After 15 years with Digitrax, I have decided to make the move over to NCE. The final straw was a DT300 that I sent down to Digitrax for a Radio upgrade; it lasted 15 minutes, then fizzle, fizzle pop…magic smoke.
NCE has everything I am looking for in a system; ergonomic, easy to use, powerful system, computer interface, duplex radio and great quality control. I look forward to my experiece and will write up a review once I recieve the unit.
David B
Although I have no opinion on Digitrax, I do know in a short amount of time that you will love the NCE system. It is what it promises to be!
David,
With your extensive background with DCC and DCC installations, I look forward to your review.
Tom
Speaking of quality control. About 4 months ago, we had a 30% failure rate on DH123 decoders (your basic bread and butter), and I then brought in NCE D13SRs to fill the DH123 ‘void’. We have yet to recieve one back because of quality control issues.
For the same price point, you are getting 2 more functions. I love how the manual helps out those who are not electrically inclined (I am, but alot of my customers are not), very easy to read and understand.
David B
NO! This can’t be true! David is crossing over to the dark side and switching from D to NCE.
David, I’m looking forward to hearing your comments about the NCE wireless, especially if it is Ver3. I’ve used the earlier versions and they work quite well. You’ll especially like not having to plug in everytime you want to select a loco along with the more intuitive user interface. I’m also glad to see your comments regarding the NCE decoders and how the manual that comes with each decoder is much easier to read and understand than a D decoder manual. I’ll agree with you also about the NCE decoders - after installing a bunch I’ve never had one be bad out of the box or exhibit some of the quirks people write about with D decoders.
Bwaaaa haaaaa haaaaaa. Another one has fallen to the DARKSIDE
Our Evil little plan has come to fruition.
NCE SHALL RULE THE WORLD!!!
I agree with you completely. I too was a digitrax user and made the switch to NCC. Not to mention that NCE office is 5 minutes from my home and can drop in anytime and they will help with any problem I have. My local hobby shop deals with them directly and if I could put a plug in for them its empirenoprthernmodels.com. Check them out NCE is the way to go.
If Digitrax does not do something to update its command and control systems, including radio, within the next few months David won’t be the last to move away from Digitrax. Given the utter lack of development or update of the Digitrax command stations in the last 5-7 years I almost wonder if they actually care about this part of the business? Focus seems to be entirely on developing the sound decoders. It may well be that this makes business sense to them, and that given the trend towards lower cost entry level systems, that there is just not much money in the higher end command station market?
The release of the Zephyr was a stroke of genius and really paved the way for entry level DCC systems. But that was a long time ago now. The Zephyr has been a great system for me and I have not regretted getting it for one minute. I am about 12 months away from going completely wireless with my system. If Digitrax does not have an up-to-date offering when I am ready I will likely switch as well.
PH Pro R user. I can’t say enough about the ease of use, excellent manual, and intuitive interface.
As a professional computer programmer for almost 30 years, it is easy to spot an interface designed for programmers rather than end users. The NCE interface is definitely designed with users in mind. Common controls and buttons well placed and identified. Multiple methods for selecting and executing common functions. Creating, adding to, deleting from a consist is the perfect example.
However, one the major reasons I bought the NCE system was that they responded to my email inquiries within 24 hours with helpful, useful information and advice. No one else did. Dealers and manufacturers alike.
The PHProR is ordered and should be here late next week. My end cost will be 490 CAD.
David B
Just curious David, what were some of the other “straws”?
I really respect your DCC expertise and by going to NCE you will exert a lot of influence on others. There is no doubt that NCE Power Pro Radio is an outstanding product. I’m sure that your particular circumstances have created the need for making the switch.
However, if I was a Digitrax user, and I’m not, I don’t think I would be too quick to jump ship without some very compelling reasons. Digitrax is a very fine company, having supplied our hobby with a very complete line of quality products for many years. They are now expanding to Florida and hopefully gearing up for many more years of great product production.
I’ve been led to believe, and this is hearsay only, that in response to customer desires, they have been strongly stressing sound products in recent years. Now, it seems that the pressure is on for duplex radio and they are apparently in the process of responding to that need.
I for one would not bet against them in developing a “knock your socks of” duplex system. Hopefully they will continue to be the strong DCC leader that they always have been, and do this for many years to come. They, and NCE, are two industry leaders that we can all be proud of. They are both great, with one appealing to one type of user and the other to a different user type. In my opinion that’s just great.
