According to a dealer’s post on the Digitrax Yahoo group, the new Digitrax throttles will begin shipping on 6/22.
So what’s the advantage of the new ones
DT402 = 28 functions (tethered)
DT402R = 28 functions and Radio (compatible with existing Digitrax simplex radio)
DT402D = 28 functions and Duplex radio (does not requite you to plug in to acquire, etc)
HTH,
Steve
Will they be able to up grade the old DT400? If so will I need a new command station to replaces my DB 150?
Cuda Ken
Yes, DT400 upgrades to 28 functions, simplex radio, or duplex radio will be available. No, your DB150 won’t need to be upgraded, but you will need to add a UR91 radio receiver (if you don’t have one already) for simplex radio, or a UR92 for duplex radio.
Steve
I wonder if the price will drop on the old radio controlled equipment such as the ut4-r? brian
Thanks for the answer Steve.
Ken
Doubt it - check eBay, even old DB100a boosters go for full original retail price - as well as older throttles like the DT100 and DT300. It all still works with the newest components.
Upgrades are right in line with current upgrades - you pay essentially what the difference in cost is between what you have and what you are upgrading to. As usual, no penalty for buying now and adding extra feature later - other than having to wait until they returnt he upgraded unit to you. Also no upgrades until September or so, first production is being allocated to new sales.
–Randy
It’s a shame that a new throttle would be released that didn’t have an upgraded display size with better menu setup. At a minimum they should have a menu structure similar to NCE’s if not greatly enhanced. Memory is cheap these days. Coming out with a throttle that is almost as good as the competitions couple year old solution is unacceptable in my opinion.
An Iphone has a large touchscreen display that is a phone and can run multiple applications and costs 200 bucks. Volume building is a big part of it I know but to make something that is has half the capability would have great potential.
They did change the menus
The screen is plenty big - I have VERY coke-bottle glasses and have no issues
An iphone costs $200 because it’s subsidized with a ridiculously overpriced 2 year contract (didn’t stop me from getting one though). iphone with no contract is on the order of $500-$600.
I’m thinking there ought to be a way to make an iphone app that could be a throttle - iphone does 802.11, and JMRI already has the bits to allow a remote computer to interface to the layout through a second computer. What if the throttle app was on the iphone and talked via 802.11 to the pc with the railroad interface? Shake the phone for an e-stop!
Oh yeah - why do NCE people usually use Loconet or C/MRI for signalling? Oh yeah, the computer interface on the NCE sytsem is ‘blind’ to whatever commands are issued from the throttle. You can just do more with Loconet, and that’s proveable with facts, not just “my system is better” rhetoric.
–Randy
I’m confused. How does someone with NCE use Loconet for signaling? Since Loconet is proprietary to Digitrax and incompatible with other DCC systems, how is this done?
There used to be a third party vendor that sold software and a cable to use a PalmPilot as a throttle. It was actually a very nice application and the throttle interface was much easier to use than a regular Digitrax DT400. Unfortunately it is longer being sold - not enough sales to keep it going. An iPhone app could be developed, the problem is recouping the investment to write, test, and market the app over a relatively limited market.
Duplex radio would be a good thing, but why would anyone need 28 functions. Is there actually 28 different functions you could use? Seriously, what would all those functions be used for? [X-)]
You can find uses for all 28. The challenge will be remembering them all. I am sure many folks wiill use cheat sheets, which detracts from the comment often thrown about regarding making things simple to use.
I was using the iphone as a reference in technology. Digitrax has finally moved up to the 90’s
NCE and MRC aren’t much better but they are.
Even if you took any of the latest releases of digitrax or NCE and put some thought into them you could come up with some great offerings. You’ll have to trust a stranger to know that if the cheapest cell phone that (with contract) is free and does 10x what a train controller does, that things could be done much better for 200 bucks.
The sky is the limit with current technology and it’s cheap.
All of the major players should invest in training for their engineers and make the controllers much more user friendly and powerful.
I sent my Digitax DCS100 (10 years old and still ticking!) to Digitrax last fall to have it upgraded to 12 functions. The cost was $50. I can’t figure out what to do with 12 functions. What would I do with 28???
My era is the KCS in 1981. Horn, Bell and Headlights are about it. No rotary becons, mars lights or ditch lights. I have a walk around lauout with ground throws, so I don’t need switch control from the throtle, although I may consider CTC from PanelPro at some future date.
Happy for the Digitrax guys, but as a long time and happy NCE user, it is a non event for me. I hope it does work well for youse Digitrax guys, did notice the radio throttle looked a little pricey, but hey, its only money.
Bob
I thought the UR92 (duplex radio transciever) was a 802.11 device. The iphone throttle may not be too far out…
KCS used oscillating headlights for a long time. Might still be using them on older power. Newer power wouldn’t have it.
Easy. The Locobuffer computer interface is capable of being a Loconet ‘master’ in place of a command station, as is the Digitrax BDL168 block detector. Being the ‘master’ just means a current source for the Loconet power, a function normally provided by a Digitrax command station. Obviously you cannot use the same 6 wire cable that you use for the NCE cabs, but have to run a second 6 wire cable for Loconet. Look at the thread about posting pictures of your DCC panels, there’s someone posted in there uses NCE to run the trains and Digitrax for detection and signalling. I know NCE now has a signal controller, but it requires an additional 4 wire cable between the signal units because the cab bus can’t car
The DT402D duplex radio uses 2.4GHz, but it’s not 802.11.
As for 28 functions - don’t need’em. No ditch lights or beacons in my era, just headlights and reverse lights, bell, whistle/horn, and I’ll reserve one for uncoupling or at least the sound of it, two for manual notching of a diesel, and one for dynamic brakes. Oh and one for dimming the headlight. That’s only 8 so far. I don’t need station calls, farmyard sounds, city sounds, or train wreck sounds. Add 2 more if I want to do the record and playback feature on the new paragon2’s, but that also borders on gimmicky to me. For the majority of my locos that don;t ahve sound, I need at most 2, maybe 3 functions. Lights on/off, dim headlight, and maybe uncoupling if they get that all worked out - although just uncoupling from the loco is nearly pointless anyway.
–Randy
Why would they want to emulate NCE’s menu structure when the DT400 works great and is plenty easy enough to use as it is(if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it). I don’t know what you mean by “almost as good,” personally, I like the Digitrax throttle better. I find the dual throttle capability very handy, I prefer the lighter more compact design of the Digitrax, and I like the button layout better, especially the phone pad number layout that Digitrax uses over the 2 rows of 4 plus 2 more number layout that NCE uses.