I have a DCC set, in the box, at home, but not installed yet.. The reason it is not yet installed, is that I needed to buy decoders. I have a plan of ordering 7 decoders, the PnP ones from Digitrax, for my SD40-2 fleet. It is a good enough start for me, that I will attempt to install the Super Empire Builder over Christmas break. I hope the decoders are not on perpetual backorder, or that may have to wait, as I only have 1 engine DCC-equipped. My layout is built and wired for DCC. Peco Insulfrog turnouts, tons and tons of feeders everywhere and heavy-guage busses. What was the biggest hang-up or roadblock you ran into when installing your DCC sets?
Make sure to get an MS100 so you can use Decoder Pro to program them. You will no doubt want to experment with lighting features, speed profiles, and speed matching. Decoder Pro will make it very quick and easy to computerize your layout. Bob is working on new features for automatic control of signals, and it sounds real neat!
Robert- For us non-DCC equipped folk, (not yet), what is "Decoder Pro?" I don't recall hearing that title previously.......? Boxcab E50
Decoder Pro is an open source program for programing DCC decoders. It comes with JMRI, or Java Model Railroad Interface software which is compatable with all the popular DCC systems, and MS Windows, Mac, and Linux... and is FREE! It has been around for about 1 1/2 years and has a Yahoo group of almost 1000 users. Many people have contributed to writing the software, and it is capable of programing decoders, running trains, throwing turnouts, calculating scale speeds, and much more. The founder, Bob Jacobsen is a member of our local NMRA region, and works at UC Berkley doing something? But he is one of those guys that just likes to help people out, and is not out to make a buck, He just wants a program that can do it all, with any system, for everybody. Being open source, the code is free for anyone to modify, and people all over are contributing to make it the best, most compatable code for interfacing with DCC available. My neighbor Jon Miller, and I, have been doing clinics at our regional NMRA meets and conventions, teaching people how to use it, and we have had a good turnout, of up to 50 people attending! Everyone who uses it, never goes back to the old way of programing their decoders, because Decoder Pro is much faster, and can let you program stuff you never knew existed in some decoders. If you have DCC, you have to try it.
"What was the biggest hang-up or roadblock you ran into when installing your DCC sets?" You asked. Watching the Digitrax how to video - staying awake! [ 23. December 2003, 17:18: Message edited by: rsn48 ]
I have the Big Book of DCC, but not the Digitrax video. The book that comes with the system seems straightforward enough. Another question: I want to install abotu 4 plugins, around the layout--I also have a roll of 8-wire telephone cable, and a pack of RJ-11(or 12, I forget at the moment) jack plugs. What do you use and how do you crimp the plugs onto the cable? These will be used to connect the plugins with the booster. All the crimpers I saw, were at least 30 bucks, and to do about 12 crimps, I don't think I can justify the cost. That's 2 Intermountain ACF's!
I bought a $40 crimper that does 4 to 8 pin connectors. I have used it for 10's of network cables, my NCE bus, telephones and handsets. It's paid for itself many times over, because I buy bulk rolls of cable, and make my own. My whole house is wired! If you buy one of the combo rj11/rj45 crimpers for $25, it will last you a lifetime.
Update: The crimper, at 23$ are in my tool arsenal now, along with the DCC system. Digitrax Super Empire Builder: Installed. Took less than 5 min. and was up and running super fast. It took me longer to find the box for my one DCC engine to figure out what the base address was, than it took to actually hook the whole system up! I then ran a coal train with my DCC SD60, and parked it on the siding, while an analog SD40-2 ran laps with a short reefer block. The 2 buddies of mine who helped install it, and watched it run were amazed when I didn't flip a single toggle switch to shut off or energize a block! The big day had finally come!!! And I'll never go back! Now, if those 7 DN163K1A's would get here.....
Hemi, I tried responding yesterday, but after I typed in my response, trainboard would not accept it so it vanished into thin air. A buddy of mine runs his Empire Builder with radio, I get alloted the UT throttle for dummies...lol. But we have a lot of fun on his layout. I hope to be running my Digi soon (again) once I figure out what I am doing with a PM42 and debating whether I should install a DBl162 now or wait. Eventually some day, I hope to have some of the layout computer run, especially the staging areas. Have a good New Years.