While I’ve had my own share of frustrations with Digitrax systems as a visiting operator (and in hearing the trials and tribulations of my good friend Charlie Comstock with his D-brand system), Digitrax also has a history of tech-savvy development leaps.
LocoNet is a killer technology, and the Zephyr is a very cleverly engineered starter system. Digitrax has also made great strides with their recent releases and finally understanding how to do a decent user interface. Their most recent innovation – their inexpensive programmable sound decoders – has been something of a marketing coup for them.
I suspect the wireless area is the next thing they’ll attack with a vengeance. I am willing to bet things will look quite a bit different 6 months from now once Digitrax gets through the summer convention season.
As to NCE, I’m quite pleased with my NCE wireless system – and especially with the new rev 3 wireless performance. I think NCE is ahead of the pack with regard to clever features like the smart double-ended consisting and the one-button momentum programming of consists using Programming on the main. I don’t know of any other DCC vendor that’s pushing the envelope of day-to-day usage features that every user can take advantage of.
Digitrax’s LocoNet and transponding features are clever and technologically ground-breaking, but relatively few modelers are using these features in a practical way, and few Digitrax users even know how to really exploit LocoNet and transponding.
Hey thats great. I have to agree with Joe and the end user products. I bought a Power Cab when they first came out. I love the easy to use system. I have used Lenz at the club and D at a freinds house for operating sesions. After three years uf use I still need to find things in the Lenz book and have to ask for help with the D co. After hooking up the NCE and going through the book quickly I have not touched it since. I dont need 100 functions and all my turnouts are manual so no programing there. Plus I have yet to run across a decoder that the Power cab can not program.
The only time I personaly had anything to do with D.co was a couple plug and pray decoders. Both fried on the program track. I sent them to D for repair and was told it would cost $15 each. Since I only paid $17 each for them and couldnt see why they would charge me for a warenty repair that I believe was not my fault they fried I told them to keep them and I will never buy another D.co product. Years later and 70+ decoders not one says D. co.
Pete
I believe that the selection of a DCC system is a mater of personal preference, with the exception of a computer interface (Decoder Pro) which I believe is essential.
I have owned and operated my Digitrax Chief (radio) for more than ten years. I still have all of my original equipment, with two fully operational DT100R throttles. I recently sent my DCS100 (over ten years old) to Digitrax to have the chip upgraded from 8 functions to 12 functions at a cost of $35. (I did this because I was sending a scrambled DT-400R in for repair that had made too many trips to the canyon a.k.a. basement floor! The repair cost was $50.)
I am anxiously waiting for Digitrax to upgrade to duplex radio, and I would imagine that I will be able to upgrade my ten year old system by purchasing a duplex radio receiver and new throttles. Some of the criticism that I have seen regarding Digitrax is that you have to plug in to the Loconet to acquire a locomotive. This is a one time task. In operating the layout I do not find that operators have a need to constantly change locomotives on a throttle. For operating the new DT-4R is simple and easy to use, and preferred by guest operators. All of my future purchases will be this style of throttle. Again, there has been criticism that you can not program with a DT-4 throttle. On my layout, programming is done on the workbench test track with Decoder Pro.
My Digitrax system has been a cost effective entry into the DCC market. When I average the cost of the system of more than ten years of reliable operation…an exceptional investment…that keeps on working.
There have been pages and pages and pages of posts about different DCC systems, one being better than the other. I will repeat my earlier statement that selection of a DCC system seems to be a matter of personal preference and not that one system is better than the other. If owning a NRC system meets you’re modeling needs, great
Dont get me wrong, I have had my Digitrax system for 15 years and it has served me well. Lately, I sent down my DB150 down for repairs (it would turn on by itself and run all my locos at full speed…with one making a trip down to the floor) with my DT300 for a conversion over to Radio and a replacement of the encoders. I recieved both units, but the DT300’s encoders were NOT fixed and the radio portion of the unit wasnt working. I had to send it back to Digitrax (directly to Dave at Digitrax) and he fixed it. It worked for 15 minutes and that was the perverbial straw. I invested in a UR91 and was looking forward to being wireless. I have returned my UR91 and will be selling my Digitrax system when my NCE system arrives (only when I have confirmed that my Decoder Pro likes the new NCE system…I cant afford to loose that connectivity).
