I fail to see how this is the fault of the NMRA. They have no control over what manufacturers produce or how they advertise their products.
As for Digitrax needing an advanced degree you apparently missed reading half this thread.
Peter
You apparently have not been reading very carefully.
DCC engines will work right out of the box, and all of the sounds on DCC sound engines will work right out of the box. A decoder is factory installed. The only programing you will have to do is to change the address. Most new DCC engines are programed to address 3 at the factory. You can easily change it to any number you like. Most people use the number that is on the side of the engine, unless you have a Bachmann EZCommand which can only use address 0 through 9.
The people who think you need some kind of advanced knowledge to operate a DCC system do not know what they are talking about.
The DCC Ready issues you are seeing here involve adding a decoder to your old DC engines. Some people like to buy DC engines and install their own decoder because they like a particular brand of decoder better than others. Most DCC Ready engines made today have an 8 pin plug into which you can just plug a decoder, or an easily replaceable board. Older engines are sometimes more difficult and decoders must be hard wired.
This ease of use is BECAUSE of the NMRA standards.
Reverse loops are a problem on DC as much as DCC. Reverse polarity is reverse polarity and a short circuit is a short circuit regardless of which system you use.
There is no ‘advanced degree’ needed to use DCC. The only programming that is pretty much ‘required’ is to set an address, unless you don’t mind running your locos one at a time (in which case why bother sith DCC?). Nothing else is ‘required’ - it’s there to add to the realism level of outr models - things like special lighting effects, momentum, configuring sounds.
And if you buy any common DCC system, EXCEPT MRC, there is a very nice FREE program called JMRI that will make settign all those advanced features as easy as clicking check boxes and selecting items from a dropdown list. You will need to purchase the computer interface device for whatever DCC system you get to use it.
–Randy
Here is a link for installing a decoder in your GE 44 tonner. http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/2010/08/bachmann-ge-44-ton-decoder-installation.html
I recommend the decoder they are installing, the TCS MC2. Just remember to cut off the two capasitors as stated. Once you see the difference in how your 44 tonner performs compared to your GP 30 & SD 45 with Bachmann decoders you may want to switch them out also, it’s your prefference. And as far as your Zepher Xtra system goes, it has good reviews, you just have to learn how to use it. To program your Bachmann decoders on it, you will need a 1K ohm resistor. By soldering a couple leads with alligator clips on each end of the resistor you can clip them on your program track rails when needed to program.
DCC ready ? Unless it is stated PLUG N PLAY or QUICK PLUG or some other wording that all you have to do is plug in a decoder of your choice, you can garranty yourself that soldering and more itensive disassembly of locomotive will be involed. And if your not sure about DCC ready for a loco you are about to puchasce, ask your LHC or google that particular loco someone out there some where should have an answer as to how to install a decoder in it.
Good luck, Truck.
&nbs
Peter,
What I meant by it being the fault of NMRA is the fact that manufacturers are allowed to specify that their products meet the standard of the NMRA, when in fact this might not be true. NMRA should be testing these products to ensure their standard is met, and consumers are protected, before they allow manufacturers to specify they do. If they created the standard they should be enforcing it.
Also, this is not the only thread, or blog I have read about the “difficulty” of using Digitrax. And it was mentioned in this thread, as well. Now, it has been mentioned that Digitrax has resolved those problems, but that wasn’t stated before I read the thread.
Glenn
Dave,
I understand that many, if not most mrr, may not have a problem out of the box. However, there seems to be a lot of people who are. From all the posts and blogs I have read I am just surprised at the number of people having issues. If the only process you have to do is set the address that doesn’t seem unreasonable. What bothers me is how many mrr are having trouble doing so. Not to mention problems with lights and bells and horns.
Glenn
Some people have problems getting a simple loop of track to work with a basic power pack - I guess that makes DC difficult?
Some people are great at scenery but not so good with wiring, other peopel are great with wiring but not so good at scenery (that would be me). There’s a huge variety of skills in this hobby, because it involves so many diverse sets of talents.
–Randy
Typically, on forums you dont see posts about how great something is or how it worked right out of the box. You see threads about troubleshooting. This applies to ALL DCC systems. Why would you waste your time posting about a positive experience if you could be spending that time playing trains?
The user needs to read the manual, nothing more. Digitrax manuals are easy to navigate and have been re-written many times. Most users like to open the box, put a loco on the rails and start pushing random buttons. On example is with QSI decoders…people pressing random buttons are press F9 multiple times…putting the loco into various states of “shutdown”.
Once in a while, a fault with the DCC system is found, and is fixed by the MFG…no more.
For every negative post you see on these forums, I guarantee you that there are hundreds of positive experiences not recorded.
David B
Randy,
Thanks for the information about JMRI. I had not heard of it before. I have no desire to run one loco at a time and thus my reason for reading everything I can about DCC. I think the problem may lie in the fact that people write when they are having problems, not when they are not. I guess a better way to look at it is not that there are so many problems, but as a resource for what problems I may encounter.
Glenn
My point about Digitrax was that they do offer more bells and whistles and this makes it more complicated, especially for beginners and the instruction manual thicker. Also, having been on the planet for a while I know that just because something is heavily marketed and many people use it, doesn’t mean it’s the best product in its class. This is very evident in computer software and equipment. For example, sometimes Microsoft products can sometimes be a let down. I do not have the system but have used it. I also know folks in my area that did purchase it and I am speaking from their frustrations. There often has to be someone in their group that can help the others. And yes, they do use the manual. If this has been brought up time and again all across the internet, we can’t all be ignorant or making and consuming myths.
Love my Zephyr, had trains running on separate addresses in about 2-3 minutes. some of the other capabilities took a bit longer. I believe both NCE and Digitrax offer a quality product for the price. If some don’t like the Zephyr and find it “difficult” to operate fine. My experience was the opposite.
I have a Digitrax Super Chief. I also had it up and running in minutes after reading one page of the manual.
Just because it CAN do a lot, doesn’t mean that it MUST do a lot.
I know how to set the clock in my cars, too.
I find it odd, but most if not all these Digitrax bashers don’t own a Digitrax DCC system.
Oh, is Digitrax bashing still going on? Since I had to tear down my layout 10 years ago, I haven’t been reading this DCC debate much. I did my research on DCC when I bought my Chief system around 97/98 and found NCC and Digitrax to be both nice systems with similar capabilites. I chose Digitrax simply because I prefered rotary knob controllers rather than the thumbwheel type, but think I’d have been happy with either system. Why bash?
I am an absolute newbie to DCC and I have to agree about the Digitrax Zephyr(Extra) system being easy to use - once it was plugged in and connected to my DC block control layout I had (DC) locos running within minutes, albeit with the ‘warbling’ noise expected. I have two DCC equipped locos both of which were DCC ready and required plug and play decoders. These were simple to install, new addresses programmed and straight onto the layout, without a hitch. I ahve even been able to change a few of the CV’s with ease. Read the manual and keep it handy. It really is only as complicated as you want to make it.