Okay, I'm really new with DCC and the Layout is still in the planning stages, but I was surfing around Digitraxx Website and stumbled onto the Locoplam site and products. Has anyone used this? Is it good? The locopalm site crashed my browser, so I couldn't get too much info. what is needed beyond the cable for this to work? Also, if I went with the Genesis sytem, what upgrades would I need to use this? I already have a palm and have sources to get Palm boards really cheap. it seems like the software works with any palm, so it could be a convient way to increase my number of controllers at a relativly low price when I do start working on the railroad. Any thoughts?
I checked it out, as I thought the concept was somewhat interesting. I tried to check out the Locopalm site, but it appears that their server is down. The cable price is $40, however, the Digitrax site makes reference that the software included is only a "demo" and that an additional fee is required to register and unlock the other features. I guess it would depend on how much the fee is and what it enables you to do. My concern would be that the software could corrupt the Palm or otherwise cause damage to it or loss of data. Other throttle options are relatively cheap for wired throttles. Harold
Palm software is pretty fll proof. 90% of the software out there is of the same quality, so I wouldn't be too worried about it. plus if you bought it once, you could use it on as many palms as you had available. It also would be cool for operating sessions. if your friends had their own palms, they would be $30 away from their own controller for the Layout. theoretically, the number of controllers would expand and contract with the number of operators.
It has been a while since I read all the reports on the Palm/Digitrax product. I don't have one but here is what I know. You won't need to make any changes to the Genesis system. Like all LocoNet products, you just plug into the loconet and you are up. No changes to the command station required. There are lots of different software packages available. The one that turns the palm into a throttle has a registration fee of $25 so if you have a Palm that is a pretty cheap throttle. I don't remember, and I couldn't find anything, if the Palm has IR or not. If it does you might be able to operate disconnected from the LocoNet. You would have to temporarily connect to select a locomotive just like with all Digitrax throttles (IR & Radio). You might want to check out the LocoPalm site again. I was able to access the site with my older IE 5.0.
