I've returned to model railroading after lots of years. I'm anything but an electronic expert. I'm sure this question has been asked a million times but what's the most economical, reliable and easiest system to master on the market? The market seems flooded with different systems all promising the world. I'm sure if I decide on a DCC system I'll need to hire someone to install the decoders. I'm looking for something to operate a smallish hon3 layout. I've also read the tortoise switch machines are compatable with DCC systems. This is quite a maze to a newbie. Thanks for any info.
Welcome to Train Board Railman. to answer your question , there is no best system on the market today in DCC. You must research the systems out there and decide what you want in a DCC system. Below is a link to a chart Tonys Trains has comparing many DCC systems that are available in today's market. http://tonystrains.com/productcompare/dcccomparison.htm Have fun....
I agree with PowerSteamGuy on this. I would also suggest seeing what other modelers in your area are using, or what particular systems are best supported by local clubs and dealers. If you get in a jam, it's always nice to have someone nearby to help you out. There are some good books out there. I have been enjoying Larry Puckett's Practical Guide to Digital Command Control, lately. If you have a local dealer with some different systems set up to try it might be a good idea to see what system works well for you. I happen to use Digitrax because of the local community and because I like the look and feel. Others use NCE or Lenz or whatever else for very similar reasons.
I agree with the above, but with a proviso: If you don't know much about something it can be hard to understand the information that all your research gets you. If you can bear the thought I'd suggest getting a cheap, preowned system and similar loco off ebay, and having a play. You'll soon start to understand how things work, or don't, and what things might be better for you. Then you can ask the questions to find which system does the things that are important to you. Hopefully you can sell the 'practice' system and engine back on ebay for near what you paid, so the net cost should be low.
Go to your local hobby shop for trains and look at the systems, ask questions. Are you going to joining a local club - if so what do they use for their layout. Thats how I ended up with my system because the club used Digitrax - I now use Digitrax. Very good system with excellent warranty and repair service. Other than a couple of self broken controllers I have had absolutely no problems with Digitrax.
I just went through the process of selecting a DCC and getting it up and running. The comments from the other members are good general advice. There are a few things I would suggest you consider in your selection process: 1. How large is your layout or planned layout? 2. How many trains do you hope to run simultaneously? 3. What scale are you in? 4. What's your budget? Based on your profile, I'll guess finding a club that operates with DCC or hobby shops to actually go and lay hands on a DCC system in action may be pretty tough. Give us some feedback on these items and I bet we can help you.
