OK folks. You have all given me a bunch of information that I'm going to chew on while I'm building my layout, which will be a nice project over what I'm sure will be a cold and miserable winter here in northern NJ. So tell me if I have this straight or not. Given my stated objectives, mainly to be able to: Operate more than one train by myself using the basic command unit and hear engine sounds, brakes, whistles, horns & bells. Put into the hand of a grandchild something so he/she can run a train by him/herself while I'm running my train (once all the virus stuff is no longer a concern and we can visit each other again.) My choices seem to have boiled down to: A: NCE Power Cab Starter Set ($160+ or -, depending on dealer/sales, etc.) which plugs into the left jack on the included fascia mounted PCB + Cab06P Secondary Throttle ($95) which plugs into the jack on the right. OR B: Digitrax DCS52 Zephyr Express Starter Set ($175+or-) + Loconet WiFi module ($64) which would enable use of a smartphone and throttle app OR INSTEAD a UT6 Throttle ($90) which would plug into the back of the DCS52. Do I have that right? Does NCE have a WiFi interface similar to Digitrax? Thanks again to everyone for your input. This has all been very educational. I'm sure I'm going to have additional questions at some point about sound and decoders,etc. but that will be for another day.
I can verify Option B as I'm still running the original Zephyr (DCS50) which I bought about 10 years ago (lost count!) and loving it! The only caution I give you is to hold off on the UT6 as it just came out unless you want to be a Beta Tester. The LNWI has been vetted and works fine. I don't think NCE has WiFi. They (and Digitrax) do have wireless but it's based on their propriety radio system and not WiFi per se. To use Wifi with NCE I think you will need a computer and/or JMRI but I'll let others who have better knowledge of NCE answer. BTW, I'm in Northern NJ and they are predicting a warmer winter than usual. Finger crossed!!!!!
I will also vouch for option B. The LNWI is easy to use, as close to plug and play as it gets. Plug it into the LocoNet port and power, download the app, and set the wifi connection on your mobile device to the LNWI wifi network. The app will direct you from there. Should take 5 minutes or less. Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
WifiTrax WFD-30 is a WiFi interface to the NCE cab bus, for WiFi throttles or smartphone apps. No computer/JMRI required. From their web page: It provides an on-board loco roster and turnout list and allows you to maintain it using web pages on your browser. You can provide meaningful names for the function keys for each loco in your roster and set them to latch or not as required. It supports 4 connected throttles out of the box, BUT you can connect it to your home network so that the number of throttles is increased to 8. WFD-30 needs no separate power supply obtaining all of its power from the NCE CAB Bus. Current consumption 93mA at 12V.
Thanks for the info BigJake. Interesting. No wonder no one has mentioned them before. They are in Australia and only have one dealer in the US. I caution their size in terms of support and repairs. Sending things back to Australia can be a pain.
Thanks again folks. As I said in a previous post I'll mull this over for the next few weeks while I'm building the layout (just finished the benchwork) but right now I'm leaning towards the NCE Powercab for a couple of reasons. First of all the layout's small (85" x 35") with no room available for the footprint of the Digitrax box and I don't want to try to add a slide out shelf or drawer. I'll just get a holster for the unit to mount on the fascia. Secondly I like the fact that it's a handheld unit plus the buttons for the key functions tell you what the buttons are for. The whole thing seems less intimidating for some reason. I will continue to deliberate with myself and I'll probably change my mind a few times before I finally decide but I hope to get visit a LHS so I can touch and feel both units.
I appreciate your replies, and we all have our favorite brands, but can we avoid spreading unfounded/uninformed FUD on other products, just a little, please? It's almost 2021... USPS, UPS, Fed Ex, and countless others can all get parcels to/from Australia pretty handily and quickly these days. There are half a dozen places within as many miles of me that can handle it for me. Don't need to wait for favorable winds anymore!
Uninformed? I don't think I said anything that wasn't true...that they are in Australia and have one dealer in the US. I'm just raising a caution and didn't say to not buy it did I? Given the state of the mail system even internal in the US, I was bringing up a point that may not have been considered. At the end of the day, the OP can purchase whatever he wants.
MK, I chose "uninformed" to apply to both your suggestion that WiFi is unavailable for NCE without JMRI, and to your implication that it is more difficult to send something to Australia than it is to ship anywhere else. WifiTrax also has a US dealer, Iron Planet Hobbies, with 3 units in stock, and a UK dealer Digitrains, with 5 units in stock. I no longer really have a dog in this hunt, as I use a Pi-SPROG 3 system, which is not under consideration by the OP, for his own valid reasons. But I went through a thorough selection process before I chose, and I was overwhelmed (elsewhere) at the extent of vigorous defense of one brand over another (on all sides, but particularly NCE and Digitrax) that too often veered into incorrect or misleading statements regarding competing choices. However, despite the choice I made, I gained valuable information on competing solutions that might be useful to others. I apologize that my remarks fell short of the deservedly high standard of decorum for this forum. Sincerely,
Does anyone have any thoughts on the MRC Prodigy Express^2? I may add it to my list. It's less expensive than the Power Cab or Digitrax. It does have a small box that needs to be put somewhere which means for me not has convenient as the Power Cab fascia mount PCB. Not sure how intuitive the function keys are compared to the others. It has a WiFi box that can be plugged in. Trade-offs to think about, I guess.
I don't have any experience with it. Optional interfaces for proprietary wireless and WiFi throttles/apps are available, as well as a computer interface cable, for JMRI compatibility.
i like NCE it just works!! plug in play later on get a dedicated laptop and install JMRI fpr programming ect thats my 2 cents . i like one unit. Its reliable!!
Hi all. I just want to let everyone know that I picked up a 3 year old, NCE PowerCab starter set on eBay for $120. Right now I'm in the final stages of laying track, so I should be ready to start dealing with the electricity next week. I also discovered in my parts bin 3 brand new DPDT (on) off (on) toggle switches that I had no idea were there or when or why I even bought them in the first place but it appears from what I've been reading elsewhere I should be able to use them for switch controllers for my Kato turnouts and double cross-over. Everything is within easy reach so I wasn't planning on doing this but what the heck, I figure why not use them? You guys did such a good job of selling me on the benefits of DCC vs DC that my budget for this little project has expanded exponentially. (I ordered a DCC & sound equipped locomotive too) but at least I think I got a good deal on the PowerCab. If I have more questions once I get into it, especially if there is anything I need to know about wiring the turnouts for DCC, I know where to get answers. Thanks again.
The Unitrack turnouts can be controlled with a non-momentary SPDT switch and a capacitor in series with the Unitrack switch coil. The capacitor limits the duration of current flow in the coil, and prevents it from burning out, while the SPDT switch stays thrown, and can illuminate panel LEDs or signal heads. Without a series capacitor, you should only use a momentary switch to control the turnouts, to avoid burning their coil out, and then you have to figure out how to keep an indicator LED illuminated correctly to provide visual status of the track switch position. Here is a link to download an article right here on TrainBoard with the details: https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?resources/g-ray-stilwell-bcd-circuit.153/ There are also DCC accessory (stationary) decoders that are designed to interface to the Unitrack switches and crossovers. Digitrax and NCE both make them. With these, you can control the turnouts from your Power Cab.
