After being away from model railroading for several years I'm taking it up again and joining a modular HO club. The club operates on DCC and follows the present day NMRA standards and practices. In my storage cabinet I still have an unused Command 2000 control station and several decoders. My question is: can I use any part of this equipment in today's DCC environment or is my best bet the nearest electronics recycle bin? Sound is probably out but would I otherwise be limited to solo operation on a home layout?
Sure hope some of you DCC wizards can enlighten me on this.
Compared to what the club has, you would probably be disappointed in your old equipment.
The decoders you have probably have a limited feature set. The would work with a modern system, but they probably lack features like silent running (so you motors may hum audibly), supprot for 4 digit addressing, support for 128 speed steps, and momentum and start/mid/top speed adjustments.
The Command 2000 itself is also rather limited, it wasn't even up to the levle of competing brands when it as new. There's limited programming capability and also you are limited to specific addresses. You'd end up reprogramming your locos every time you took them tot he club then brought htem back home.
Your best bet is to first figure out what system the club uses, if you get the same kind you can use your throttle both at home and club. Plus have plenty of local help in learning to use it. Systems are generally not compatible at the throttle side, however NMRA specs control the track signal so one brand of DCC system can control the decoders made by anyone. If cost is a factor, the NCE D13SR and D13SRJ decoders are very good decoders for a very low price - a 10 pack is $120. Depending on the loco you are installign it in, you might have to solder wires, but if you can solder it's a huge cost savings over specifically fitted decoders. In some cases there is no soldering even with the 'generic' decoders - like all new Athearns that have the 9 pin plug - the D13SRJ just plugs right in, 5 second job.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I started out with the 2000 some years ago. I had some non sound decoder equipped locos that worked ok. I could control speed, headlight on and off but not much else. The hand held remote was very nice.
I showed it of to a local club that used DC. I had to leave the club for a few years. When I went back to the club, they had adopted the NCE Power Pro so I bought the NCE Power Cab to be able to run my locos there.
Good decision on my part.
I had obtained some sound locos that would work with the 2000 but nothing I could control. Basic chuff was about I could hear.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
If you want to continue to use the 2000, here are some notes that helped me some years ago when I had this controller.
http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/dcc/c2k-mods/c2k-mods-index.html
The two channel hand held was nice as I could bring a pusher up behind the caboose and hook up on the fly. Stop at the top of the grade and manually uncouple. Just had to watch the coupler slack.
I got many hours of enjoyment out of my MRC2000. Sold it and the hand held and a 15 volt power pack for about $25.00 to someone who enjoyed it when getting started in DCC.
Even now, those are still for sale on ebay. There is one right now at a special price of $259.00, BUT free shipping.
I guess people have their reasons. Someone recently paid $70.00 for a MRC 2000. A Bachmann EZ command usually goes for about $50.00 and can do a little more then the 2000 can.
decapodmanThe club operates on DCC and follows the present day NMRA standards and practices. In my storage cabinet I still have an unused Command 2000 control station and several decoders. My question is: can I use any part of this equipment in today's DCC environment or is my best bet the nearest electronics recycle bin?
I have two MRC Command 2000s. One is for Christmas Tree duty, the other is for the childern. In addtion I have both a Lenz and a Digitrax Zephyr.
The decoders will work on a more modern system - but:
1. The MRC equipment is set up for 14 speed steps. This means one of those decoders run on a 28 speed step unit will alter the head lamp. That is say Lenz speed step 1 will have the MRC decoder headlamp on where speed step 2 will turn the headlamp off. It is possible to futz around with the settings to compensate for this but I found it so much easier just to hit the throttle up and down buttons twice.
2. The MRC decoders will not respond to information requests. Often a modern programming unit will report errors when trying to program them. Best to program them with the MRC as directed.
3. I had one MRC decoder that I found was leaking 0.5V to the motor even when the throttle was at zero. The MRC decoders were not the high level of quality that one expects from MRC power packs.
The Command 2000 can only deal with a certain set of channels in certain combinations. This means you will probably not be able to program the locomotive to the number printed on the unit. If that is a requirement of your club (it is for ours), then that could be the administrative killer of using locos both at home and on the club layout.
I have issues using the Command 2000 on carpet. Any static discharge from fingers to the unit causes the unit to wig out and have to be reset. One of the "to do"s I have is to add a ground cable to the case of the unit.
So in general you would not be limited to home use only, but there would be some operational limitations.
As the others have pointed out the "remote" dual throttle is a great addtion. I use it more than the throttles on the main unit. It is still the only unit out there with three individual throttles (five if you ount the remote) that one can access without having to "switch" or "scroll" through a list. For a single person operating 5 trains at a time (eg. Christmas Trains) it is great.
Ummm seems like I'm forgetting a couple hints/comments.
