Command 2000 and Soundtraxx

[Anonymous]

Randy,

Thanks for the info. I guess I will start shopping around for a Zephyr before I order the decoders! The Command 2000 is great, but very limited. My wife will end up with a spare for her N scale layout!

Ray

[camarokid]

Once again Randy, you have come to my rescue on electronics. I too have a Command 2000 and was just wondering the same thing. Since funds are limited the CFO will probably not let me get another DCC system. That BLI CabForward I was looking at will no longer be on my list. I'll look at Rivarossi instead. Can I still purchase an Athearn Challenger? But to be quite honest, I really don't need all the bells and whistles. Have a good 2005.
up_santafe: Thank you for posting the very questions I was thinking of.
Archie

[rrinker]

'Work' yes. Fully access all the sounds, no. The Command 2000 can only access F0 for lights and F1. With standard defaults on the sound decoders, that's lights and bell. No horn, no brake squeal, etc. Plus I doubt you'd be able to program the decoder features either, it appears the Command 2000 can do little more than set the address.
If the Prodigy Advance will fit your needs for along time to coe, by all means, go with that. If you see your layout and wants expanding, I would recommend the Zephyr instead, as you can add on any Digitrax accessory at any time in the future without having to ever obsolete the Zephyr itself. This is purely speculation on my part, but given MRC's record of coming out with a new incompatible DCC system every time they want to add features(Command 2000, then the original Prodigy, now Prodigy Advance), I do not hold much hope for further expansion of the Prodigy Advance, beyond adding additional handhelds. So far in Digitrax's history, there is only 1 component that can't really be used in a modern system today, and that is the handheld from the original Challenger starter system from Day 1. And those were so simple they told you how to make your own if you didn't want to buy a ready-made one.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

Here's a good question for some of you DCC experts.....

I am currently using an MRC Command 2000 DCC control system for my small HO layout. It works fantastic for me, since I can control 5 consists simultaneously with the Command Station and a Hand Held without flipping any switches or accessing any addresses.

However, I am very interested in installing sound decoders in my loco fleet (Trix Big Boy, Rivarossi Challenger, bunch of Athearn & Kato F7's and an IHC 4-8-2) and am wondering if my Command 2000 will work with decoders from Soundtraxx or MRC.

Anyone have any experience or ideas? Or do I have to change to a Prodigy Advanced or Digitrax Zephyr or the like.

Any info would be very helpful. Also, funds are not unlimited, I would rather install more expensive decoders rather than change controllers if it would work.