amount of amperage it can through-put is more important, or the number of engines/addresses it can keep track of, or the warranty.....figure it out, assign weights to the three or four show-stoppers, and then add up the figures for the six or seven contenders out there. The truth will be revealed in the numbers rather plainly.

-Crandell
 
Crandell, Lenz was the other unit I considered. It came down to the question of whether I wanted something for the now, only to dispose of later, or pay the extra and get a "forever" unit. I chose the latter. I have never regretted after the first hour of learning the DigiTrax.

Now about 80% of my turnouts are operational, and the engines would also be if I'd quit buying new ones.

I guess that I actually looked more to the future when I bought mine. The two finalists were the Lenz and the DigiTrax. I used the 'weighted" method and was able to actually have hands on with the DigiTrax, and not the Lenz. That was probably the determining factor.

Bob
 


I went shopping today, and since our first N scale layout is just a double track mainline with a few staging tracks(kind of boring, but we just wanted something to practice scenery on for the moment before we go a lot bigger), so I was just going to buy an MRC dualpower, basically reg DC powerpack with two throttles on it.

Now, nobody had any, I drove 160kms to edmonton and checked out all the hobbyshops I could find, and none of them had any real DC throttles period. One of them offered to sell me their MRC single that they used to test the loco's with, but he wanted 100 Cad for it.

I went back to the other hobby shop, and they had a zephyr for 225 Cad, and a decoder for my new loco for 45, so I bought them both. I have never done a decoder install or even touched a DCC throttle before, and I had my loco running in less than half an hour. Other than some minor filing to the chassis to fit the decoder, basically to get a bit of flashing out of the way, my new Kato engine was up and running.

I will admit that I haven't tried to program the decoder yet, but mainly because I only have one engine sooooo, it doesn't really matter at this point haha.

I think the Zephyr will be great investment for me, and so far has been very easy to use.

I haven't used any other DCC brands though so I can't compare to them, just compared to DC, DCC is light years better.
 
UP2CSX said:
You know, it sure would be nice to have a sticky thread about DCC systems and preferences. I'll bet we have 25 different threads swirling around about this, all of which have some new information but most of which repeat exactly the same information. It would be a lot easier to point a new DCC user to one sticky thread.
Click to expand...
Uh...I tried that with a 5 page thread!:rolleyes:
 
I agree we need a sticky for people starting out new with DCC:(

my fingers are tired of answering the same Q twice a week !!!
 
Bob, I don't get it. Two pager?

Trent/Jim, that sounds real good on this question and perhaps other popular inquiries. Do you have an idea for the format? Only problem I see is there are so many threads on these subjects, a search would bring them up anyhow. If there was something that could easily be clicked on that would list all the pertinent threads in the archives, it would help. (Me and search engines do not work well together:o:D.)

I don't know, but something should be worked out. The problem I see with so many threads on a particular subject and in a short time frame, many valid opinions fail to get posted because of the redundancy. This is common in all forums, but there has to be an easy solution.:)
 
Someone could take on the responsibility of writing a "how-to" to be made into a sticky. I know what I m doing, but have a hard time 'splainin' it sometimes.

Bob
 
Ah, I see what you mean. I had referred to an earlier thread that covered this subject well. It has been active for over two weeks and was over 5 pages.

Don't know that a "how-to" would do the job. Many want personal experience with a particular system. Unfortunately, this subject has generally been addressed more with personal preference or conjecture, and not so much with specifications. Tonys Trains has comparison charts for those that like to see tech facts, but I seldom see anyone link the user to that site or even quote it.
 
Rex, it seems to me that moderator could gather the various DCC threads, prune out the obviously irrelevant posts, and combine them into one sticky. I'm not proposing that we have a DCC comparison like the one at Tony's, although I think there should be links to all the popular DCC sites as part of the sticky. It would be a an easy way for someone to read everyone's opinion and experience with their DCC systems and decoders.
 


I think Tony's is a bit biased. They seem to push DigiTrax more so than other brands. I must admit though, I did get my unit from them. Good people. Answered all of my questions, and I would imagine that some of the questions were out there. Newbies sometimes ask the darndest things.

I think a primer written by a member would be excellent. But, don't ask me. I know just enough to be dangerous.

Bob
 
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