i decided that i wanted to use digitrax for digital command control and their website seems uterly useless. what can you guys tell me about using digitrax digital and loco net. i would like for all my human interaction points to be panel mounted such as command station and throttle ports. what would you estimate the price for everything required to make a decent sized bench layout in an 8 by 20 space including signaling and block occupancy detection keeping in mind i am running daul main lines and will be having two sizable through rail yard.
new to dcc i need to know the basics on digitrax and loconet
- Thread starter Lab Rat
- Start date
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Yes, but experience is also fact. If many people report having the same results or the same problems, then It's not an opinion, it's a fact.
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also i am planning on buying the first items for my major project in the near future. i would like to know which command station is sugguested panel mount if possible. do i need a throttle to get started if i have the command station. if i do need it which one would you guys suguest and i want to get a decoder for my up bigboy i would like to have sound. and i would like to go with loco net so what are the things i absolutely need at this moment to make my loco move
You can go with the Digitrax Zephyr starter set that has the throttle and control as part of the booster unit or go with the Super Empire Builder set that has the booster seprate from the throttle, the Empire set up will come with a DT400 Throttle that has the ability to run 2 trains and controls for sound, lights and programming all in one unit, The Zephyr and the Empire unit both have 2 phone jack plugs on them, these are the "Loco Net" ports you can plug your throttles right into one of these ports and run trains, you can also use the up5 panels that are about $15 each and place them at points around the layout for throttle ports all you need to do is use 6 conductor phone cords from the Loco Net port on the Booster (Main Unit) and connect panel to panel there are 2 plugins on each panel. With the size layout that you want to do i would spend the extra and get the Empire builder instead of the Zephyr, the Zephyr puts out less power than the bigger sets but is expandable. As far as your BigBoy is it a newer model or older like the AHM/Rivarossi? If it is not dcc ready (no decoder) you can still run it on address 00 as you can with any analog(standard DC) model. You will need a decoder to make it DCC and if you want sound then you need to use a sound decoder with speaker. Hope this helps, any more questions ask. I am building a 26x12 double main line layout with a 9 stall roundhouse and the works so mine is close to what you want to do, i will have 4 throttle ports around the layout and i use the DT400 and Empire Builder set
i was thinking about the chief and i was thinking of the doubleband wireless and yes my bigboy is an older rivarossi and it is currently all apart getting rebuilt from the ground up it was broken so i am rebuilding it witha static for the parts i need project is going pretty well i might add also is there a limit to the number of devices loconet is capable of handling
diburning
AlcoHaulic
Yes, if you get the new chief set, and get the UR92 panels with the DT402D duplex throttle, that would work. The duplex throttle never needs to be plugged in after it's set up and as long as it has a battery in it.
If not, then you can get the DT400R or DT402R which use simplex radio where you need to plug it in to select and dispatch addresses and form or break consists.
If you don't want a radio throttle, the DT400 can be plugged in and it has a long cord so you can walk around with it (to some extent)
If not, then you can get the DT400R or DT402R which use simplex radio where you need to plug it in to select and dispatch addresses and form or break consists.
If you don't want a radio throttle, the DT400 can be plugged in and it has a long cord so you can walk around with it (to some extent)
diburning
AlcoHaulic
loconet is the name of the technology for the communication system that Digitrax uses. Besides digitrax throttles, no other brands will work with a digitrax system. This is the same for all other brands.
If you want a vertically mounted throttle, mount the Zephyr. Or, if you want to have a mounted one AND a walk-around you could attach a seperate throttle to the wall with velcro or something.
If you want a vertically mounted throttle, mount the Zephyr. Or, if you want to have a mounted one AND a walk-around you could attach a seperate throttle to the wall with velcro or something.
Steamfreak
CEO of the LCP
Just my thoughts as well....What is it..?? 
