What have you compared it to?
My hope is that the board votes to stay with Digitrax, but upgrade it with bigger (and a few additional) boosters. But I am only one vote out of twelve.
I want to express my extreme appreciation to all of you who responded - some of you went above and beyond with your detailed and comprehensive replies. And although I didnât respond to each one, rest assured I read each one and Iâm sharing them with the other board members, especially our electronics guys.
Rich,
I use my Pro Cabs during operating sessions and with the latest Pro Cab upgradesI can recall more than 2 engines. One of the guys who runs trains during the op sessions does it. My latest Pro Cab is version 1.71
Neal
Neal, thatâs where Iâm confused. Maybe it is just terminology.
The original ProCab does allow the user to recall as many as 6 locomotives. What am I missing?
Rich
Hello All,
With my NCE Power Pro system; Radio V1.5B, the factory set default number of recalls is two (2).
In the Power Pro System Reference Manual; pg. 65, SET UP THE CAB PARAMETERS (Shortcut = PROG 6) it states:
NUMBER OF RECALLS
This adjusts the number of recall âslotsâ that are cycled through when the RECALL key is pressed. Enter a number of Recalls from 1 - 6 and press ENTER. This can be set differently for each cab. (factory default is 2) Press Enter to skip this parameter.
During the initial setup of my system upon reading this, I set my cab to recall the maximum number of locomotives of 6.
Hope this helps.
I have two wireless Pro Cab throttles, and I did the same thing - - changed the default setting of 2 to the maximum of 6.
On the other hand, the Power Cab only has a recall of 2.
So, I am confused about Nealâs statement that a Pro Cab upgrade now permits a recall capacity of 6 since the Pro Cab has always provided for a recall of 6.
Rich
Rich,
With the latest upgrade firmware of V1.65, the Power Cab can now be programmed with a recall stack of 2 to 6 locomotives.
Tom
Tom, thanks for that info. So, then, Neal must be referring to a Power Cab upgrade, not a Power Cab upgrade.
Rich
I have no need to compare the NCE PH-Pro to any other system since it has operated flawlessly for over 20 years, and I cannot identify a single weakness. When I read about other DCC systems and their features, I see nothing that I want or need that is not already provided by my NCE system.
Rich
So, is he or isnât he[#oops]??
Hello All,
In my perception- -your suggestion was intended to obfuscate rather than educate.
To me, this seems to be a small group of enthusiasts that just want to run trains free of issues after investing in a robust DCC system- -especially when putting their best foot forward during their annual open house running- -no matter the current technology.
Iâve had my NCE PH-Pro 5 Amp wireless system since switching in 2012- -from the dead-end Bachmann Dynamis- -with no complaints.
There are many âmodernâ features that have been added to DCC systems- -LocoNet, RailCom, LCC, JMRI PowerPro/PanelPro, along other âfeedback/identificationâ DCC control systems.
If I wanted any of these âimprovementsâ I would have switched the the Märklin control system with Drei Gleiss.
Like richotrain I donât see a need to upgrade when what I have works for my requirements.
The OP asked the great folks on these forums two (2) separate questionsâŚ
Remember, the club membership is seeking answers to their existing Digitrax systems failures, and balancing the cost vs. benefit of switching to another DCC syst
Inquiring minds want to know.
Rich
Saying that you have xyz system and itâs good enough for what you do is both true, and not particularly relevant to someone looking to upgrade or buy a new system today.
The OP and his club need to get the Digitrax system and their layout wiring working properly first. Then, think about upgrades if they are still desired. Switching the command station and throttles to something else isnât going to fix electrical or booster problems.
If after fixing the problem an upgrade is desired, the CS-105 is the logical choice, since all of the Digitrax hardware except the command station itself can come along for the ride, greatly reducing the up-front cost, and then people can switch throttles as they see fit (or not).
Yes, really. NCE has barely changed their system since it was originally designed as Wangrow SystemOne in the mid-1990âs. Digitrax has gone through several generations of throttles, and they do now have color screens, but they havenât made a modern system like I described in my previous post.
Hello All,
The OP asked for opinionsâŚ
We gave our honest opinions of the systems we own and use along with recommendations about the two systems in question.
Others chimed in and asserted that our opinions are irrelevant because ânewerâ DCC systems offer âbetterâ technologies.
If those ânewer and betterâ technologies are not wanted or needed then there is no reason to upgrade.
There are many members of these forums that still use DC control. (Iâm sure those members are laughing at this post because of the divisiveness of the various DCC system devotees.)
When returning to this great hobby in 2013 I began with DC on my 4âx8â pike.
I quickly realized the limitations of DC and with my particular needs DCC would better suit my individual situation.
