atlas dcc good or no good?

[Anonymous]

as maybe some of you know or guess im new at dcc but the atlas seems to offer enough of what i need for a resonable price. any feedback? also just wanted to say im so glad i found this forum you guys have been more than helpful and its a hell of alot easier to ask questions here than to ask at my LHS. ive learned alot in the few days ive been posting! thanks for all your help[:D][:p]

[BentnoseWillie]

I have the Atlas system and I like it rather a lot. It's more limited in features than the Digitrax Zephyr which sells for around teh same price, but the Atlas system has what I consider a better option for a walkaround throttle in the Lenz XPA, which is a device to use a cordless phone as a throttle.

All other things being equal, Atlas and the Zephyr are both good small systems. If you're going to want a wireless walkaround throttle, then I'd recommend Atlas. If you want to expand intro a much large system later, I'd recommend the Zephyr. In either case, I'd strongly recommend asking around to find out what the DCC users closest to you are using, and look over their system. That way, knowledgable help is at hand.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BentnoseWillie
...I'd strongly recommend asking around to find out what the DCC users closest to you are using, and look over their system. That way, knowledgable help is at hand.

This is the most important statement in Willie's response.

The Atlas system is a fine one, made by Lenz, which offers a great up grade path for the future. The Digitrax Zephyr is also a fine system. Either way, once you learn how to use them, you will be happy.

[der5997]

BentnoseWillie: Greetings from Sober Island [:D] Could you say a bit more about the Lenz XPA. We are having to replace one of our house phones, and are considering a cordless. I could get two, and use one as the walkaround throttle for the DCC I haven't bought yet, and it then could be Atlas. BTW, there are no DCCers "local" to me on the Eastern Shore. [:(]

[Anonymous]

This sometimes gets a little heated, DCC is a personal choice. I am glad you are looking to DCC rather than DC.

In much of the advice regarding which DCC is the best, and which is more popular, the best features are often left out of the argument.

Personally, I chose Digitrax. I have a local club / hobby shop that provides excellent sales, and support. They even handle installs and training for customers. So the choice was fairly obvious for me. Digitrax has never let me down, and appears to have more features than I need right now, which gives me expansion and scalability.

I started with the Empire Builder starter set, and upgraded to wireless at the time of purchase. I have to say, the wireless part is the best thing I ever invested in. I can "walk" my trains with no tether. So when a couple of us are running, we can step around each other, or turn and go get emergency tools (we are bulletproofing the track still, so if we find an issue we jump on it immediately.) without having to "hand off" our controller in case our second loco gets into trouble.

Again, I personally think Digitrax has more going for it than I have seen from anyone else. But more importantly, I have a huge support from my LHS, which almost single handedly rules out all of the rest of the DCC offers. I walk in with a question, and my guys are familiar with every past purchase and how it works into the question.

I use some Lenz decoders on the layout, and they interoperate just fine, except I am going to go to transponding, so the Lenz stuff will have to be replaced with Digitrax stuff, (no room in N Scale to add the transponding decoder to the Lenz, and it is integrated in all of the new Digitrax decoders.)

So, look around you. See what you can "play" with. Get local answers. IN the event that there is no local support, then go Digitrax. If you find local Digitrax support, GO DIGITRAX. (but that is just my humble opinion.)

[BentnoseWillie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by der5997

BentnoseWillie: Greetings from Sober Island [:D] Could you say a bit more about the Lenz XPA. We are having to replace one of our house phones, and are considering a cordless. I could get two, and use one as the walkaround throttle for the DCC I haven't bought yet, and it then could be Atlas. BTW, there are no DCCers "local" to me on the Eastern Shore. [:(]

The Lenz XPA is a small module with two jacks. You plug a cordless phone into the XPA, then connect the XPA to the "XPressNet" jack in an Atlas Commander or a Lenz command station. No modification to the telephone of any kind is required, and all you have to do to use it as a phone again is unplug it from the XPA and plug uit back into the telephone jack.

The telephone's keypad controls speed, direction and functions. The only drawbacks I see to it are:

There's no display to tell you what locomotive you've selected.

