Looking to replace my EZ Command system with one of these two systems (see my “whoa, this ain’t good” thread for background), and would appreciate any thoughts/opinions on their worth.
Dig some digging and found this conversation. Still looking for more; leaning a bit toward the Zephyr.
Swayin,
I would suggest comparing the Zephyr with an NCE Power Cab instead of the Prodigy Express (PE). The Zephyr and Power Cab are both very good starter systems and can be built upon. Each has their pluses and minuses. The PE is more limited.
Tom
Ditto. I would steer clear of the PE at all costs.
David B
Thanks Tom and David - will look more into the Power Cab. Easy to use? Powerful enough for a medium-sized layout running three-four one-loco trains at max?
That would be “yep” on both counts, Swayin. The Zephyr comes with 2.5A; the Power Cab, 1.7A. That’s still enough to operate between 5 - 7 locomotives newer locomotives. If more power is needed, you can always add the newly redesigned Smart Booster (SB3a). It will increase the Power Cab’s amperage from 1.7A to 5A.
Swayin, here’s an initial review I wrote on the Power Cab back in 2006. Unfortunately, the pictures that used to accompany it need to be added again. However, if you click on the pic of the Power Cab at the top of the page, it will enlarge it so that you can at least view the layout of the throttle buttons better.
Hope that helps…
Tom
Personally I would not go the MRC route because it has too many limitations and can not do what I want to do with a DCC system/
The NCE Power Cab is a similar form factor to the MRC in that you operate a hand held throttle attached by a cable, so you have some walk around capability. The Zephyr is much more like a traditional throttle pack, like your EZ command, in that it is a static throttle that you sit at to control the layout.
At 2.5A compared to 1.7A the Zephyr can run a few more locos, but you would most likely be OK with the output of the Power Cab if 3-4 is all you are planning to run.
Did you ever use the feature of the EZ command that let you run a DC locomotive? If you did, and still want to do that, only the Zephyr has that capability. If not, then it won’t be an issue.
You really can’t go wrong with either system, they are both very good, expandable and made in the USA, unlike the Chinese made MRC.
Any thoughts on the Bachmann Dynamis?
It does, Tom - many thanks.
Choke, Gag, Uhhh Yes.
It’s an IR device which is line of sight. Neat looking but if you’re going to upgrade, I’d go with the 2 mentioned so far. It’s not a coincidence that NCE and Digitraxx keep coming up.
That’s what I figured - just didn’t want to leave a stone unturned.
There are a few things that I don’t like about it, but here is a major one: you can not add any additional controllers without upgrading to the Dynamis Pro. If you get a Zephyr or Power Cab and you want that kid in your avatar to be able to control a train with you , you can buy an additional controller for as little as $70 so the two of you can operate at the same time. With the Dynamis, what seems like a good deal at ~$150 for a single user DCC system suddenly approaches $500 for two users.
Zimo, anyone?
David B
That raises a really good point and a feature that you might find of interest. The Zephyr has a feature called “Jump Port” this allows you to connect a basic DC controller (as many as 2 of them) to the Zephyr. You can then assign a DCC locomotive to the DC throttle and it can be controlled on the DCC layout. It is a really cheap way of adding a second a second controller, especially if you already have a DC pack. It has its limitations, namely that you can only control speed and direction, but I find it to be very useful when I have a young child that wants to run a train.
I would love that system David, if only I could afford it.
While Zimo does have some interesting features, I personally just don’t consider it worth it’s extremely high price.
For decades MRC was considered the best value in model railroad control. No more. Search the forums for threads on MRC. Most are not positive. I have used a Digitrax system during operating sessions at a friends. Very user friendly. They have great support. Three words helped my choice. MRC’s Prodigy systems are “made in China” Digitrax is made here in the states.
Went with the Zephyr … will let you know how it turns out!
There are a whole bunch of us Zephyr users on here, so feel free to ask any questions you may have. I have been real happy with mine over the years.
Loved mine somuch that after I lost all my railroad equipment I bought another,
If you still have a DC power pack you can hook it to the Zephyr’s Jump ports and control a second loco. That’s another somethign the others don’t do. It’s not the greatest, but it does give you independent control of up to 3 trains right out of the box (there are 2 jump ports, so you can use to DC power packs, if you have them).
–Randy