Ok...I am posting this over here on my fav forum because I know there are people who DONT use the forums and just camp out on TrainStore looking for a smoking deal. They want to buy stuff up cheap and resell it on Ebay !! Thats not what I'm wanting someone to do. I am looking for someone who actually USES these forums !! Someone who is still running DC but has given some serious thought to DCC. Someone who might be on the fence...so to speak. Someone who maybe cant afford a top of the line DCC system but is itching to give DCC a try. Someone who might just get hooked on DCC like I did a few years back...LOL. I have an older Atlas Commander with the Generator and Manual that I am willing to part with. http://www.atlasrr.com/commander.htm The price CANT be beat ;-) If you or someone you know REALLY wants to see if DCC is for them and wants something to get their feet wet with so to speak....Private Message me. First come first served...lol. Lets just call it "paying it forward" Thnxs
Like you I converted my layout over to DCC operations but still operating Analog DC via DPDT, Cab A&B. I'd be interested. I need a DCC system at my work bench.
Ok guys...I got numerous private messages. It has gone to the first one. I am sure its gonna be in a fine home. thanxs all for the interest.
Its what we N scalers do here on TB....we pass things around and help each other. Goofy bunch huh ? LOL
Thnxs Gary Mike... SLSF Freak And I 'collaborated' on it. I gave him some ideas of things I wanted to see done...and he did the rest. I'm a happy camper with it
Yesterday I was preparing to start a new thread on this very subject. I realize you have now 'paid it forward'. But I would still like some advise. It has been a few years since I was forced to dismantle my 7' x 10' layout due to a move. Finally sold off the layout segments and benchwork earlier this year. It was a DC only double-mainline with a 3rd line rising into hills and back down. For now I just collect and setup temporary Kato tracks in the living room or dining room every once in a while. I have been intrigued by DCC and probably would have moved to it if I still had the layout. My questions are, Is it not worth pursuing without a layout? In other words could DCC with sound be used with temporary layouts that go up and then come down in a few days? Or is it more trouble than its worth? Next, if it's woirth pursuing, what would you recommend as a starter setup, say, to run two trains simultaneously using Kato's super-elevated double track. What hardware is involved? What should i expect to pay? Etc... Would appreciate all the advise you fellas can give. Thanks!
I'm in the exact same postion. Sold the 7 x 10 layout a few years back and have been using Kato Unitrack on the family room floor or dining room table. The layout that I sold was DC and divided into blocks for running multiple locomotives, something I could not do with the temporary layouts and still have independent control of the locomotives. I tried the Bachmann EZ Command to see if I would like DCC and within two days was at my LHS to get something a little more upscale. I was looking for either the NCE PowerCArb for around $140 or the MRC Prodigy Express for about the same. I ended up with the MRC Prodigy Wireless as I just liked the idea of a wireless controller.
Thank you George. Another question...I'm thinking about starting with my Kato F3 ABBA Super Chief lashup (new run from earlier this year). As I look at decoders, do I need to get a board for each unit in the consist, or just the lead?
Each powered unit in the consist will need a decoder. If they have a DC board...they wont run on DCC. Well...they could but thats a horse of a different color...lol. Then you have to speed match them. Then you have to 'consist' them thru the throttle. Then...... I'll let one of the DCC gurus take it from here ! I'm lucky I can get one loco to run on DCC pulling 15-20 cars by itself...LOL
YIKES! This is looking more daunting than I had hoped. And seeing as an initial outlay just to get one train configured will require about $375.00 for controller and 4 decoders, I'm starting to have my doubts. And then only that one train until I can afford to get more decoders...Hmmm.
Hi glennac, I am in the same boat you are, no layout with temporary Kato unitrack setups. (However I am building a small 3'x9' layout now) I bought the Digitrax Zephyr Xtra set that George mentioned. I love it, its all self contained and easy to setup, I just use the kato wires coming off the track and put them in the connector on the back of the Zephyr control box. The connector is removable so you shouldn't have to ever remove the wires from it, just unplug the connector from the box and it stays with the track. I have been running DCC for years and its not as daunting as it may sound. Yes you would have to buy and install a decoder board in every one of your four F -units on your Supercheif if you want them to all be powered. Something I did to save funds, as that train doesn't need all four locos, I pulled the contact strips, drive shafts and worm gears out of the B-units and now they are free rolling dummies, with both A-units doing all the work. It keeps you from having to buy two additional decoders and mess with consisting all four (consisting two engines is super easy and quick). The great thing is, if you ever want them powered it takes just a couple of minutes to put the contact strips and drive shafts/worm gears back in. For me a lot of the decision came from the fact that all of the layouts I would visit to run on and the club layout were all DCC, so most of my locomotives are DCC now and wanted to be able to easily run my sound equipped engines at home too, so thats a big reason I made the switch. If you don't run your locomotives anywhere but at home then I would think more about whether or not you thought you'd run more than one train at a time on the same track on your temporary unitrack setup. If the answer is yes then DCC would be good, if the answer is no, then DCC really doesn't add much value. Just my two cents.
These are some really good ideas. I also want to add that if you have a small to medium layout or only run couple trains at a time, the Digitrax Zephyr or any other of the entry level dcc systems work great since we have small amperage loads. A Zephyr + a walkaround throttle should run you less than 200 and give you 2.5 amps of power which is enough for 5 to 10 n scale locos. You don't need to spend the 400+ that is required for a mid level system. Decoders are much cheaper now, and a ton of locos are easy conversions. Also Digitrax has a DC mode that works pretty well, and you can run non converted locos until you switch em over. I do have to admit, some of the other systems are more user-friendly. Finally a factor in converting is if you run n-scale steam, because generally unless your steamer is DCC ready, a steam DCC conversion requires at least some fine soldering skills at best and some major surgery at worse.
