I heard it just shipped. So when you get it…
What do you think?
Matthew
Bump!
Came yesterday. I really like this issue. One of the best this year for me.
Enjoy
Paul
I just wish MR would digitize and make the DCC Buyer’s Guide article a sticky post at the top of the forum so five or six different people wouldn’t keep asking every week about which system they should purchase. The comparison chart in the December MR would answer a lot of those questions.
Charles and Paul,
Would you say that the December MR Buyer’s Guide on DCC systems is a fair assessment of what’s available out in the market today? Are there any systems that MR left off or should have included but didn’t get reviewed? Thanks!
Tom
It seemed pretty complete to me. I have done some poking around on my own and I don’t recall any system they left out. I think it’s a pretty fair assessment of starter systems and main systems available. Of course they could not cover all the options most of these manufacturers have.
Since this was a review of the available systems it doesn’t discuss what I think to be the most crucial decision in DCC. This is the style or type of train control you want to do. There are three options: 1. Fixed control station where all the trains are controlled from one spot. 2. Walk around using tethered throttles which can plugged in and out as you move to different parts of the layout. 3. Radio cabs which can be used from any point. I would have liked a discussion of the pros and cons of each.
I am planning to get into dcc next year and am leaning toward the radio control, but am unsure how well this works in practice. Things like interference problems, range, etc. that keep the setup from working well.
Enjoy
Paul
In my opinion, they covered every major system that is sold in the US in a fair, unbiased manner. My only critique would be a lack of more detail about each system in the writeups, but I know that space constraints made that impractical. Sooner or later, you reach the point of diminishing returns when you prepare a column such as this, and must choose your words very carefully.
The comparison chart says more than the actual writeup.
Paul, two of the guys in our club have the Digitrax radio control and used them when the club set up the modular display at the Georgia National Fair this year. It is also a tether-type setup so the rest of us use that. It worked flawlessly for them. It looks so nice not to have to constantly unhook and rehook as you follow your trains around. Sure made me want one!
JaRRell
I thought the issue was pretty good. The article on layout design and the checklist is a must read for anyone thinking of building a layout.
The DCC comparison chart was excellent and hopefully will stop people from asking the question on this list every week.
Paul - go radio, it is fantastic. You get the full walk around benefits without having to plug in. I’ve got the NCE system with repeater antennas so I have no coverage issues at all.
Larry
As always it was too interesting and far too short. I tend to read it cover to cover in two days. I have to make myself stop on the first day so I have something to read the next!
The DCC comparison was excellent. I was happy to see that the Digitrax Zephyr competes well with all the rest. I bought the Zephyr and am enjoying it immensely.
KJ
I thought the DCC review was very good. I wi***hey would expand it to include more of the throttle information as well.
The only part of the DCC review that I questioned was the lack of all the ‘sound functions’ on the Digitrax Zephyr. I think they are correct about that statement with the ‘built in’ throttle on the base unit, but the ‘walk around’ throttles like the DT400 attached to the Zephyr command unit should be able to access all of the currently available functions.
Jim Bernier
I thought it was pretty good for December… Not as good as some I have and better than others. For the newer folks (and some of us older ones too) considering a layout, I thought the most valueble article was the 10 tips for designing the layout. I particularly liked the one where they said something to the extent of dial in on a time period… If you model a decade, and stay true to it, you are modeling the last day of that decade… Sage advice to keep people from emptying thier wallets buying everything in sight (though I’m sure the manufacturers wouldn’t complain about it)…
It’s a keeper…
Jeff
[:)]
still waitng to get it
Eh, this was a so-so issue.
The previous one (November) held a lot more interest to me.
The 10 layout tips - eh…
The layout photo-sets… Not the most intriguing to me, but your results may vary.
The modeling figures - while useful if you hadn’t seen most of the info before, I was a bit dissappointed that he didn’t go into depth about carving items (well, caps - for whatever reason, I can never shape a decent scale baseball cap, even with a real baseball cap next to me on the workbench [:(!] ). The ‘no-nos’ section was an interesting idea, and while I highy agree with no painted facial features (to avoid that clown look - just let the dark wash highlight the features) and no glossy colours (I always spray a dull coat on my painted figures), but I cannot figure out his admonishment against bright or dark colors - the wash should cut down on the brightness anyway, and people really do wear bright clothing which stands out and you can see from afar (and conversely people also wear dark clothing too).
I noticed that the trackside photos had kind of a scale guide thing going, with scenes from four different scales and the associated advantages pointed out (as usual, HO most common and varied, N more operational capability and scenery potential, O was big, beefy Penn Central locos, and … I forgot the 4th scale already [:I] )
I think only the DCC comparison article will be clipped and retained when the time comes in a few months to consign this issue to the recycling bin…
The fourth scale was S showing an Sn3 layout.
Enjoy
Paul
Paul,
What I’ve heard is that radio control is far better and more convenient to use than IR control. With IR, in order to change commands, you have to make sure your IR beam is aimed at the controller correctly - i.e. like when you are using your TV remote to change channels. Radio control doesn’t have the limitation and is good up to 200’(?) - or so I have been told.
Tom
Ah good to know, thanks. And thanks to JaRRell and Larry also. The radio system is the one I have been leaning towards and it’s good to know that it works well.
Enjoy
Paul
They did not include any information about the Atlas Commander DCC system. [:(] Oddly enough, they include Atlas in the list of DCC manufacturers. [%-)]
It would be nice to see which systems are easily updated (ie: how easy is it to install software and/or other updates ? ). Is it a matter of getting and installing a new chip yourself ? Or do you have to send it away ? Or do you have to toss it and buy the updated version ?
Also, the information on the number of locomotive addresses is a bit misleading. While it is theoretically possible to have 9999* addresses (when using a 4-digit address system), the article makes no mention that some of those addresses are not available. In truth, with most DCC systems (using 4-digit addressing), there are fewer addresses available than what the information in the chart leads us to believe. While most of us will never have 10 000 locomotives, the information provided is still misleading.
- Actually, it should be 10 000, since there would be addresses 0000 through 9999.
The best bet in any case is to try the various systems.
I had an opportunity to use several Digitrax systems and a Lenz system and I am still happiest with the NCE system I own. I still think the method of acquiring an engine is simplest with NCE and i wasn’t happy with the Digitrax radio. With Digitrax the command executes when you finish changing the throttle. So if I am slowing down gradually, if I am turning the knob slowing the locomotive won’t start slowing until I stop turning the knob. So rather than making a slow continuous decelleration, I had to slow, let the throttle catch up, slow, let the throttle catch up, etc. With the Lenz and NCE systems the response is quicker and you don’t have to stop for the changes to be sent.
Dave H.
I have an NCE system and almost exclusively use it wireless. I have a 35 X 35 basement (roughly), and have the receiver in one corner. I have no reception problems anywhere in the basement. Occasionally I do block the signal if I’m facing away from the receiver, but all I do is shift the throttle a bit in my hand and the unit is in communication again.
One thing - there is a short but noticable delay between issuing commands and the system responding while using the radio - just a small fraction of a second, but I can tell it’s there. It’s not a big deal - I run on radio probably 99% of the time. I don’t know if other systems do this as well.