I was waiting for my local hobby shop to get the NCE Powercab after he showed me some papework on it. But after waiting & waiting I found it at a show from a another shop thta I know and for a dea lI couldn’t pass up…
now I know this is a starter set, but is there anything else I need to know or get before i set it up?
Mike
Set it up and you will learn as you go. Do read the book. I did Digitax, but they are all similar. I added 2 outlets for a walk around feature, and later decided to try IR. Still haven’t decided on that. Radio control sounds interesting but places that have it where I have visited all have problems with it.
I just hooked mine to my existing DC wiring and it worked. Most of the stuff the books said I would have to change worked fine. The few changes I had to make were DC errors I had to fix anyway.
My biggest surprise was that I could run my old brass just by dialing them in as 00. The only problem was that when they were not being run I needed to have them on a dead track, which was no issue in that I already had all the DC blocks installed.
I am having a great time, I hope you will also.
This is all new to me, but I knew & was told this was the way to go, I ma at the moment going through and finishing the main loop, it may look good on paper, but until you get on the plywood, you have to see it for real, so I am happy with the progress, so buying the NCE has put more pressure on me to get my***in gear…I hope to have a train running in a week or so…
I was told to maybe think about a short circuit machine to buy…
I am still going to be using DC to throw my switches… that shouldn’t be a problem…
Mike
Mike, the NCE Powercab is a complete system out of the box, so there is nothing that you have to add. There are things you might want to add in the future. The “short circuit machine” you were suggested was probably something along the line of a Tony’s Powershield http://www.tonystrainexchange.com/products/tteexclusive_pscb.htm These can be used to break the layout into power districts and provide short circuit protection for each district without shutting down the command station booster. However, the Powercab is only 1.5 amps and since it is a single user system out of the box, you most likely won’t need this type of device. If in the future you add boosters and additional throttles to run more loco’s then it might be a consideration. The Powercab as it stands has short protection built in.
DCC from the beginning is the right way to go, Mike. I had just a loop of track down when I got my Lenz system, and I’ve been thrilled with it ever since. It is a learning experience, but so is tracklaying and scenery-building, and I’m having a great time figuring it all out.
I use standard wiring for my turnouts, too. For me, it’s more intuitive to throw a switch on a control panel than to remember an address and punch lots of buttons. Some people would rather use DCC for turnouts, but the variety and options of model railroading are part of what makes it such a great and diverse hobby.
Hi Grandfunkrailroad
Me too. I bought the NCE PH Pro last week. It was delivered last monday.
After extensive research, reading and a discussion on the phone with a ‘local’ hobby shop (yeah, right, about 200 odd miles away!) I made the choice on NCE.
I wanted an out the box DCC that had everything on my checklist (‘clever’ consisting, supports sound, etc, etc.) including an RS232 interface and the ability to control all my switches and signalling from the hand held controller. Yes, it does all of that.
Simon, i hope to add another throttle down the road, lets say just to run the yard, but that is a way down the road, well I didn’t think iwould be getting the DCC so quick…
Mister B, I like the idea of throwing the switches, that makes you think alittle too…
thanks for the help…
umm anything else I need to know… hahaha
Mike
Mike,
Get ready to SMILE BIG TIME!!!
Mike,
I received my Power Cab at the end of February. Here’s a couple of links that maybe you’ll find handy. The first one is an initial review I wrote on the Power Cab. The second one is using an additional throttle (the NCE CAB-04p) with the Power Cab.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=59491
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=-1&TOPIC_ID=60538&REPLY_ID=680406#680406
Hope that’s of some help to you.
Tom