Ok, I admit it, I am a long way from investing in my DCC system. Each time I read posts from you folks that talk about deciding or ordering your systems I get envious. So in true research something to death form (since I can't actually buy it now) I began looking at systems and deciding what was best. So here is where I came to believe that Lenz is one of the best systems out there... but I plan on having some wireless throtles and from what I read they don't have any... they recomend using "any cordless phone" and hooking it up to their system with a special lenz receiver. Then you simply "dial in" instructions from the cordless phone. Tell me I have this all wrong.... Please!
All I can tell you, is that at a certain exhibition (Perth 2004)the Aberdeen Club had a Lenz DCC demo layout with a couple of guys running it and talking to the punters. Every now and again, one of the locos would start off and move all by itself, even when both the operators were chatting, and nobody was touching the controls. The layouts owner was sat in the restaurant, overlooking the hall and operating it with his mobile phone! Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands
I recently got a Lenz Set 100 and one of the big deciding factors for me was the phone/throttle. I have two kids that have a tendancy to drop things or forget things are plugged in and yank them so this way they will be able to not be teathered and I don't have to worry about them dropping an expensive handheld-wireless or not! Sure, there are better full featured wireless throttles out there but for $50-$60 investment-$40-$45 for the Adapter and $10-$20 for the phone-its just hard to beat for me. I have not gotten the XPA adapters yet so I don't have experience using it but should in the next month or two! I know people like Bob have them and can comment on their experience.
Jon: I've been using the lenz system for the past six plus years. My main command station is the Lenz 100. I have three LH 100 handhled throttles and also use a cordless phone as a wireless throttle using the XPA technology of Lenz. Yes the cordless phone works very nicely. I still prefer the LH 100 handhelds. Stay cool and run steam.....
There are a lot of people who are leary of using a cordless phone to control trains. Most of these people look at it and think it's "silly". The trick here is to actually get someone to use the device. Once you play with it for a little while, you get quite comfortable using it. I can do almost anything with the XPA without ever looking at the keypad of the phone I use. It actually works very well as a wireless throttle, and you can't beat the price. Now, If you really want a throttle with a knob control, you have a coule of options. You can build your own knob controller as an interface to the phone (see: http://www.drgw.net/~maverick/pmwiki.php/Electronics/LATTE) ) You can also buy a base station from CVP for use with XpressNet, and use any of CVP's 4 digit wireless throttles with the base station. (see http://www.cvpusa.com/wireless_throttle_rf1300.php). Paul
Thanks for all the responses. I had been leaning heavily towards Lenz till I read the wireless controller part, and yes I felt it was silly when you consider how much I'm investing in my hobby and the thing that actually ends up being my primary interface (the cool dohicky I actually hold in my hand!) has nothing to do with trains and doesn't look cool at all... but you all have presented a different perspective, and I thank you for that. I don't have to make a decision for at least 6 months, maybe a year, so I'll keep poking around. New products can easily come out in that time that may change my perspective yet again.
The review linked below gives one aftermarket radio throttle that will work with Lenz - it's a European product though so I don't know wether it uses legal frequencies for the US, but it might be worth a look? http://www.electricnose.co.uk/archive/000348.html
ESU Mobile Radio Control Unit Here is a place in NY that sells them. They might be able to answer the radio issue. It sure looks like a nice unit.
I should note that I didn't mention the ESU unit because It does not appear to be legal to operate in the North America. The problem is that it uses a frequency band which is legal to use for this purpose in europe, but it is not legal to use in the US. Here in the US, the FCC has allocated the band in question to the HAM radio operators, so there are other users in the band that might report unauthorized use to the FCC. Paul
I'd agree Bob, but that does give you something that's delibarately designed for the task and doesn't look like a phone, if that's something that's important to you! It does have a fairly high ker-ching factor tho! Haven't got round to it yet, but I want to have a play with the lenz phone-based walkaround gizmo for our new layout, I reckon it would be a very useful addition.
Martyn: We can't use it in the U.S. anyways. I have no problems using a cordless phone. I have 3 Lenz LH 100's and one cordless phone. Stay cool and run steam....
Wondered if that were the case, as we can't use most US 'wireless' throttles over here - interesting it's being imported to the US tho! I'm really liking the 100, except I hate switching with it - we ended up using 90's for assigned switch jobs and the 100's for road throttles last time we ran, I think that was working well.
I use the Lenz 100 for the main command station on the JJJ&E 2ith LH 100 handhelds. When I need a fourth handheld, I use the Radio Shack cordless phone. Stay cool and run steam.....
Does anyone know in what band/frequency the ECU handheld operates? Perhaps those of us that have HAM licences could utilize this device.
According to the manual (http://www.loksound.de/download/anleitungen/51100_US_mobile_control_Manual_V10.pdf) it uses the 433mhz ISM band. (Which isn't a vaild ISM band here in the US). Paul
Paul: Thanks for your post regarding the ban on that bandwidth in the U.S. Stay cool and run steam....