I have been eyeballing the NCE line of DCC for a few years now. It has every feature that I would want; ease of use (not like I REALLY need that, but it is important for others visiting my layout), great ergonomics (we have a Power Cab on display at work and I love the way it fits in my hand), easy computer hookup, great quality control, duplex radio (I gotta have the ability to consist and programme wirelessly) and last but not least, a better quality signal going to my decoders (I find that the Digitrax signal sometimes is a bit weak, hence, the command has a bit of a delay…but it could just be me).
On the downside, I will be stepping away from loconet.
So, I have ordered my Radio unit with the intent to never, ever have plugins available on the layout. I will order other throttles, with all of them being wireless. It makes for a cleaner facia. I have also opted for the 1/2 wave antennas as I have read that they greatly improve the connection quality between th
[quote user=“jamnest”]
I believe that the selection of a DCC system is a mater of personal preference, with the exception of a computer interface (Decoder Pro) which I believe is essential.
I have owned and operated my Digitrax Chief (radio) for more than ten years. I still have all of my original equipment, with two fully operational DT100R throttles. I recently sent my DCS100 (over ten years old) to Digitrax to have the chip upgraded from 8 functions to 12 functions at a cost of $35. (I did this because I was sending a scrambled DT-400R in for repair that had made too many trips to the canyon a.k.a. basement floor! The repair cost was $50.)
I am anxiously waiting for Digitrax to upgrade to duplex radio, and I would imagine that I will be able to upgrade my ten year old system by purchasing a duplex radio receiver and new throttles. Some of the criticism that I have seen regarding Digitrax is that you have to plug in to the Loconet to acquire a locomotive. This is a one time task. In operating the layout I do not find that operators have a need to constantly change locomotives on a throttle. For operating the new DT-4R is simple and easy to use, and preferred by guest operators. All of my future purchases will be this style of throttle. Again, there has been criticism that you can not program with a DT-4 throttle. On my layout, programming is done on the workbench test track with Decoder Pro.
My Digitrax system has been a cost effective entry into the DCC market. When I average the cost of the system of more than ten years of reliable operation…an exceptional investment…that keeps on working.
There have been pages and pages and pages of posts about different DCC systems, one being better than the other. I will repeat my earlier statement that selection of a DCC system seems to be a matter of personal preference and not that one system is better than the other. If o
DCC systems seems to be a big conversation arguement these days. Who’s system is better then who’s. I myself have used Digitrax. Do to the fact that the club I’m apart of uses it, as well as a friend who hosts an operation session once a month has Digitrax as well. Personally I do not like the display screen on the DT400. I also find the system more complicated then it needs to be. I am considering going with the MRC Advance 2.
Now the question I have is “what is duplex radio mean”??? Not sure when it comes to the wireless world of DCC. It’s also a bit out of my price range to go with wireless as of right now but is something to think about for later down the road.
Thanks Kutter
OK, UT-4 and UT-4R. Sorry about the confusion. I currently have DT-100R, DT-300R, DT-400R and did own some UT-1 throttles but sold them as they could not be converted to radio.
My point (preference) is that I don’t use my throttles for programming, so simple inexpensive throttles appear to meet the majority of my operating needs. Since I have some of the older DT throttles, anyone who wants to do some programming on the layout can still do this. My preference is to use Decoder Pro at the workbench.
Kutter…
there are 2 types of radio control out there; simplex and duplex.
Simplex (Digitrax, for now) means that your handheld controller is limited to sending out a radio signal that is in turn recieved by the reciever (UR91). The problem with this, is that the handheld cannot recieve back any information from the command station (hence, not knowing if the signal was actually recieved). Because of this, it wont allow your handheld to aquire, consist or programme locomotives while you are wireless.
Duplex (MRC, NCE, Future Digitrax (patent was applied for, but no products have been announced)) means that your handheld sends out AND recieves information from the command station. This allows you to do everything wirelessly that you can accomplish with a tethered connection including aquiring, programming and consisting locomotives.
As a side note, this thread is not intended in any way to be a who-is-better-than-who thread. Nor is it meant to dig out any arguments that each side might have. I support both products, and they both have their pros and cons. I have just chosen to move over into the other house’s camp.
On another side note, why are you going with an MRC system? What features of the MRC system do you find good/bad? I just want to make sure you are doing your research before jumping into the MRC pond…
David B
I might be wrong but I always tough NCE was a half duplex system not a full duplex as most believe.
With a full duplex system both the sender and receiver can sends out information simultaneously. With a half duplex the sender most received acknowledgement the command was well received by the receiving station before sending more informations. Therefore I always tough a half duplex transmission is slower then a full duplex one. May be you can shed some light on this.