I'm waffling between a Digitrax zephyr and NCE powercab. Both offer radio which is not cheap. Digitrax offers IR which is cheap. Anyone use a wireless systme? What do you think of it? Is it easier to operate trains? Any downsides? For a small switching layout used by 1 or 2 operators would wireless be of any benefit? (ignoring the cost issue at the moment) Can radio be added to digitrax or nce or does it require you to replace all your thottles? I guess I'm saying I'd like wireless. The IR digitrax is a cheap option (i've heard of it's limitations and dont' think they'll be an issue for me). I don't want to spend the money up front for radio, but may want to add it later. I may want to move to a large N scale layout in the future (5 to 10 year time frame) and would like to 'grow' the system I start with. (I have a photo studio in a building on my property and when the business grows beyond that building 3 or 4 years from now, that building can be all RR, about 700 sf and multiple rooms)
DC Aristocraft I recommend wireless throttles for operations. Very nice not to be tethered. My home system is the original Aristocraft Engineer DC (not the Crest system). Our club has DCC and a few plug-in throttles with memory (in addition to several wireless throttles). This is a very nice alternative to wireless.
Hi! I've been thinking about your same problem since a few months ago and... I will definitely go for a radio system instead of the IR one. A friend of mine with a quite big lay out (although it has been compressed in a 3,5x5 meters room suggested to buy the radio decoder because of a quite simple reason: the day you will have a backdrop/island/shelf between you and the receiver, you'll be in big problem because the IR system needs a "line of sight" between you and the receiver. This is why I've been told to buy a radio system even if it would cost me 150 USD more: less troubles with operations. Moreover, I plan to invite some fellow modellers for operating session in my future lay out and most of them have already a wireless system. Same thing if I'm going to meet them at their place!
One nice thing about both Digitrax and NCE is the throttles can be upgraded to wireless. If you want to try Digitrax's infrared option, all of the walk around throttles come infrared equipped, so the only thing extra you would have to buy is the infrared receiver(around $35-40).
Just got my fisrt radio equipment for my digitrax. I got a reciever and a UT duplex throttle. I am very pleased with it. Cost for the 2 was about $200. It was a guift, so I am not sure if I would have bought it myself (hadn't so far) but using it is very nice.
What are the tendencies of each system when it comes to loosing the train and the need to re-acquire. The reason I ask is that I ran a radio equipped NCE system on a large layout and even when the throttle would go to sleep it would instantly re-acquire upon wake up. I ran a Digitrax system on a similar sized layout that would loose its loco and you would have to plug it back in to re-acquire. My point is that upon re-acquiring the loco the Digitrax would take off or stop where the NCE would keep going at its current speed. Of coarse I was not comparing the two so was focused more on running the trains so there may be other factors in this that I may not know of that could have helped avoid the issues. I can only speculate that the NCE would go completely to sleep and I could not make any changes but the Digitrax just plain left the building, so to speak, unresponsive. I do feel that radio is the way to go, but only if you have many operators. My "L" shaped 15x17 N scale layout has three plug ins and it would be a waste of money to me currently to un-tether. Note: I am a home NCE user that is learning Digitrax for the club.
Often when a throttle loses its loco it is because someone else has acquired it or because the battery is low on power. The newer DT-402D and UT-4D throttles do not need to be plugged in to reacquire as they have full duplexing. The simplex throttles (the ones ending in -R such as the UT-4R and the DT-400R) need to be plugged in to acquire a locomotive and so, if the loco has been lost to the throttle, would need to be plugged in to reacquire.
Digitrax will add radio (simplex or duplex) to your existing UT-4 or DT-400 or -402 throttles if you send them in with some money. It varies between $50 and $65. The infrared works about as well as your average TV remote. Most TV remotes are infrared, and so if you are used to having to point in the general direction of the TV to get response you know what it is like. I bought an IR receiver (around $30, I think) and I am so far using that for the home. EVENTUALLY, I will probably go all duplex equipped except for tethered UT-4 at the main yard. The UR91 receiver (simplex radio and IR receiver) at our club can pick up my UT-4 throttle, when I remember to put a battery in it, from across the clubhouse. The signal will bounce through the view mirrors we have up around the layout, too, and it also seems to bounce nicely off our light gray painted floor and our white ceiling. Still, if I have a critical operation coming up I usually plug into one of the fascia-mounted UP5 panels just to be sure. If everyone in your area is using NCE, however, go with that system. They both do basically the same thing. The differences are in the details, and they are not all that major.
