It does have two crossovers, but they are electrical isolated by plastic rail joiners.
Hmmm, I guess I chose that particular DCC decoder because it was plug and play. Was it worth it to not have to add a speaker to it or find a place for it? I guess I’ll let everyone know next week.
I wouldn’t fret about it, gatrhumpy. Even with a plug 'n play decoder, you’re still learning something about installing a decoder.
FWIW, I do remember reading about a few here on the forum who said that they were happy with the sound from their MRC sound decoder. Maybe this one will be decent for you. Do keep us posted…
Tom
Wasn´t it next week the software update was due for the PowerCab?
How does it work? Is it a new Eprom that should be replaced or is it a pure software update?
That’s a new one on me, Graffen. Do you know right off hand which version of the software? I currently have V1.28C in my Power Cab. When plugged into my upgraded Smart Booster (SB3a), it shows V1.28D2.
Tom
I have been following this thread:
As I´m interested in buying a PowerCab, I thought it was better to wait until after the Upgrade?!?!
Does anyone know anything else about the Upgrade?
Nope.
Graffen,
Here’s what I have surmised so far from the link that you’ve given:
Power Cab upgrade
- Replacement EEPROM
- New Rev will be V1.65 (Currently V1.28C)
- Recall stack will increase from 2 to 6 addresses
- Additional cabs that can be added to the Power Cab will increase from 1 to 3
Power Pro upgrade
- Replacement EEPROM
- Select Loco Refresh added - “Locos called back into the stack won’t just stop but will keep on doing whatever they were doing (sound, lights, movement, etc.) until the user changes an instruction.”
For those nervous about doing the upgrade yourself, switching out the EEPROM is quite simple. All you need is a Phillips-head screwdriver. What you want to do first is to:
- Remove screws from the rear panel
- Carefully extract the old EEPROM from the socket - You may need to use a small flat-head screwdriver to gently pry it up from both ends. Do one side…then the other…then back and forth till the EEPROM comes free. You do NOT want to force it out!
- insert the new EEPROM into the socket - Make sure it is well seated in socket
- Reinstall the rear panel - Done!
The only other thing you need to make sure of is that the
Thanks for the info 
That select refresh thing for the PowerPro confuses me. DO you mean to say that currently with an NCE system, you can;t select a loco on your throttle, and then select a different one while the first continues to run? Or does the second one continue to run UNTIL you use the recall to get it back as the ‘active’ loco, at which time it then stops? Seems odd that either of those would be the case, if not, then I guess I don;t understand the wording of that feature update. It seems the PowerCab already does this, whatever it means, even withotu the update.
–Randy
Randy,
I’m not entirely sure what the OP meant by it either. I was only quoting him.
As you are aware, the current Power Cab will remember the settings for two locomotives in the recall stack. If you call up a third address while the other two are operating, the third address will replace the address of the last locomotive you were operating.
Say, you want to change speeds of the locomotive, whose address you just overwrote in the recall stack. You, therefore, must re-enter that address again in order to select it. Once you press the SELECT button, that locomotive will come to a dead stop because the speed step is now “000”. That makes for jerky transitions.
With that said, transitions from locomotive-to-locomotive in the recall stack are no problem because the throttle remembers the settings. Randy, if you add an 11th locomotive (or 1 plus whatever the recall limit is) to the Zephyr’s recall stack and add the replaced locomotive address (which is still moving) back into the stack again, would it “buck” or stop when you acquired it again?
Anyhow, that’s what I know on the topic, Randy. If this new feature means something else then…I guess I’ll be enlightened on it.
Tom
Randy,
Yes that is an odd thing about the Pro upgrade. I have the Pro 5 amp system that I got a year ago, and when I select a different loco, what ever loco was running doesn’t stop or anything, until I select the loco again and tell it to stop. In fact, I would be PO’d if it did not act like that.
Maybe they are talking about an older Pro system?
Your choice as to keeping it or not, but I have had NCE full DCC system since the early days and wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I use wireless and cabled cabs, I use the procab and I use the small cab06 cabs, I have not had failures of any kind with it and I work the system hard. Have upgraded a few things as needed, but overall a good solid system.
Bob
Apparently, and I did not know this, but NCE is based in Webster, NY, 20 minutes from where I lived for the first 18 years of my life! :woohoo:
I can’t wait to get this sucker!
gatrhumpy,
And another good shop for you to know that’s just down the road from NCE in Webster is Empire Northern Models. Tim Smith is VERY knowledgeable about DCC and installs.
Tim’s prices are among the best on the Internet. And, even if he doesn’t have something, he can more than likely get it for you - if you ask him.
Tom
You can’t add that 11th loco (actually I think it allows 12, 10+2 for the jump ports, so that would be the 13th loco) with Digitrax. The command station keeps track of which locos are running, not the throttle. I guess that’s why recall is a more useful option on systems like NCE and MRC. If I select a loco on my Digitrax throttle, set it running, and then select a different loco on the same throttle, the throttle has no memory of the first loco (although there is a ‘recently used’ recall stack - like dropping down the recently used items in your web browser), the command station is maintainign that info. So