Just ordered LocoBuffer USB - how exciting!

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’ve been thinking about getting the Digitrax MS100 computer interface because it’s about $30 less than the LocoBuffer. Then today I realized I don’t have a 25-pin serial port on my computer, which means I’d have to get some kind of adapter. And I’ve heard that the MS100 doesn’t always work well with every computer, so it’s hard to tell until you plug it in and try to use it.

So considering all that, I decided to just bite the bullet and “upgrade” to the LocoBuffer USB. I just ordered one from Litchfield Station - it was the cheapest place I could find online, and the free shipping was a bonus. Still, $65 isn’t exactly chump change… But I’m excited anyway; I can’t wait to get it and try it out with Decoder Pro! [:D]

2

Computer stuff sometimes aint cheap. Serials are obselete and USB is where it is. Eventually Wireless will replace USB.

Buy something, pay more for a thimigig to make it fit and then another dollar for the wire and so on.

I would buy the USB right off even though I have one unused Serial on the back of the machine.

The more I learn about these things the closer I get to being able to herd the children through the programming.

3

You’ll enjoy it. I find it great just for doing things like backing up the configs on my locomotives. You can copy configs and speed tables are a breeze.

4

funny I had a simular situation… I was holding on to a older computer to track my inventory and maybe use for my Modelrailroad well I picked up a MS-100 cheap awhile ago well yesterday I got everything together and I also found out that my computer also don’t have 25 pin serial port so I went and got a 9 pin to 25 pin adapter everything work fin and now I have been using Decoder Pro all last night and all this morning Decoder Pro is a great tool

5

You’re gonna love Decoder Pro !

Speaking of Decoder Pro

Why is it A group of Unpaid very dedicated folks can write a piece of software that works on just about every computer and will program hundreds of decoders on all the different DCC mfg’s equipment And do it for FREE!!!
and Microsoft can’t ?

There’s even a DOS version

6

Terry,

That’s cause one does it for the love of the hobby and the other one does it for the love of something else.

Tom

7

I have both the ms-100 and the locobuffer USB. the Locobuffer is far superior. When my old computer died I lost my serial port and I tried getting a adapter and couldn’t get the MS-100 to work. The price tag is worth it especially if you do alot of programming. I have been able to program any locomotive (Tsunami, BLI, Atlas, Digitrax, NCE, Lenz, ESU) with with it without a problem. Its also fun to use the computer to run trains sometimes.

Also the locobufffer is optically Isolated. This means the electrical components of the command station and that of the computer never electrically interact. This solves alot of grounding issues that occur with other interfaces (like the ms-100) if it is not connected correctly which is very hard on the computer.

It is definitely a good investment to make. It has paid for itself a few times over for me and make programming so much easier (no more hex conversions).