Thank You SD74. The club did ask me to get the duplex throttles when the time comes to purchase my own.
No problem! They sell both -R and -D versions (radio and duplex, not some political label) of each of the UT-4 and DT-402 throttles currently. The price difference isn't much, usually around ten bucks more for the D. I wouldn't bother with the R in your case, then.
this area started with System One (NCE) when DCC was new and then most seem to be using digitrax, with the occasional MRC or Lenz person out there. I've used (only a couple of times) the NCE and Digitrax systems on large layouts and both worked fine. When I was planning a large N scale (multi room sized operations oriented) I was planning on super chief and all that goes with it. Now my ambitions are much less and my patience is less - I want it NOW! . I dont' see much difference today from 5 or 6 years ago other than powercab and duplex radio. I don't think either system will be a bad choice and if/when I go to a large layout if I'm 'stuck' with a couple of plug in throttles or IR I'll live. I''ve lived places where a TV remote works well and someplaces where it won't (like my current living room arrangement). I think you can add multiple IR receivers to the digitrax.
Another wireless option would be Lenzs' XPA phone adapter. http://lenz.com/products/xpressnet/xpa.htm I've found 'em priced for under $60. Since I already own a set 90 this is the route I'm going. I don't know if it is adaptable to Digitrax or NCE. Brian
I use Digitrax with radio throttles at the club... We have a bunch of older throttles, 300Rs, I think. The radio system works well. The throttles do NOT lose locos or need to re-acquire locos when unplugged or plugged in. If you are having this problem you may want to replace the battery, review settings, or contact Digitrax support. Personally, if I were just building a 1-2 person switching layout, where I would never have to walk farther than the wire tether would take me, I would forgo the expense of radio. I guess the threshold is whether you can walk around while plugged in without getting tangled or wrapped around anything. I don't have experience with the IR system, but I think I would find it annoying to have to think about what direction my throttle was pointing. I'd probably want to install so many receivers that'd cost more than the radio.
IMHO radio wireless throttles are one of the best things to happen to DCC. Add full duplex to that and it cannot be beat.:thumbs_up::thumbs_up: With that in mind I have a couple of suggestions for anyone that agrees with me. My examples use the Digitrax hardware; however NCE and Lenz offer similar systems / components with similar cost factors. So, if you can afford a Digitrax Super Chief system then by all means go for it and make sure you get the DT402D duplex super throttle. You’ll never look back and you won’t end up spending as much or more later adding on to a system in order to achieve the same result. On the flip side if you need to keep it real and just want radio wireless operation then I suggest adding a Digitrax UT4D Duplex Equipped Utility Throttle and UR92 Duplex transceiver to a Digitrax Zephyr system. This will save you roughly $125 on the total system cost (compared with the system mentioned above) and roughly $90 each time you add another throttle. This could be done in steps so as not to require a second mortgage. The key is to look closely at what you want, how you are going to use it and determine what your final goal is and buy only the items you will be happy with. Doing so will save you money and frustration.:tb-confused: Jerry
There is another wireless option I forgot to mention. If you plan to use a computer interface and have or am considering an iPod or iPhone, look at the WiThrottle. Works with Digitrax, Lenz, NCE, EasyDCC, or any DCC system that JMRI will interface with.
Easy way to keep a Digitrax radio throttle from timing out and losing its engine- Turn off power save. It's one of the options on a DT400R described in the manual.
Definitely go wireless...!! smileefinitely worth the money to go wireless. My small layout has one command station and four boosters and I can run at least four trains on two mainlines by myself with Digitrax DT400R simplex units.
mfm_37: I couldn't agree with you more! Since getting the duplex throttles and then having strange problems not experienced with the older throttles ("idle")...setting the power saver to off fixed 99% of the issues. It's really great being able to acquire a loco without plugging in. Brian