The XPA cannot operate any programming or system functions - it can only control decoders.

Functions can only be "toggled" (once for on, again for off), so it'd probably be difficult to operate the horn effect on a sound-equipped locomotive.

Within these limitiations, the XPA is a viable wireless throttle at a fraction of the cost of other companies' wireless throttles. More details are available at Lenz's site: http://www.lenz.com/products/xpressnet/index.htm, or you can contact me offlist.

"Local" eh? I'm not local enough? I'm only in Maitland, and I work in HRM. Not to mention the DCC types in HRM. [}:)]

[Anonymous]

I am also thinking of going with Atlas DCC. The price seems to be in my range and I also think that it has the features that would work for me.

I would be curious to hear what features that it does not have or support? Headlites, ditchlites and sound?

[Anonymous]

It depends on if you want9999 adress

[ClinchValleySD40]

Atlas is a very good bare bones system.

[tomytuna]

Ok..my 2 cents worth...when i decided to go to DCC..i purchased the ATLAS systems...found it NOT to be user friendly.....so frustrated i returned to to hoppy store and purchased the MRC Prodgy sytem.....is VERY USER FRIENDLY..and i love it.....Tom

[edowdy]

I've have used an Atlas Commander on my home layout along with 4 wired handcommanders for over 2 years now. We have enjoyed good sucess with up to 5 clubmembers running trains at the same time. In my opinion its a great entry level system but it does have does have its limitations. For example, with 6 or 7 locos in use the system is about at its maximum for current draw. Also, if one wants to use sound decoders, yes it will work, but, you will only have control of five decoder functions with Atlas vice the 10 or more that may be available from the sound decoder. My personal solution to the various limitations was to step up to a Lenz system 90. This gives me a full 5 amp system with the ability to control 9 functions. Best of all, the Atlas controllers are all fully functional with the Lenz system - Atlas is made by Lenz. I guess the bottom line is, if I had known 2 or 3 years ago what I know today, I may have bought a more advanced DCC setup in the beginning.
Ted

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Also, if one wants to use sound decoders, yes it will work, but, you will only have control of five decoder functions with Atlas vice the 10 or more that may be available from the sound decoder.

Ted

[BentnoseWillie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tomytuna

Ok..my 2 cents worth...when i decided to go to DCC..i purchased the ATLAS systems...found it NOT to be user friendly.....so frustrated i returned to to hoppy store and purchased the MRC Prodgy sytem.....is VERY USER FRIENDLY..and i love it.....Tom

You've posted this before - what wasn't user-friendly about the Atlas system? I was up and running in two minutes flat with mine, and I found Atlas' support to be first-rate.

I'd be interested to know what problems you had so as to be aware of them when helping other new users.

[edowdy]

2nd Telegrapher Leverman
I guess the place to start is to say that all mobile decoders have the ability to control motor operation - speed control , forward & reverse direction control. A basic decoder such as the Digitrax DH121 or 123 has only 2 functions available which can be used to control on/off function of front & rear loco lights & some special effects such as dimming lights. A more advanced decoder has up to 6 functions available . With this you are now able to control more loco functions(on/off) such as independant ditch lights or strobe lights. Now sound decoders are a different bag! BLI sound decoders have 10 or more available functions(for steam engines) that can be controlled - lights,bell,whistle,brake squeal, doppler effect, air pumps, water sounds, blower hiss & more! The new Soundtraxx decoders may have even more controllable functions than BLI. All functions within the decoder are available to you but you only have the ability to control the functions(sounds etc) that you deem most important with the 5 function controls available on the Atlas Commander - possibly lights, bell, whistle, squealing brakes & doppler. Th rest of the sounds are not readily controllable. The decoder should allow you to pick & choose which of its functions you wi***o control by a particilar function key on the Commander keypad. In hindsight, the choice of a DCC system boils down to one question - will the system I choose be upgradeable or be an obsolete piece of junk in a few years? Hope this is of help to you, Ted

[Anonymous]

Ted,
Thank you for answering my question. That makes sense to me.

[Anonymous]

how come no one says anything about NCE ?