Good Luck with it. [:)]
No one ever mentions Lenz for some reason. If you shop diligently, you can find a Set 90 for pretty reasonable prices, they’re 5 amps, entirely intuitive, and for less than fifty bucks, you can set up wireless operation using inexpensive wireless phones! And like Vince of Shamwow fame says,“those Germans make pretty good stuff”![:-^] Gerry S.
Lenz? Well, a Set-90 is $256 at Tony’s, plus you need a $45 power supply for a total of $301. A Zephyr costs $160 (power supply included). An NCE Powercab costs $150 (power supply included). So why even mention a system that costs twice the price and really doesn’t give you anything more except another 2.5 or 3.3 amps of power, respectively?
And they are still using a cordless phone for their wireless throttle? It’s been something like 10 years since Digitrax came out with radio throttles, NCE has had radio throttles for 6 or more, and Lenz is still using a cordless phone. It’s cheap, but then so is using a TV remote with Digitrax (which can be done, BTW).
The only Lenz-compatible radio throttle is built by CVP at $159 (no discount), and their receiver is $99 (no discount). You have to pay $258, and you don’t even get a throttle with a display…just a knob with some buttons. That’s roughly the same as a Digitrax UT4D throttle at $110 plus their UR92 duplex receiver at $125 for a total of $235. For another $90 with Digitrax, you can get a DT402D twin-cab throttle (that does just about everything) with a multiline LCD display. With Lenz, it doesn’t matter how much extra you spend…you aren’t getting a full featured wireless throttle because one just doesn’t exist.
When Lenz comes out with a starter set that has 4-digit addressing & decoder read-back for under $200, and a radio throttle that’s not a cordless phone, then they will get a lot of mention as an alternate DCC system for those with small layouts. Until then, they are kinda only mentioned when compared to the higher-end systems from Digitrax, NCE, and Zimo.
Not that I’m slamming Lenz. They make a quality system. But they do cost more and give you less in some important areas.
Paul A
Hi Paul
As I said, “with some diligence in shopping” a set 90 can be had pretty reasonably (found mine on E-Bay for less than $150.00 including shipping). The key phrase in your post (IMHO[:D]) was “higher end”. And it was Lenz that the NMRA worked with to set the RP’s for DCC. The biggest issue I have with them is that their manuals that come with the sets are translated from German and the syntax gets a little confusing sometimes. Just as an aside, my maternal grandmother’s maiden name was Cutler (they farmed in Michigan). Gerry S.
Hmm, old Lenz systems go for cheap on eBay, but old Digitrax stuff still sells for near full price. And if it weren’t for US companies pushing for more we would have been stuck with 14 speed steps and 99 addresses. Luckily not all of the members of the DCC Working Group were tasting of the kool-aid, or married to the US Lenz distributor [:-^]
Things that make you go hmmmmmm.
–Randy
Okay, okay, I give! I feel duly chastized now (please sir, may I have another[bow]). As to the assertion that I’m wed to a Lenz person, I’m sure Mr. Ames would be surprised to learn of that (to set the record straight, actually I’m widowed). Methinks there needs to be a little humor injected here, eh? Didn’t mean to ruffle any Digitrax feathers, it’s a fine system, but I happen to favor Lenz (even though it’s apparently unpatriotic to own it). And so it goes[:)]
I have the MRC Prodigy exppress for a year and yes it isnt that fun but that is what i had to get because of money reasons like everyone has told u go with digitrax zephyr you with not regat it