So after looking at all the available information on DCC. After reading all I could on DCC here on this forum. I decide to get the NCE powercab.
Now I understand I’m not getting the top of the line DCC system but there were two things that really meet my needs. Well I thought. One - an easy to use interface. Two - Customer support. Of course, expandabilitiy, good reputation and other came into the mix.
So about two weeks ago I purchase the NCE power cab from my LHS. And just about as advertise, I get the system up and running without any major difficulties. But I do have some wierd things happening so I decide to call NCE. Well, there nobody home because NCE is having an employee luncheon. Well OK. I’ll call next week. (Yes, next week because I travel to make the money to pay for all of this)
Yesterday, I call again. I got a voice on the other end. After the uncalled for sexist remark, I was wanting for the answering machine. I’m informed that all the technicians are off for the week and the only person who could help was at lunch. It was 2:15pm EDT!!! Call back at 3:30 still at lunch. Call back at 3:45, line busy. Call back at 3:50, office closed for the weekend.
Great customer support. NOT!!
Sorry but I don’t want excuses. If a business can’t remain open during it posted business hours and provide customer service during those hours, it fails to be a business worthy of any positive comment.
I’m so sorry I purchased the powercab. Yes, it works but the problems make it difficult for my kids to operate the system. If it was working as the manual says then all would be well. As it is, I may be returning to DC operation.
Just be glad you are not in Europe - The staff could be on ‘Holiday’ for weeks on end! Be aware that firms like NCE(and even Digitrax) are small operations. I have called NCE in the past about questions about decoders and have never had the problems you describe. Of course, if you called just about anywhere on a Friday afternoon, the chances that a lot of the staff took a 1/2 day off is quite high(more so in ‘northern’ states when there is nice weather this time of the year).
If I were you I would probably feel the same way, but I am not so I will offer some food for thought. NCE is not Microsoft. They do not have hundreds of employees who work there because even though they are millionaires it is too much fun to quit, and they also do not have hundreds (thousands even) of other employees who answer the phone from Asia in barely intelligible English. If the technicians were off I am wondering who was going to help you. Might have been a vice president and he was at lunch trying to wrangle a good price on microchips. Personally, I am so shocked to hear someone still has employee luncheons NCE just got elected to be my DCC system. The fact I also like their capabilities doesn’t hurt; I was pretty well decided anyway.
Think of all the really big outfits where the SOBs in charge laugh while they envision customers like you and me trying to get a live human on the phone. And, unless it was nasty, figure the person delivering the sexist remark may have thought they were being cute or nice. Maybe they are getting the wrong kind of positive reinforcement from persons that surround them.
You say it works, but there are problems. I probably can’t help, but there are some real sharp folks on these boards, so you might want to post the issues on here (Atlas has boards too) and see what happens. 24 hour a day service by experts, and it’s all free.
WOW, sorry to hear about all your bad luck, man! Maybe that’s part of why I haven’t gone full-bore with DCC myself yet, even though I bought a Digitraxx Chief command station 5 years ago. [The main reason is the cost of installing decoders into my entire existing loco fleet.]
One thing somebody advised me early-on, was to find out what other local modelers were using - and go with that. This way I wouldn’t have to be dependent on an out-of-state tech support staff that operates on bankers’ hours. There are ~5 people in my area I can call about any Digitraxx issues I might run into, even at 9:30pm on a Saturday.
First off, sorry to hear about your mishaps with your new Power Cab and NCE. Not getting the customer service that you expect would indeed be frustrating. And, not to make any excuses for NCE, but I usually try and avoid calling ANY company on a Friday afternoon for service.
From what I can ascertain, NCE is a good but pretty small enterprise. Larry (and possibly some of the staff) do travel to train shows on the weekend and would have to shut down earlier on Fridays to get things ready for the trip. This may be one of those weekends for them.
Anyhow, what sort of problems are you having? Several of us here have the new Power Cab so maybe we can bang our heads together and help you out as best we can. The other suggestion would be to join the NCC-DCC Yahoo forum and post your questions there. It will take a few days to get your account activated so you won’t be able to post your questions immediately. But in the meantime, you should be able to read posts till then.
Gumby, it just so happens that this is “FREE Help Weekend” here at the forum. I’ve decided to defray my usual cost and “fees” for answers given and will gladly help you out any which way I can. [swg]
What kind of “weird things” are happening? If you could describe them maybe someone has run across something similar and could offer some advice. There are some really smart helpful people (I’m not smart) here who are always willing to help. I had an issue with the same NCE system you are using. Even though I had the manual in my hand and was following step by step I just couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. Someone made a suggestion and BINGO that was all I needed. Everything worked fine from that point on.
I feel badly that your attempt to buy into DCC has not been a completely positive one. I went with Digitrax, and it was not all smooth, so blaming NCE is not going to rectify anything for you, and that one experience should not, as you stated, warn everyone away from DCC in general. That is not a logical conclusion.
There are countless individuals who have gathered themselved to take the leap, many who had grown comfortable with DC ops over decades. Some, a very few, have not been happy, and have stated that they were going back to DC. (I hope they persevered)
I would never counsel my children to take retrograde steps in life. Still, I can understand how frustrated you were, waiting weeks at a time, only to get no further ahead. I would not be happy, either.
