I got my Digitrax Chief Radio set in 1999 and I’ve been very satisfied with it. I agree that someone looking at DCC should try several systems before deciding on one. I did not, but the way it worked amazed me. Another thing to remember is you can use other brands for decoders, Pc interface, and sgnals. I like the NCE decoders and have as many of them installed as digitrax. I hear alot of people complaining about the high price. There is an initial high investment, but you can install decoders in just a few locomotives and wire in a plug on the rest and share decoders. Also, you can install one decoder in a loco consist that is going to be permantly coupled (like the first FT units). Digitrax could improve their instruction manuals, that I think is their biggest weakness.
The Lenz and Atlas DCC systems are both compatible with the Lenz XPA, an adapter into which one plugs a cordless telephone to use the phone’s keypad as a throttle.
Sounds silly, works great, and economical - my XPA and phone came out to about $CAD 110, a fraction of the cost of any other wireless throttle. I think it can be the deciding factor between Atlas and the Zephyr - Atlas has the more economical wireless throttle, but Zephyr has more features and can grow a little more. Which works better depends on the purchaser.
I started out with Digitrax Empire Builder because the local guys were using it and I needed help. I’m now up to the radio Super Chief and sold my Empire Builder on eBay for almost what I paid. I use Soundtraxx decoders in most of my locos, the only ones that don’t have Soundtraxx are the FA units that are attached to the sounded FB’s.
If you are having trouble with the Digitrax manual (and I had a lot of trouble) call Digitrax. They have a very good customer service dept. and will go out of their way to get your system up and running, they want you to be happy with their product. I sent a DCS 100 in three times because it wouldn’t reset without turning it off and waiting about 5 minutes. They reprogramed it the first time, replaced the motherboard the second time and replaced it the third time. I found out that 15 lighted Walthers passenger cars will draw enough current to keep the DCS from resetting.
HAVE A BLESSED DAY AND REMEMBER SANTA FE ALL THE WAY
BOB
I extensively used the various systems at the 2000 NMRA Convention and then in several hobbyshops. Two years ago when it was finally time to start my layout, I chose NCE. It has been fabulous. Using this system has proved to be much easier than I thought it would be. The technical manuals and support are fantastic. I recently operated on a friend’s layout using Digitrax. While the system was very good, I would not rate it as highly as the NCE system in terms of ease of operating. Each system has its plusses and minuses. I suggest that you try out the various alternatives and make your choice. Once you go to DCC, you’ll never go back to DC again.
I don’t use DCC because its to expensive but I could choose one I would use Digitrax because I like the Digitrax DT400s button-for-everything style throttle a lot.
Antonio,
you are right, we haven’t heard from the Cadillac of systems yet. Zimo offers a lot of features I haven’t seen in any other. Here are some:
100% stabilized track voltage
Infinitely adjustable between 10 - 24V
Volt and Amp meter built in
Built in shuttle operation for 4 independent trains
Train number recognition and location (also found in Digitrax as Transponding)
Signal controlled speed influence with full signaling, with or w/o PC
Location dependent function control
All decoders equipped with bi-directional communication
Non-linear momentum
3-way adjustable BEMF
Command stations and cabs upgradeable via Internet, free of charge
Easy expansion, up to 9 PC’s supported on same layout.
Regards,
Art
http://www.mrsonline.net/
I voted for Digitrax. I don’t know if It’s the “BEST”, but I bought it 5 years ago from Loy’s Toy’s.I received great support from them, never had ANY problem with the system[CHIEF], It has been ON all this time,It works great,I don’t think I could be happier
michaelfarley says, several posts back, that his friend is “switching from command control to DCC”. What? DCC stands for Digital COMMAND CONTROL. Michael, what are you saying? Did your friend switch from an older analog command control system (many of them were referred to as “carrier control”) or just what are you saying?
This poll is meaningless, since people are only going to vote for what they own. Everyone will naturally vote for the one they personally own or use at a club, because they don’t have any experience with other systems to know their capabilitiles.
Yes, my friend currently has the Railcommand system from CVP Products. It’s not digital. Works well, but company support will be cut-off as their focus shifts to all-DCC products. He’s going to EasyDCC with mostly NCE decoders. I have also decided that I will switch from DC to DCC in the near future, but most likely with an NCE system.
Hey Charles Cole,
This poll isn’t meaningless if you actually read the responses. Some admit they haven’t tried other systems. A few of have tried different systems and have stated as such in their responses (kbfcsme and JimdeBree).
As for everyone else,
As mentioned before - all decoders will work with each system. That is part of the NMRA spec. The problem arises at the command stations themselves as there is no standard on protocol or baud rate for throttle buses. Each manufacturer can do what they want. Digitrax uses LocoNet (loosely based on the Ethernet wiring spec and their own protocol). NCE is based on Lenz’s RS485 spec (which is an IEEE wiring and protocol standard) although NCE uses a different command set and baud rate than Lenz.
There is talk that the NMRA will come out with a spec on DCC throttle buses. You can bet your last dollar that if they do, it will be based on the Lenz protocol as Berndt Lenz has made his specs open to the NMRA. Almost everything in the DCC world is based on Lenz’s specs.
