Which DCC control do I go with?

[chucknlead]

I'm looking at moving to the next level in DCC command. I love the EZ command but I'm ready to play with CV's and need a larger address file.

The question.

1) What brand and model do you use?

2) What do you like most about it?

3) What do you dislike about it?


I'm looking at the MRC Prodigy advanced or
The Lenz Set 100. What do you think?

[brad]

I have the Prodigy Advance system and really like it. Programing is very simple. It can handle just about all functions, more than I use. It is a very straight forward system in programming and use. The only thing I don't like is that when the system first boots up on restart it picks the last loco used and has the throttle appied.

brad

[CJCrescent]

I'm looking at moving to the next level in DCC command. I love the EZ command but I'm ready to play with CV's and need a larger address file.

The question.

1) What brand and model do you use?

2) What do you like most about it?

3) What do you dislike about it?


I'm looking at the MRC Prodigy advanced or
The Lenz Set 100. What do you think?

Chuck;

Whenever anyone asks me about buying a brand of DCC, I always ask, what do the majority of the modelers you know use? To me that is the most important aspect of choosing a system. The more people that use a system in your area, the more likely any problem that you have with the set you get would have already been dealt with by them in one way shape, or form. These people form a handy database of "techs" who can probably be available for any type of help you may need. Plus when others come over to run on your layout, they will already have their own throttles, and you won't have to buy extras.

Second I ask is what features are you looking for, such as CV readback?
Computer interfacing? Future expansion? Backward compatibility? (That is, if someone brings over the same brand but a much older throttle, can it still be used on the newer system.)

Only then do I recommend a system. I do suggest that if you can, attempt to try out more than one system. See which one feels right and then, based on the criteria I stated above, get it.

I personally started with Digitrax Empire Builder and after 5 yrs I now have the Super Chief. It had the features I wanted, esp the computer interface, fully expandable, and since most of the modelers in my area use Digitrax, the choice was a no brainer. I like the way their throttles feel and work and for me there is no other system I would use.

[Dennis]

Hi. I have the MRC prodigy Advance and love it. Seems to make things easy as can be.
Dennis

[SteamGene]

I agree with CJCrescent.  If you know other model railroaders,  go with the majority.  I chose Digitraxx because my club uses it and everybody I know with a DCC layout uses it.  I'm already a Mac user in a PC world.   Why should I make life twice as difficult?
Gene

[Jim Banner]

I have never heard a Lenz owner complain.  MRC I tend to shy away from because of their history of introducing new systems that are totally incompatible with their old ones. 

Personally, I use Digitrax, both the Zephyr and the Super Chief.  The Zephyr, along with an MRC 8 amp booster, runs my large scale outdoor layout while my Chief runs my indoor H0.  Why Digitrax?  My dealer has been selling Digitrax since the beginning and is my Guru.  Having a Guru availble is just as important when starting out with DCC as it is when starting out with a computer (remember those days when you had to have someone show you how to turn the computer on??)  If you do not run more than 5 H0 locomotives at any one time, the Zephyr is a great unit.  I only went to the Chief because I was running short of power. 

[brad]

I'd have to agreee with Jim that the incopatability with older systems is a drawback with the MRC Systems. I have a 1st generation Prodigy system with 2 throttles that sits in a box.

brad

[DrDialtone]

My first choice was lenz because they were first and the quality seemed to be of a higher standard. After checking around the Digitrax systems are the most popular and offered the most support. Also the local hobby shop where I buy support Digitrax. They have a in house expert which is great when you need advice. So the choice became a no brainer. Then the is the question of expandibility and ease of operation. Look and feel. The system I have is Digitrax Super Chief. The only nit I have about it is the buttons on my throttle stick every once in a while.

[FFJOHNL312]

And now from the peanut gallery.

We Tennis Racket lovers like the NCE system because you can use it to play racquetball with. Or, so some of the Brand D zealots would have you believe.

As alluded to, I chose NCE because it was the system I had the opportunity to play around with prior to me purchasing. It is DCC simplified, if you ask me. The ProCab has a button for everything, and the menus are script driven. If you look at the two, the Prodigy Advance cab looks a LOT like the NCE ProCab, and shares many of the same characteristics. It is backwards compatible, to the point that you can use Wangrow SystemOne throttles ith it (NCE was the OEM for Wangrow and RamTraxx), and software upgrades are as simple as opening up the black box and plugging in a new EPROM chip--although the last upgrade DID take 5 years.

A problem I have had with Digitrax is the ease with which someone can inadvertently go into trinary mode, something which I do not understand except to tell you if you manage to select it on the throttle, you can't run your loco. These accidents do reduce over time, but NCE doesn't even give you the choice. Not too many foks out there have decoders in their locos that support trinary mode anyway, so why bother?

This is not to say that that NCE is without its faults. A nice feature of the Digitrax systems is the ability to 'dispatch' a locomotive into the DCC brain so that only one cab at a time can control it. NCE will allow two or more throttles (with two different cab numbers) to select the same loco, and whoever sends the last command to it gets it. Incidents like this are reduced by enforcing a policy of selecting locomotive '0' on the throttles before shutting down the system. Digitrax and other manufacturers do encourage this also.

I can also say that I have not heard of people switching from NCE to Digitrax, with rare exceptions. Many folks do the opposite.

Another good judge? Go to each of the manufacturer's websites and take a look at the operating manuals for their systems, and see which one you like.

John Loesch