Thanks. This information will be of considerable help. Currently the club utilizes two channel (A & B) of cab control. The only ‘hard wired control’ is the main yard which is set-up with it’s own ‘hogger’ and block switches to allow parts of the yard to run off the (radio) Channel A or B controls. Besides the installation, the biggest concern is getting the couple of ;negative’ (“old timer block”) guys to enjoy themselves with it. So far, most everyone in clubs with similar personnel have found this not to be a major hurdle.
I’ll be printing all the responses to questions I have post (reguardless of how basic they are/were) to utilize later as a reference. I have also contacted each of the DCC companies (MRC, Atlas, Digitrax and Easy DCC) with various questions. They usually respond in more of a ‘sales pitch - we can do it mode’, where as normal model railroad folks on this group site respond with better and more informative answers, having solved many of the “problems” themselves. I guess you could say "that’s the value and purpose of this site and the forums’.
The more information I can get, the better. After all, why make the smae mistakes others may or may not have made. You can learn from the ‘mistakes’ of others by asking. I’m sure I’ll find ways to make enough ‘new’ mistakes of my own.
Thanks for the answer. The more I can learn, the easier it will be to answer questions to others in our club and the better we can plan on what we are doing when we di install DCC in the layout.
As a start from scratch layoug, I do not feel that there is much difference in price if you consider all of the extra wire and switches for DC block control. If you’re going to use powered turnouts, both systems have to have wiring and controls. With DCC alot of extras can be added with minimal effort after you start up(signals, occupancy protection, train routing). I went with digitrax and have never regretted it. I have even been able to reserect some of my old three pole open frame locomotives fro the display shelf!
You mentioned the Atlas Commander, made by Lenz. that what I started out with, then tried a DIgitrax Zypher that went back to the store in less then a week. It locked up twice for no reason and I had to cut power to the system to get it to reset…
I then got a Lenz Set90 and I’m very happy with it!! Also, my Atlas Commander now serves as an extra throttle.
Lenz has a 10 year warrany, DIgitrax is only 1 year, and for their deoders the warrany EXPIRES when the decoder is INSTALLED! Lenz covers it even if you goof up the installation. I was talking to a guy at the local club at a hobby show a couple weeks ago and he was telling me about somebody the dropped and broke their Lenz throttle, Lenz replaced it!
Lenz also created the DCC standard to start with. And they are built well.
see http://www.lenz.com
For your club to save move, you could start out with an Atlas Commander and a couple extra throttles (LH90, or LH100, or XPA) and as your demands increase go the a Set90 or 100 or just add a LVZ100 command station.
Log onto the various manufacturers’ Web sites and download their operator’s manuals. By reading through these your club members can get a fairly accurate idea of how simple or complicated a DCC system is to install and use. If anyone intends to have SoundTraxx decoders or to purchase any Broadway Limited or other sound-equipped locomotives, don’t get the Atlas system because it cannot activate the sound functions. You need to look for a system that offers at least 8 decoder functions in order to be fully compatible with sound systems. Digitrax is highly recommended by most people, but I personally also like Easy DCC from CVP Products. CVP has radio control throttles that are compatible with Digitrax, so check their throttle prices if you go wireless and your club may be able to save some money on them.
Mike, in Vancouver, British Columbia all the clubs use Digitrax. You need to keep in mind that over time your club’s needs/wants are going to change. So you want to be thinking about the next year, but also the next 20 years. All you need is one bushy tailed electronics type person and eventually your club will be running signals, sound, etc. Also a computer might bring trains out from staging for you, or run a passenger train around the layout will other humans work the freights.
You might have long distance dispatching, where the person dispatching might very well live here in Vancouver BC, or dispatch from Alaska.
If your club is serious take advantage of the 30% discount, and everyone can buy some of their own equipment along with it.
Digitrax is American and is the largest DCC company in North America. Lenz is the largest in Europe.
Some will have heard that Digitrax is difficult to use. To a certain extent, this was more true a few years ago. Digitrax listened to us whiners and came out with easier to use cabs in which commands aren’t as cryptic as they were with early cabs (like the one I own).
I have purchased an MRC Prodigy DCC System (power supply, console & WA throttle)
plus the Power Station 8 & Prodigy Synchro Sound Station. Is there any reason that this seems to be the only DCC system that is never mentioned in any of your articles?
It seems to be a very good system, at least as far as I can tell, but then what do I know? I have a considerable investment in this thing & would like to know if I have made a good purchase or screwed up. In addition, I am an “N” Scaler & it seems that 95% of all articles are aimed at “HO” scale (my former scale). I realize that most instructions are for all scales, But I would appreciate (as a long time subscriber & purchaser of MR–I have issues going back to 1952–remember the “Pine Tree Central”?) some articles aimed at “N” Scale. It seems to me that this is the more difficult scale to work with (on). I Changed scales in 1997 & went with MRC because I already owned several of their power packs, plus the fact that they have been advertising on the back cover of MR for a long time (Varney, PFM, Akane, etc.–pretty good company). I put a lot of faith in what you guys say. I would hate to have to give up this hobby. (If I ever tried to switch back to “HO” & cab control now I fear a 43 year marriage would go PFFT if I didn"t take up shell collecting or something instead) .
Thanks for all of yuor help-- past & future.
Arthur J. Weeks
EMail: Muttzie 1939@AOL.COM
eks