I hope you take the time with some of your fellow NCE users here to get it all working for you. Then, you could retract your statement that DCC is not worth it.
this isn’t bad advice , but if it was followed to a ridiculous conclusion it would mean the first company to have a product in the marketplace would win and everyone else should just go home . we’d all be driving model T fords and talking on black rotary dial phones [:)]
back to the original poster’s problem … have you tried the LHS ? they might have an expert or two , or maybe allow you to exchange the unit if it seems like a defect
I suppose if I had the same experience you had, I’d be upset too. However, I have nothing but good things to say about NCE. My systems works fine and all contact with NCE via email and phone has been really helpful. Check your manual and find their email address or phone them again. Once you make contact with the right humans, I think they’ll give you all the help you need.
To make a long story short, I have no disagreements with all said so far.
That said, I have and old Wangrow base, with lots of excellent NCE stuff. I have called several times and received excellent support. I suggest you join the NCE group at Yahoo:
A bunch of nice smart guys. I would be surprised if they did not help you. And, if you stick with it, I’ll bet you a quarter (heck I’ll send you one) if you are not happy with your system once you get past the initial ‘learning curve’.
No experience with NCE or any other DCC here, but consider that it is August. Some staff may be on vacation, leaving them shorthanded and perhaps with less that the usual coverage to handle customer inquiries.
All the DCC manufacturers are mom and pop operations and they rely on people going to the support forums for most of their support. Until you’ve posted your problem on the NCE yahoo forum, you are getting hasty. None of the other DCC systems will give you any better support – or any worse.
For example, my own system EasyDCC, I had a question recently and I sent them an email – then I went online to the EasyDCC forum. I quickly got the response that the entire EasyDCC staff would be out until August 31st at the Narrow Guage convention – so forget getting an answer until September!
So I just asked the forum and got an answer within a day.
Like everyone has said, these guys are not Microsoft, so it’s best to be aware of what your support options are and not be so hasty. [swg]
I am sorry that your NCE purchase did not go smoothly.
I got out the club and started to beat the DCC Cheif into submission myself having just purchased it from Digitrax.
August is a difficult time to be reaching out to business. Perhaps if we understood the exact or wild things NCE is doing in your home someone might hae an answer for you.
I myself cannot stand to make tech support calls because it seems it all comes out of India these days.
Seriously, it is good to hear what works and what doesn’t, if there’s any positive side to your bad experience. I’d narrowed my choice to between Digitrax, MRC, and NCE. Seems I chose wisely.
Everybody Listen to Joe he knows what he is saying he helped me out. DCC ditch lights and a backwards plug in socket makes an interesting day.
Now I dont own the NCE power cab I own a couple of NCE decoders had some problems (my fault) which NCE helped me figure out through email the same day, this was during the winter tho. I do prefer Digitrax DCC systems tho over anyone eles. I get really fat replies through email and on the phone.
As for tech support and NCE being closed, there are tons of conventions, and shows that they send employees to. Also when it gets to a certain degree in shops some compaies send employees home due to heat and if I remember the last week and the first two weeks of august were scortchers.
Ask these guys on line give good explination on whats happening and they can usually help you or like someone else said join NCE DCC help or even DCC4EVERYONE@yahoo.com
When I swiched to DCC about five years ago, I had two choices CVP Railcommand or Digitrax. My choices were limited by me because those were the major DCC products in use by other model railroaders in the area, and I had an opportunity to try before you buy by operating these systems on other layouts. I finally chose Digitrax because I did not like the proprietary nature of the railcommand system. (Easy DCC is NMRA compatiable and would have been considered if it had been readily available at the time.) My Digitrax system has been a great buy and very reliable. In thanks to the modlers who assisted me in my decision I now do the same.
The other nice thing about Digitrax is a lot of MRRs who come to operating sessions are already familiar with the system. I started with a Chief and Empire builder set (I used the Empire Builder as a smart boostrer), but only had two throttles to begin with. When I wanted to have an open house or operating session, friends would bring extra throttles.
Sorry Joe, but I gotta disagree here. Every SINGLE time I’ve called Digitrax, I’ve gotten a live person. Sometimes, I’ve had to wait for a return call from the technician, but I’ve ALWAYS gotten one, the SAME day. Now, I’m not saying which is the better system, just that I have no trouble at all getting through to Digitrax. Also Gumby, on a side note, I have a buddy in Canada that has a Digitrax Super Chief system. his four year old grandson routinely runs multiple units using it. That oughtta say something.
Geez, Gumby. I’m quite sorry to hear you had problems with NCE. I have an NCE PowerPro system for the past year or so and while I haven’t had any problems with it at all, I did have a ton of questions as a total newbie to both DCC and NCE. Everytime except once, I was able to talk with someone either immediately or on the 2nd call. The one time I couldn’t talk with anyone is that recently they were all at a big train convention (don’t remember which one).
I couldn’t believe how courteous, knowledgeable and helpful the people were at NCE, especially Larry. I wish my car dealer and every other so called "service "people did just half as well.
Obviously, you’ll do what you want, but if it were me, I would give NCE another chance. The system is really great, easy to use (5 year old neighbor picked up its use on a sound loco in about 1 minute of instruction!) and NCE has a great attitude on repairs.
I’ve only called NCE once about a problem. The problem was my fault (haste makes waste). I don’t remember the gentleman’s name at NCE, but he sent me out a replacement part, no charge, via priority mail, just to get me up and running. They earned a customer for life that day.