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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by fwright Most folks with DCC (from what I can see - I'm still a straight DC guy because there is only 1 operator at a time - me) don't use DCC to control the turnouts. I suspect that calling up a turnout and throwing it with your DCC throttle while running a train - especially on a smaller layout - sets you up for more mental stress than most of us want from model railroading. While you can use a 4 digit address for the turnouts, as you point out, until the DCC throttles can use alpha-numeric addressing and have good readouts, remembering which address is which turnout is more difficult than a central control panel with banked turnout control switches. So the vast majority of DCC users do as us DC guys do - normal toggle switch or push button control on a track diagram or manually throw their turnouts. I have seen an alternate control scheme where you have a handheld metal probe that you touch to a screw or pin head on your panel instead of push buttons. I'm not a big fan of "hot" contact spots on the control panel - both the probe and contact have to be wired directly - but it it is neat to watch in operation. Don't think too hard, pick an alternative that seems to suit you best and do it. There is no right or wrong, just subtle shades of ease of operation and wiring complexity. Have fun! Fred W [/quote] Yeah, I'm one of those guys. On my last layout I hooked up the switch decoders and the whole works, then wished I hadn't. So much easier to flip a toggle than push 9 buttons to throw one turnout...
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