I understand that when you add another 5 amp power supply you essentially lose the Power Cab’s 3 amps and but does it still work as a seperate throttle and can it be converted to wireless in any way?
When you add the Smart Booster to a PowerCab, you now have the track powered from the Smart Booster’s 5 amp output. You do not use the panel that came with the PowerCab, or its power supply. For plu in locations, you would add some UTP panels.
But the Smart Booster can only do programming on the main, which has no readback. To do that, you set up a dedicated test/program track with your PowerCab panel and power supply, and plug in there to do programming.
Yes, there actually is enough room in the PowerCab to upgrade it to wireless. Add an RB02 to the SB5 and you have a wireless system. Wireless of course only works with the SB5, when the PowerCab is acting as a ProCab. In PowerCab mode, it has to be plugged in.
–Randy
presumably you do mean smartbooster, not a booster or power supply for such
i think of the PowerCab as 3 things: a cab, command station and booster.
you can plug a PowerCab into a layout that has a command station and it will act as a cab if given a unique cab address
it is a command station. you can extend the cabbus bus with additional UTP and use additional cabs.
and it is a booster because it powers the track. as far as i know, you can’t add extra boosters to a power cab, but you can to a smartbooster which is a command station/booster
NCE can modify a PowerCab to make it wireless
but you can use an RB02 with a PowerCab and use wireless cabs
I never thought that NCE should have introduced the Power Cab. Sure the Power Cab is a good starter system for a small layout, but as the layout grows and the locomotive roster increases in size, the Power Pro is really the only way to go.
Edit Note: As Randy subsequently notes, though, initially, there is a nearly $400 difference between the Power Cab and the PH-Pro 5 amp system. So, if you never anticipate expanding to the full features or power supply of the PH-Pro, I suppose an argument can be made for the Power Cab on smaller layouts.
Rich
certainly there’s a market for it
while some may wish they had bought the larger system from the beggining, it’s commonplace to buy the starter and then move up.
for me, and i assume many others with small layouts, it’s more than adequate. And it supports extra cabs
even for basement and very large layouts with many boosters, programming is often done at a work area with a separate track where the PowerCab is appropriate.
The price difference is a LOT more than $200. It’s more than $400. PowerCab MSRP is $229, includes everything you need. Wired PowerPro MSRP is $619 plus you also need a power supply.
Even buying a PowerCab plus Smart Booster, it’s $418 msrp, including power supply. PowerPro is $619 plus cost of a power supply.
If anything doesn’t make sense, it’s the DCC Twin, out of the box it works like a double Bachmann EZ Command, at 4x the price.
–Randy
I bought the Power Cab some years ago over the Digitrax starter because I had found out a club nearby had just bought the Power Pro. I could bring my Cab. The club was going to DCC the same time as I was.
I found out I could run three HO sound locos at home. It could program any decoder with no issues.
Rich
Agreed. I misspoke. I edited my initial reply.
Even if you DO expand later - you then have a second cab, PLUS a device that will program all decoders without a program track booster, which the PH Pro needs for many sound decoders.
Though there are ‘rumors’ of some new stuff coming from NCE - one would hope, as the PH Pro command station is a bit long in the tooth. An integrated USB or network port instead of a DB9 serial port would be a good improvement, as well as the ability to program CVs greater than 255 on the program track.
–Randy
Rich, that’s me!
I started my N Scale layout when I retired. I have a small corner of a room, and the layout will not get any larger in my lifetime. The NCE Powercab was just what I needed, and I didn’t want to pay for a lot more that I would never use.
I hear ya, John. Maybe my enthusiasm for the 5 amp PH-Pro got the best of me. Long live the Power Cab! [bow]
Rich
i’m curious, how do you program using the PH-Pro?
The PH-Pro has a setup for a separate programming track with a CV readout capability. It requires a programming track booster for most sound decoders.
Rich
ANd it shuts down the layout when you do so, so you can;t program using the main system during an op session. After getting more into the weeds on how the cab bus actually works, I think I see why it has to do that.
ANother good reason why buying a PowerCab and then later upgrading to a full PH Pro isn’t such a bad idea. Or else buying a third party programmer like a PR4 or SPROG.
–Randy
As a lone wolf operator, I never thought of it that way, but you’re right Randy about the PH-Pro shutting down the main layout while using the programming track. That never bothered me, but I can see how disruptive it would be during an ops session. OK, you win, I will buy a Power Cab for my workbench. [swg]
Rich
Nah, since you already have the PH Pro, you would get a standalone programemr like SPROG (which can also test run the loco). No point in buying a PowerCab now, unless you need another full size throttle.
THe discussion was about going the other way - buying a PowerCab first, and then moving to a bigger layout and buying the PH Pro. [:D]
–Randy
Rich, how often do you run trains and program them at the same time?
greg, as Randy pointed out, the PH-Pro shuts down the main layout when the programming track is selected, so I cannot run trains and program them at the same time. But, I believe that your question is, how often do I need to program decoders and run trains in the same session, and my answer is, not often. What I usually do is to make programming changes just before I have an operating session. And, about the only thing that I do in that regard is to set up a consist or two. So, for me, the fact that you cannot program decoders while simultaneously running trains is no big deal.
Rich
thanks for understanding my poorly phrased question
i assume NCE thought it would be no big deal either and if it was, there is an option.