BLI finally going DCC ready.

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So I watched as much h of the video as I could before I nodded off. I just don't get why anyone would want to bypass all the great stuff they build in. Watching this just made me want to buy another BLI steam and forget the diesels. The one I had before I got out of the hobby was so dang impressive. Now that I'm in the process of a large layout with big curves, I think I'll have to get a refurbished 2 8 0.

The only diesels I like , nobody stocks except the Chessie and I really don't care for diesel sound. If I ever buy some diesels, I'll go cheap and install a simple mobile decoder. I'm off track now, sorry.

Anyway, love Paragon sound and BLI and can't imagine wanting to change what they've done.
 
I am with @Hutch - I like the BLI sound. Is it realistic? Dunno and don't really care if it is or it isn't. I don't run sound that often as it, after awhile, it annoys me. Can't speak for anyone else but I bought my BLI's for the engines, not the sound. To be honest, IF I wanted sound, if that was my main reason for buying an engine, I'd buy something with TCS WOW Sound or ESU Sound installed. :)
 


Hutch said:
Anyway, love Paragon sound and BLI and can't imagine wanting to change what they've done
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I could be wrong, but I believe it's because BLI decoders don't play nice with other decoders like ESU, so making a consist difficult unless both are one or the other.

Being steam, not often you'd do a consist anyway.
 
I had trouble MUing other decoders with the early Paragon decoders and the QSI decoders. When BLI went to ESU then back to the Paragon 3 then 4, they seemed to work OK.
BLIs claim was that they maintained a strict compliance with the NMRA standards of DCC. This caused problems with crossing power districts. If the voltage levels between the two districts wasn't spot on, the BLI loco would stop and reboot while all other decoders just took it in stride. So I guess we were all supposed to marvel at that feature while our trains stopped dead on the mainline. Apparently a touch of common sense infiltrated their design committee and they fixed it.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
BLIs claim was that they maintained a strict compliance with the NMRA standards of DCC. This caused problems with crossing power districts. If the voltage levels between the two districts wasn't spot on,
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Just one more example of how the elitist nmra dictators screw up the hobby. Thankfully, BLI saw common sense as have other decoder manufacturers and seemingly ignored the nmra's so called standards.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
I had trouble MUing other decoders with the early Paragon decoders and the QSI decoders. When BLI went to ESU then back to the Paragon 3 then 4, they seemed to work OK.
BLIs claim was that they maintained a strict compliance with the NMRA standards of DCC. This caused problems with crossing power districts. If the voltage levels between the two districts wasn't spot on, the BLI loco would stop and reboot while all other decoders just took it in stride. So I guess we were all supposed to marvel at that feature while our trains stopped dead on the mainline. Apparently a touch of common sense infiltrated their design committee and they fixed it.
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Something I will never deal with is power district's. 1 guy, 1 power for all my tracks. I guess you're talking about club layouts. I can't say fir sure but I don't think I'll be joining one, even though there's one down the street.
 
Hutch said:
Something I will never deal with is power district's. 1 guy, 1 power for all my tracks. I guess you're talking about club layouts. I can't say fir sure but I don't think I'll be joining one, even though there's one down the street.
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Yeah, not your house, not your layout, and definitely not your rules 🙄
 


@Hutch

Take this for what it is worth but when I first got into the hobby, zonks ago, I joined a "local" club that operated out of the old Hornell NY Railway Station. They charged me X amount of dollars to join, which was fine, what wasn't fine though was everything was "proprietary". All I was allowed to do was "stand in the corner" and tell the three guys, who were allowed to work on and/or use the thing, how great everything was. I didn't have too much to say by the way.

In short, it wasn't a club, it was 3 guys who "conned" their way into the Railway Station so they could build their layout there, a place with a vast amount of room, instead of their own homes.

Point being - IF you ever want to join a club go into it as a "visitor" first. Look around and find out who is who and who can do what.
 
I spoke to BLI about the consisting thing many years ago, when P-2 came out. They told me to set cv10 to 0, that turns off the bemf so it’s not fighting the other decoders. You will need to change cv2, 5, and 6 so they will run at the same speed as your other stuff.
 
FWIW: clubs can be fun. Although as Tony said, go in as a visitor, or wait for an open house. Ask questions - pointed ones:
What do you use for control?
Can I bring in my [put your fav engine here; DCC specs too]?
What will I be allowed to do; assuming that you want to help on occasion?
When are your OP sessions? Do I need to sign up to run, or just show up?
I am not in the club's era, that ok?
What is the monthly?
Do I get a key ( or lock code ) to run when nobody else is around?

You get the idea.

Later
 
Hutch said:
But you were talking to me and I have much bigger plan than a sheet of plywood. I wonder what the limit is that require districts.
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Your track bus runs might do well for about 25 - 30 feet. Beyond that ya might consider a booster. Number of locos and powered cars, i.e. incandescent lighted passenger cars that ya think you'll be running. Add up the typical current draw.
 
@Hutch

My last layout was a weird U Shape - 4' X 12' X 10' X 4'. One way that is 30'. I ran a "main bus" that followed beneath the track work which added up to 60' + of 14 gauge stranded Main Bus with 20 gauge drop feeders. My good old 2 amp NCE Power Cab Starter System was attached to that "Main Bus" and you'll never guess - I didn't have a single electrical problems running 3 engines. And that is a tad bigger than a sheet of ply wood world layout!

Yes, having a bigger DCC System would have/may have been better - but certainly NOT necessary if you use plenty of Drop Feeders. I should add, I use one set of drop feeders per length of flex track.
 


wombat457 said:
Just one more example of how the elitist nmra dictators screw up the hobby.
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That is a bit harsh. Without "elitist nmra dictator" set standards we would still have tens of different rail profiles, and probably gauges (just for HO), 12 different coupling systems, all sorts of different voltages for the locos and ways to change their directions, 12 different non-inoperable command control systems, etc.

Without standards each company wants to dictate their own (like MTH and their DCS) and lock you into them as your only vendor. I actually like it that as a kid I could buy sectional track from any Bachmann, Lifelike, Atlas, Sinohara, AHM, etc. and have them work together. And also have rolling stock from all the vendors that coupled together. As opposed to today when there is not standard on roadbed attached track, such that Bachmann EZ track won't work with Atlas True-Track, or Lifelike Power Lock, or Kato Uni track. One has to choose one and be stuck with it.
 
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