NCE powercab DCC system… “a complete DCC starter system: $145.98” no way. it doesnt seem plausable to spend under $200 and start running trains with DCC. wheres the catch?
GEARHEAD426
The catch is it’s a tethered system that output only about 2 amps and as it comes it only handles 2 throttles.
This is all expandable in increments to the full NCE Powerhouse Pro wireless system. Full duplex wireless with no need to ever plug in the throttles is about as good as DCC gets in my book.
Other than this, there is no catch. This system was so cheap I bought one to use at my workbench to test DCC locos. [swg]
YOU STIIL HAVE TO BUY THE DECODERS AS WELL.
I THINK TONY IS CHEAPER. 139 i THINK
man that’s cheap, I know what i’ll be buying! since I only have a 16ft x 2ft layout [:D]
Gearhead,
The Power Cab is a terrific system and well worth it’s asking price. You can pick it up at a little cheaper at Empire Northern Models (http://www.empirenorthernmodels.com) and Tony’s Train Xchange (http://www.tonystrains.com) @ $139.95. Both places offer great support.
Personally, I like the handheld throttle over the console, like the Digitrax Zephyr. The CV readback in programming mode is also a nice feature. Definitely worth your consideration.
Tom
i dont mind not having a wireles system, so id need 2 or 3 extra places to plug the cab into, amd mabey a power booster, right? i plan to be running 2 frieght trains and mabey 2 passenger trains( ill only run 1 if i have to.) the frieghts would have 2 locomotives each, and the consists would be broken up for switching. id only need 3 cabs. 2 amps wouldnt be enough, probably. my layout will be a 20’ by 5’ dogbone shape if it helps. i know how DCC works, just not what i need.
Thanks
GEARHAD426
[:D] I love mine!!! Ive lashed up 7 locos 2 w/sound and all worked great. All in all i have had 9 HO locos running at the same time on the Power Cab. 2 amps is plenty for any home layout IMO. The plus side is with 2 amps you dont get too many fried decoders!!!
Gearhead,
The power booster is built right into to the Power Cab so it’s an all-in-one unit. It should be able to handle what you’ve perscribed but that would depend on how old your locomotives are and/or how much amperage each of them pulls. If power is an issue, you can (or will be able to in the near future) order the Smart Booster that will boost the total output of the Power Cab to 3A. It will also give you the liberty of adding/plugging in 2 more throttles to your layout.
The Power Cab system does come with one (1) power panel that the Power Cab and an additional throttle plugs into. Additional power panels can be purchased for ~$15 each and easily daisy-chained from one to the other for power with RJ-12 connector cables.
Tom
Anyone know what DCC system can handle 39 N scale locos?
no catch really . if this had been available when i bought my zephyr i would have trouble deciding between them .
there are several under $200 DCC systems , most of them expandable to include almost every feature possible . even bachmann is coming out with expansions to their under $100 system !!! . one has to really look at features to decide which to buy .
GD:
Keep in mind we’re talking the number of locos you have running at the same time. Would you really have all 39 locos on the layout and in motion at the same time? Seems unlikely unless you’ve got a layout the size of a gymnasium.
How many operators would you have running trains at the same time? And each train would typically have how many locos on it?
That’s the number we’re talking about. [swg]
Gearhead426,
I just got my Power Cab this past Tuesday. I’ve been looking at various DCC systems for several years now and for the money the Power Cab is about as good as it gets. Its complete, ready to go and very simple to use. Plug it up, run the wires to your track, place a DCC locomotive on the tracks and go. There is a lot more you can do with it but thats just a matter of following the instructions that come with the Power Cab. The cab can be used with other NCE systems. There is no catch unless you need to run a lot of locomotives at the same time, have more than two operators, need a wireless unit or need to un-teather the unit to plug in somewhere else because the layout is so large. Bruce
39!?
From what i’ve seen, you wouldn’t be running any more than 15 at a time, So I think this system is plenty.
oh and btw, am I on your operating crew? [:P] you can be on mine (when I have a large layout) [:D]
Gearhead,
One shortcoming the Power Cab does have is that it can only toggle between 2 locomotives in it’s RECALL function. If you enter a third locomotive, the last locomotive you had called up will get bumped from recall screen. In order to access that locomotive again, you will need to press SELECT LOCO, enter the locomotives 2- or 4-digit address, then press ENTER. A minor inconvenience but an inconvenience nonetheless, if you plan on running more than 2 locomotives simultaneously. However, when using the Power Cab with the Power Pro system, the Power Cab automatically becomes an additional throttle and can toggle between 6 different locomotives.