P.S. All the automatic sounds in most DCC-sound decoders still work great. That is the prime mover cranks up, a steam loco chuffs, the brakes squeel etc. If the sound decoder can be reprogrammed is just a matter of reassigning the sounds you want to one of the four funcions available on the MRC unit. And then remembering the combination of buttons required to activate that function.
Randy, Rich, CSX Robert & TZ,
thank you for your replies, I'm much wiser now. In a few days I'll take the 2000 to the club so they can tell me what they think about it. For the home layout, obviously OK of I don't expect too much.
Story continues:
Took my Command 2000 equipment to the club tonight. We installed one of the decoders in a member's loco and ran it with the 2000 controller. Not great but more than just adequate. So it seems I can easily use this equipment as a starter but for any special thrills I need to upgrade later on.
Thank you everyone for your input!
decapodman Story continues: Took my Command 2000 equipment to the club tonight. We installed one of the decoders in a member's loco and ran it with the 2000 controller. Not great but more than just adequate. So it seems I can easily use this equipment as a starter but for any special thrills I need to upgrade later on. Thank you everyone for your input!
That is good news.
Ever need a backup 2000, there is a brand new one on ebay for $259.99, free shipping also.
A second one for $179.00.
I looked at Completed Listings and some are paying as much as $70.00.
Used EZ Command are going for about $50.00 with more options than the 2000.
You can use most any decoder. DCC is a standard so you do not have to use just MRC decoders with the MRC unit. If the Command 2000 does not function properly, do not spend a dime on repairing it, get a modern, properly expandable system. Granted that was 7 years ago, but the last prior post - some nutcase actually thought a long out of production and dead end DCC system was worth $259 on ebay? You can by the light years superior Digitraz Zephyr or NCE PowerCab for $150 or less brand new.
Yeah, old discussion but here goes.
I did this some years ago with Lenx N scale decoders in HO 4-4-0's with can motor in the tender. Worked quite well. I modeled 1890 at the time.
On a grade, I had a bashed Winans Camel, 0-8-0 DC only and would slowly bring the Camel up to the caboose and let it be a helper, watching coupler slack. Throttle one did this very well.
I would park the Camel on a siding when not used as DCC signal is hard on a motor, even when the loco is sitting still. The below link will show you why.
http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/dcc/DCC-waveforms/DCC_waveforms.html
I also had the lanyard remote with two throttles so had five throttles.
All I could do was program the loco number but it was good enough for me to get to understand basic DCC.
Finally gave it away and bought a NCE Power Cab. My local club had just switched from DC to the NCE Power Pro and I could use my Cab.
Have fun.
If you experimenting with electronics, look at the below link.
The Bachmann EZ Commad is slightly better as you can push a few buttons to activate sounds in a sound decoder.
richg1998 If you experimenting with electronics, look at the below link. http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/dcc/c2k-mods/c2k-mods-index.html The Bachmann EZ Commad is slightly better as you can push a few buttons to activate sounds in a sound decoder. Rich
I had a Command 2000 many years ago; I built some of those throttles. They worked pretty well. It worked to get me into DCC, so I have some affection for the system.
Old thread, sure. If you have one or can get one cheap they can still work well to get into DCC. That said, I found this insane price on ebay: MRC Command 2000
Gary
Hey it comes with a BB F unit with a decoder, that's $20 right there! LOL.
Hi i recently bought a mrc dcc command 2000 however it did not have the hand control and it only has one cab with it .What i want to know dose anyone have the hand control and more cabs or dcc decoders please let me know
E-bay. Someone even had a Zero-1 for sale, new in box.
Got to ask?? Why would you spend $250.00 On an out dated used DCC system when you can buy a brand new NCE Power Cab for about the same amount of $ $?
Wow. Never thought I would see this again. Asa I said, I gave mine away some year ago and bought the Power Cab.
Many of those on ebay right now. I did like the hand held throttle.
I still have a DC throttle with LM555 chip to run DC locos using PWM.
Where did the idea come from that the person bringing this zombie thread back paid $250? I just checked completed listings on eBay and they all went for under $90. 12 years ago there was one listed for over $250 which was absolutely insane even then. I see there are some listed for crazy prices of well over $200, but the key is sold items - how much they actually sell for. Yoiu can put a listing up for $250, but if it never sells... That one seems to be a mainly hi-rail seller who also sells some scale model items - collector mentality, it's new and never opened therfore worth lots of money. Funny because the listing right befor it is $100 less for ALSO a new, unopened one. Still too expensive - heck spending $50 on one of these is too much.
WHat was said 12 years ago is still true today. It's limited, lacking in many of the things common in DCC today, incapable of accessing all the sound functions in modern sound locos, and it completely unexpandable - it's a throw away item.
Now, that Hornby Zero-1 system.... back when that was new, there was a fairly in-depth article on it in MR. Seems like they promised a lot of add-ons that never appeared, but it's a rather interesting system. Not DCC, or even the early Lenz version, but it has some similarities with DCC, before the Lenz system came out.