My first DCC system was the dead-end Bachmann Dynamis system, which I quickly outgrew.
Iâm a âlone wolfâ modeler so I chose the system based on my needs not interoperability with a club and the ânewest and bestâ technologies- -simply what worked for me.
As an exampleâŚ
In the physical environment I work in smartphones fail and can be irreparably damaged.
I have been ridiculed for my flip phone with MIL-STD-810H spec, but when I need to make a call or send and receive texts or photos at work it gets the job done.
Sometimes âolderâ IS âbetterâ.
When I
[quote user=âjjdamnitâ]
Hello All,
ALEXANDER WOOD
Saying that you have xyz system and itâs good enough for what you do is both true, and not particularly relevant to someone looking to upgrade or buy a new system today.
The OP asked for opinionsâŚ
reasearchhound
Would like to hear some of you guys on your opinions on the two systems and whether one is really that much better than the other, and why.
We gave our honest opinions of the systems we own and use along with recommendations about the two systems in question.
Others chimed in and asserted that our opinions are irrelevant because ânewerâ DCC systems offer âbetterâ technologies.
If those ânewer and betterâ technologies are not wanted or needed then there is no reason to upgrade.
There are many members of these forums that still use DC control. (Iâm sure those members are laughing at this post because of the divisiveness of the various DCC system devotees.)
When returning to this great hobby in 2013 I began with DC on my 4âx8â pike.
I quickly realized the limitations of DC and with my particular needs DCC would better suit my individual situation.
My first DCC system was the dead-end Bachmann Dynamis system, which I quickly outgrew.
Iâm a âlone wolfâ modeler so I chose the system based on my needs not interoperability with a club and the ânewest and bestâ technologies- -simply what worked for me.
As an exampl
So here is the thing. If you are happy with your current system, great. But this topic is about if someone was looking to buy a system or to upgrade one. Iâve seen several posts where people say they are happy with their current system. We get that. Repeat it umpteen times. But if someone were to go layout money on a new system, they might be happier with a different system.
TCS is a very recently developed system. That means they have learned things from past systems and have improved upon them. Consististing is was rated as superior to NCE so that was one factor important to me.
There is a bit of faulty logic here.
First, if a number of people reply that they own a particular DCC system and are perfectly satisfied with it, that is telling, so it is meaningful.
Second, just because a new DCC system has recently been developed does not necessarily mean that the manufacturer has learned things from past systems and improved upon them. Consider ESU for example.
Rich
Well, trying to stay out of this discussion.
But I am curious who rated it superior.
The UWT uses something called âin cab consistingâ, which appears similar to NCE but doesnât involve the command station. I am not certain, but I am guessing that CV 19 in the decoder could be used to communicate between the controller and the loco. Again I am guesing about that.
But I question what happens when the owner of the cab goes home.
And what happens when someone else wants to operate a particular consist with his own controller?
My current opinion is that yes, it is a new way of consisting, but it possibly just opens up another can of worms.
Itâs hard to imagine a system superior to NCEâs Advanced Consisting which can be easily done POM in just a few quick keystrokes.
Rich
One thing to note that has not been mentioned is obsolescence. If you have tried to buy an NCE system recently they have been rather difficult to find especially the larger systems. Because they have not changed their system in 25 years they are struggling to find parts to manufacture their system. This also could delay manufactuter repairs. I believe this is partially why Digitrax has come out with newer models of boosters, command stations, throttles, etc. so as to not face part obsolescense. Electronic parts go obsolete at absurd rates these days, 1 to 2 years at most.
I personnally use Digitrax because of Loconet, however, I have a 50/50 mix of digitrax and RRcirkits products connected to Loconet. I think it wouldnât be much of a stretch to switch to an LCC based system such as the TCS CS-105. I have a pretty involved layout which includes block detection and signalling and a full dispatchers panel all running on loconet. Much of what I have canât be done with a polled network like NCE uses.
There are many things I like about digitrax and many things I despise. Iâm not too happy with new throttles and their bugs and their loss of communication on the regular (especially at the club). I do love loconet and the endless prosibilities it provides. LCC is more powerful but Iâm probably not going to switch unless I have to rebuild my layout.
Back to my original point. NCE needs a major design update to overcome obsolescence, If you canât get chips you cant build the system or fix it.
Digitrax has noticed this but I donât think their QC is the same as it once was.
TCS has the newest system on the block and its what I would go with if I were to switch systems. Itâs on the pricey side but its likely to be around a while and they have great support and it works well, especially the wireless.
Speaking of wireless, wifi is a great choice as it is a proven technology and they leverage industry advances instead of a propr