No recent thread on this system.
My LHS has a couple of units on special at the moment.
Anybody using this system and can advise on advantages or disadvantages over other North American market systems.
From the ESU manual and some reviews most buyers are very happy with these units.
It seems it will allow adding in other throttles from other systems whenever you wish, such as TCS new release.
That system is very interesting. I typically prefer buttons over a touchscreen for train control; however, that systems’s throttles do have a knob and four side buttons, which might work ok for me. One thing I cannot tell from the manuals is whether or not the buttons can be set to incease and decrease speed by one step. When switching I like to hold the throttle in one hand and be able to change the loco’s speed by one speed step and direction with out looking because I’m using my other hand and my eyes to uncouple cars. I can’t do that with most touchscreen throttles, but I might be able to with that one. ESU comand stations also use to have a high cost of entry, but that one not is very affordable.
The one thing it’s missing that I can think of off hand is a lower cost basic throttle. For example, with Digitrax you can add a basic wired throttle for less than $100 and a basic wirelss one for about $140. It looks like with ESU, the only choice is a $200+ throttle. It does appear that you can download the app and use your phone with it, but then it wouldn’t have the knob and buttons.
I do not see anywhere that you can add throttles from other systems.
ESU says any wireless throttle can be paired to its LAN if compatible and through an add on unit if not. The add on unit isn’t cheap but if you add that then up to 32 throttles can be connected…and 16,000 addressed locomotives…supposedly.
I’ve been looking only at the wireless options for DCC. It’s the future. Android and a Linux are both very flexible platforms which is an attractive feature also. It lends credibility to the implied claim of future update capability.
The ESU has a nifty feature. At zero throttle you can turn a little further into a detent and that reverses direction for you. Also latched functions will show up as active or not in the icon.
All the other systems seem to just add on wireless units, not integrated but AI admit I havent really cross checked all available systems. Touch screen icons instead of number keys make sense to me for most Functions.
An early version of the manual is posted by Intermountain:
https://www.intermountain-railway.com/distrib/esu/html/50310-CabControl-EN-Manual.pdf
Id be interested to hear from anyone who went with a competitors wireless system.
TCS is coming out with one but when?
The ultimate goal of wireless DCC has to be separating the control signal out of the power signal. Only then can the full potential of DCC be realized. Each locomotive becomes a device on the LAN. We are way away from achieving that but wireless DCC is a big step in the right direction.
Well, I could find no negative reviews. Apparently nobody here is using this system or does not care to admit it.
So I bought one and set it up today.
This is a super system. Ten minutes after the unit received enough charge into its battery and I was running my first locomotive. Even found the picture of the GP 40-2 to illustrate the touch screen.
The four hard buttons are user assignable. Default upper right button is stop/go which is intuitive for a right handed user. That button is right adjacent to the unit on/off button. The unit power on/off is where you’d expect it cell phone style.
All four buttons can be reassigned. I selected step +1 for the lower right and step -1 for the lower left. I think I set the upper left to direction reverse but that’s redundant since the throttle wheel has that feature.
If the locomotive is travelling in one direction you can reverse the direction and have the locomotive automatically stop and reverse direction AND resume the same speed but in the opposite direction unless you manually reposition the motorized throttle wheel as you do this. This is like a German toy train controller which was designed to prevent kids damaging a locomotive with a separate direction switch. This unit has a “beyond zero speed” position for the throttle wheel which reverses the direction after stopping the locomotive if you turn the wheel until you feel a click like a detent. Really great feature.
I admit this system does make me feel like a kid again. It’s so easy to use.
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Drop your objections to NCE and buy the PH-Pro 5 amp wireless system. You will never look back.
I appreciate the endorsement.
I have no objections to NCE despite the odd brouhaha that developed in the now locked thread.
MRC also seems to make a good product.
I have some interest in the TCS system they have under development. The UWT 100 seems appealing in its basic design.
I’m likely to buy a different system for our larger layout from the one I intend to use for my smaller home layout. If so then ease of compatibility of the wireless throttles will be a big factor.
My sense is the DCC market is set for a revision to wireless systems. The mobile device software seems to be gaining traction. That might be a good thing. That’s certainly a factor in the initial appeal of the ESU Cab control but only if they got it right.
My retailer is responding favourably to my questions about the ESU system which is one reason I buy retail in the first place.
That you caused?
You causing threads to become locked is so tiresome and this comedy act you continue needs to end.
-Kevin
I think it’s the first. We are using NCE or MRC or maybe Digitrax. I think you would be happy with any of those systems. NCE wireless is a great option. I don’t know as much about MRC or Digitrax, but I’ve heard good things.
I think you may have gotten a few lemons with ESU. Their products are always outstanding. Of course, every company can make mistakes, but ESU is in many ways the “best of the best” when it comes to DCC tech.
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This really is a DCC only thread, indisputably. I thought you only ran DC, no?
I have more experience running DCC layouts with more different DCC systems than you do.
I have demonstrated that I know more about DCC than you do.
I have been the primary builder on two huge DCC layouts, including the wiring and DCC system installation. I participated in countless operating sessions on layouts using DCC control.
I have installed DCC decoders in at least a dozen locomotives that were originally DC and not DCC Ready.
I understand all of the advantages of DCC, and I understand all of the features, and I understand why it was/is not the correct choice for my layouts.
I know less about DCC than 90% of the other users on this forum, but then, I don’t answer questions I do not know the answer to.
I have been modeling my own roadname since 1982, I have built five home layouts, and I have learned all my shared skills through experience.
Yes, I run DC only on my home layouts.
-Kevin
So your opinion about the ESU cab control would be what? Assuming I get one that works properly.
I really like my NCE DCC system.
With just a few buttons, I can run everything I want. If I need more than those few, it’s easy to make changes.
I haven’t had any issues with the system.
Before I started, I really thought I would use the roller wheel more. Actually, I don’t use it at all. I use the increase or decrease speed buttons.
I tend to use the fine speed buttons on the Power Cab more than the encoder (thumbwheel) but I do use them both. Because it’s ballistic, the encoder is pretty handy for slowing a locomotive down quickly vs hitting the emergency stop button. Course, that’s contingent on how much momentum you have your locomotive set at.
I also like the yard mode feature which allows you to use the encoder to stop and change directions after you scroll past speed step 000. Very handy for switching operations.
Tom
Cab control has both the wheel which is easily rotated precisely with either thumb or two handed with a finger or two. The wheel is motorized and with a fixed range from zero. When changing controlled locomotives the throttle moves to the speed set for the newly selected locomotive.
Two of the four assignable hard buttons can be assigned to speed step up and speed step down.
The Cab Control throttle is quite a bit smaller than the NCE, MRC or TCS wireless throttles.
The real difference besides the obvious Android based v. whatever proprietary software the others use is the touch screen display familiar to smart phone users. It’s in colour also which has an appeal. The screen seems significantly larger although oriented portrait rather than the landscape orientation of the other three.
Cab control is quite different to the other three both conceptually and in the execution.
I’ve been on Facebook and checked my e-mail with my ESU throttle. Try doing THAT with your NCE throttle !
(said with tongue planted firmly in cheek)
Although I HAVE downloaded a nice stopwatch app that has come in real handy for speed matching.
Mark.
I’ll keep my NCE and use my phone for a stopwatch, thank you! [swg][(-D][(-D]
I love using my smart phone to uncouple cars on curves. [swg]
I plan to purchase a ESU system to run trains on my layout while I am away from home using my smart phone as an interface. How cool is that? [8D]