Tom
I want one ! I cound’nt make up my mind as to what company I was going to go with. But after reading these post, my mind is made up. Besides I’ ve never really experimented with dcc yet, and I did’nt really feel like spending a few hundred dollars on a system anyway only to get confused trying to hook it up. From what I hear you can upgrade this power pro if you want.
It’s not just (2) locomotives simultaneously, it’s locos and/or consists (of multiple units)
Jay, (ProCab user).
Thanks for the correction, Jay. [:)] That’s what I meant to imply.
Tom
For those who already have this system and are using it, I have a couple of questions to ask as my brother wants to pick up a cheap system for a small N scale layout. I own and am quite happy with a Zephyr system from Digitrax, but I use DT400 and UT4 throttles with it and the Zephyr is hidden away and only used as a command station at this point. My brother likes my Zephyr but wants a handheld throttle on the cheap (Zephyr + DT400 = way more cash than NCE Power Cab).
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When I’ve looked at the system setup, the first and most scary part of the equipment looks to be the way track power gets to the track. Flat conductor telephone cords typically have 24-28 gauge wire in them and when you consider the power has to go from the jack to the cab, and then back to the track, that’s almost 20 feet of really tiny wire carrying 15 volts and 1.5 amps. I’m not an EE, but this seems like a major problem to me if you get a short or have two many locos on the track no? Has anyone melted a phone cord yet or had any other problem related to this?
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Does the system support both types of consisting without limits like the Digitrax systems do? That means unlimited locomotives (up to the slot limit of course) in a command station handled MU (Digitrax calls it universal consisting I think). I don’t like advanced consisting for many reasons, and I know my brother doesn’t want to deal with it either.
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Does the system support all of the programming modes and is there a separate output for the programming track so that the layout can be operated at the same time a decoder is being programmed?
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Does the system support zero stretching, the ability to run a non-decoder equipped locomotives?
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Are there any features the Power Cab lacks (other than the recall function) of the more expensive NCE cabs? Things like LCD backlighting, playable whistle and so forth.
Thanks in advance for any help I can get. For less than $140 I will probably pick one up and play with it regardle
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I’m not sure if the powercab and procab (what I have) are the same in this respect, but I believe they are, in that the handheld command station plugs into the booster. The booster is what you hook up the track power to and that has screw terminals that accepts 16awg wire. I used a short length of 16 wg (1ft) to connect to my buss (12awg) terminals.
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Yes
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Yes. It does have connections for separate main and programming tracks. The main is shut off when the programming track is in use. It does also support programming on the main.
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I haven’t done this, but I believe I read that it does.
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Can’t answer that one.
Regarding question 4 - The NCE PowerCab does not support zero stretching, so you cannot run a straight DC locomotive on address zero-zero.
The whole zero stretching “feature” is a stunt at best and does not give you very fine speed control, plus the loco makes various wierd harmonics as you crank the throttle up and down. With fleet decoders down to $13 each these days, I don’t miss it. I just make sure and keep 2 or 3 decoders on hand for any new locos I buy or that a friend might bring over. If the loco is fairly new, it almost always has a decoder socket in it, so adding a decoder takes just a few minutes – ironically, it can take longer to figure out how to get the shell off than it does to install the decoder!
And regarding question 5 - There’s not much the basic PowerCab won’t at least do somewhat. I have one I bought to use at my workbench to test locos and to run locos so I can clean wheels and so on. Darn fine little system, I’m simply amazed at what I got for $139. I paid something like $700 for my original Lenz system in 1993, and something over $400 for my EasyDCC system in 2000 when I switched to it.
The only system I scratch my head over now and then is Digitrax. I have to keep asking the owners how to do simple stuff like acquire a loco because I can’t tell just by looking at the throttle. The NCE throttle has a button called Select Loco – what a concept! Why couldn’t Digitrax think of that?
Don’t get me wrong, Digitrax makes nice systems, but you will need crib notes or a really good memory, one of the two – in order to remember what buttons to push with Digitrax.