Ok, you have one of the first starter sets that Digitrax made, when i got started they had the Genesis starter set, yours is older yet but will work. the genesis set had the DB150 booster/command station and a ut2 throttle that would only handle 2 digit addresses, your set most likely will only handle 2 digit as well which is fine to start with. Later when you get your 8 amp set up you can use a newer throttle with this set and it should work fine, it would be a good unit to use at the bench for testing and programing duties.
Steamfreak
CEO of the LCP
well the td1 was originally going in my caboose so i knew where the end of the train was but then i went on digitrax.com and found that they have newer odels that have a function option that i will use in the caboose insteads so that the caboose can have lights the td1s will now be used in locomotives only for me
Al Silverstein
New Member
Jamie,
If you want to learn about DCC then a good book to help you along the way is Practical Guide to Digital Command Control by Larry Puckett and published by Carstens Publications. Larry has been writing articles dealing with DCC for over 10 years. This particular book was first published in 2008 and is currently the latest book on DCC with the most up to date information that I am aware of.
No DCC manufacturer these days publishes a book on their system. The only literature that is available are the manuals that the manufacturer offers. Digitrax was the only company to publish a book on DCC and that was back in 1999 of which it is no longer current by any means even if you can find a copy. There is just not enough of a demand by the DCC using community to get the DCC manufacturer to publish anything beyond their equipment manuals.
Also remember that is each respondent to a question or comment is basing his or her response on their own biased opinions. They will tell you what they like and what they dislike but in the end their comments are slanted due in part from what they have heard and/or what they have experienced.
A question you should frequently ask yourself is how is the response of the person that is responding related to the experiences and abilities of the person responding?
Recently I read of a person who choose to purchase a NCE PowerHouse Pro system over the Digitrax Chief back in 1999 because of all of the negative comments he read about dealing with the Digitrax DT100 throttle. Well what has this persons comments to do with choosing a DCC system in today's world. In the first place it is now 2010 some 10+ years later and all DCC products have come along way since 1999. In addition the throttle that was the determining factor back in 1999 was discontinued by Digitrax in 2002.
My comments are provided for as food for thought.
If you want to learn about DCC then a good book to help you along the way is Practical Guide to Digital Command Control by Larry Puckett and published by Carstens Publications. Larry has been writing articles dealing with DCC for over 10 years. This particular book was first published in 2008 and is currently the latest book on DCC with the most up to date information that I am aware of.
No DCC manufacturer these days publishes a book on their system. The only literature that is available are the manuals that the manufacturer offers. Digitrax was the only company to publish a book on DCC and that was back in 1999 of which it is no longer current by any means even if you can find a copy. There is just not enough of a demand by the DCC using community to get the DCC manufacturer to publish anything beyond their equipment manuals.
Also remember that is each respondent to a question or comment is basing his or her response on their own biased opinions. They will tell you what they like and what they dislike but in the end their comments are slanted due in part from what they have heard and/or what they have experienced.
A question you should frequently ask yourself is how is the response of the person that is responding related to the experiences and abilities of the person responding?
Recently I read of a person who choose to purchase a NCE PowerHouse Pro system over the Digitrax Chief back in 1999 because of all of the negative comments he read about dealing with the Digitrax DT100 throttle. Well what has this persons comments to do with choosing a DCC system in today's world. In the first place it is now 2010 some 10+ years later and all DCC products have come along way since 1999. In addition the throttle that was the determining factor back in 1999 was discontinued by Digitrax in 2002.
My comments are provided for as food for thought.
diburning
AlcoHaulic
Yes, but experience is also fact. If many people report having the same results or the same problems, then It's not an opinion, it's a fact.
i got the starter set today after about an hour of screwing around i got it working i dont understand instructions right away i have to read them a few times in order to figure it out. but also i have to have the hands on in order to figure it out. right now i can operate dcc and analog locos and i can program a decoder but thats all i need for the time being until i get anywhere.
i am also using z scale decoders for HO. i bought them by mistake they are compatible with HO but they were designed for z. they are only rated at 1 amp for the motor.
i am also using z scale decoders for HO. i bought them by mistake they are compatible with HO but they were designed for z. they are only rated at 1 amp for the motor.
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