Here are some facts which are irrefutable:
- Digitrax is not NMRA compliant because they modified their system to allow a non-decoder equipped locomotive to run on address 00 which is spec’d out to be a broadcast address.
- Digitrax’s wireless falls short of being useful. Digitrax cannot make or break a consist with their wireless throttle. They call this a feature! Just like Microsoft calls all of their bugs 'features’.
Here is a truism I have observed over the years:
There are those people who were born Digitrax and will die Digitrax. There are those people who were born NCE and will die NCE. Then there are those that were Digitrax and went NCE and have never looked back. But NEVER ONCE, have I met or heard of a person who was NCE and converted to Digitrax and was happy. That should tell you a lot about the products themselves.
Yes, Digitrax was first a
What you said is all true, except the part about no one going from NCE to Digitrax, as I know some people that did just that. NCE is easier to use, but the Digitrax’s LocoNet is much more powerful, reliable, and expandable, due to a true two-way Multiple Access network, which none of the other systems have.
In my opinion Digitrax is a much better choice for large layouts due to the ease in adding additional boosters.
Also, your “irrefutable” fact:
is refutable because there is no address 00 brodcast over the rails, only inside loconet, which does not violate NMRA guidelines. The address 00 on your remote only communicates to the command station, which then raises power on the rails but does not send a DCC command (causing an analog train to move), leaving 00 open for brodcast on the rails.
Well, my NCE system is now on order. I will give a brief review on set-up, ease of operation, etc. when I test it out.
Voted Lenz.
I have Lenz, not sure if it’s the best, but it works fine with me.
But, if I look at the comparison page at Tony’s train exchange DCC pages…
http://tonystrains.com/productcompare/dcccomparison.htm
I think it is the best you can get at the moment also. [:D][:D]
Rgrds
Cor
Hey milesdf,
A couple of inaccuracies here. Digitrax’s Loconet isn’t any more ‘powerful, realiable, and expandable’ than Lenz’s or NCE’s. I recently converted a friend’s 3000 sq ft layout from Digitrax to NCE. The wiring was simplified a tad bit with adding the boosters in the NCE system. The NCE system has proven more reliable than his Digitrax system. He was frustrated for 8 years with Digitrax and almost went back to DC. He is much happier with his NCE system.
Digitrax, NCE, and Lenz all have a true two-way multiple access network. Each command station communicates with the throttles. This is evident with the DT400 (Digitrax) and the ProCab (NCE) in which information from the command station is displayed.
As far as adding boosters to an NCE system, nothing is easier than daisy-chaining them with RJ11 phone cable available from Radio Shack.
I tried all systems before deciding to buy. That is the only way to go if you’re thinking of getting a system. Only you know what you want from a system and trying them let’s you see which fits. Do not ever ask someone elses opinion on what you should buy, it’s your money, spend it wisely.
I’m lucky in that I get out and operate on other layouts quite a bit. Some layouts still run DC, some analog command control (Dynatrol and RailCommand), some use Lenz, some Digitrax, some EasyDCC and some NCE. For what I wanted to do, NCE was the only one that fit the bill and I’m very happy with it.
Wow, NCE sounds true to grit. But I find it hard to believe that they to do not have any flaws of thier own. I use 4 boosters and 1 command station and have 45 decodered units with digitrax and am happy with the system. I will say I have had only minor problems that were easily fixed, and will also admit some were my fault for not reading manuel thourghly. For customer service, I have found email is the quickest way, usually in the same day. I have operated NCE and enjoyed it as much as my Digitrax. Have also operated Easy DCC and found it a little less multiple user friendly than Digitrax and NCE(response time from throttle to engine was sometimes as much as 2-3 seconds when multiple trains were operating). The point of my thread is each to his own, for newbies, operate as many systems possible and take notes and enjoy DCC.
False, the NCE and Lenz systems have limits, no true call and then response, it is done in a serial array, versus the ethernet standard.
The same way as Digitrax, however I believe with the NCE some configuration is required of the system. My Digitrax boosters are plug and play, with the exeception of one jumper to lable it a booster.
OVER THE LAYOUT! There is no address 00 brodcast over the layout for the analog train. The 00 brodcast is only on loconet to tell the booster to:
[quote]
QUOTE: stretches the pulse negatively or positively to make the non-decoder equipped locomotive move. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll say the voltage applied to the rails is AC (though it is truly not AC but that is way beyond the scope of this forum). When the non-decoder equipped loco is sitting still, you will hear a noticable hum coming from the motor. This is the AC going back and forth equally in each direction. The motor is going back and forth so fast that it doesn’t move (plus you are burning out the motor as DC motors aren’t meant to be exposed to such signals). When you use the throttle to move the loco forward, the command station changes the pulse from being equally back and forth to being slightly more forward than backward. You will notice that the faster you go, the more the hum dimenishes.
I have a Digitrax Chief system, that started with as an "Empire Builder’…Very satisfied. I have two boosters now, with their DCS 100 as the main booster, with the DB150 as the second deck power booster…Their new signaling decoder systems are excellent!! I have never enjoyed model railroading as much as I have with Digitrax!! Their decoders are very affordable as well. Digitrax is very hard to beat!!
How long will it be before someone comes out with HO scale decals of the little guy pissing on Digitrax/ NCE like the Ford/Chevy bumper stickers? [:D]