R. T. POTEET wrote: jeffrey-wimberly wrote: On my MRC sound system it handles these sounds on the indicated buttons.F1 - BellF2 - HornF3 - Air brakeF4 - Couplers coming togetherF5 - SandF6 - Dynamic brake soundF7 - Reverse gearF8 - CompressorSounds of the prime mover go up and down according to throttle position.F9 - Drawbar extractionF10 - Insurance Department venting steam following 10MPH switching collisionF11 - Airhose burstingF12 - Stalled automobile bumping along ties following loosing argument with SD40-2
jeffrey-wimberly wrote: On my MRC sound system it handles these sounds on the indicated buttons.F1 - BellF2 - HornF3 - Air brakeF4 - Couplers coming togetherF5 - SandF6 - Dynamic brake soundF7 - Reverse gearF8 - CompressorSounds of the prime mover go up and down according to throttle position.
On my MRC sound system it handles these sounds on the indicated buttons.
F1 - Bell
F2 - Horn
F3 - Air brake
F4 - Couplers coming together
F5 - Sand
F6 - Dynamic brake sound
F7 - Reverse gear
F8 - Compressor
Sounds of the prime mover go up and down according to throttle position.
Good one R. T. I got a BIG laugh out of that!
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
I think somebody is being too sensitive today.
I said directly that there are people who run hobby shops for a living and enjoy trains as a hobby.
I see no hint of advertising here.
Frankly, Im disappointed that this even came up here on this thread.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
There's no accusation there. I'm simply saying that when you post a reply recommending a specific product, one that you sell and your signature line includes your website, disclosure of such would be appropriate. The fact that you used such for years doesn't change the fact you sell them, your signature line is a form of advertisement for your business. Just because you get your inventory from a distributor and not directly for Digitrax changes nothing. My LHS buys inventory from Walthers and not from Atlas doesn't change the fact that they sell Atlas products. I've personally use NCE, but when I recommend it these NO possibility of me selling the product.
Perhaps you should review the rules about advertising on these forums.
jktrains wrote: Dallas Model Works wrote: Digitrax!And the Zephyr is a great way to start.Full disclosure that you're a Digitrax Dealer would be appropriate so people know it's not a completely unbiased opinion.
Dallas Model Works wrote: Digitrax!And the Zephyr is a great way to start.
Digitrax!
And the Zephyr is a great way to start.
Full disclosure that you're a Digitrax Dealer would be appropriate so people know it's not a completely unbiased opinion.
"JKtrains"
Before you accuse anybody of anything, may I suggest that you know exactly what it is you are talking about!
a) I use Digitrax personally, have done so for years, and started with the Zephyr.
b) This was years before the launch of Dallas Model Works.
c) Although Dallas Model Works carries some Digitrax products, we get them from another distributor and not directly from Digitrax.
If you have a problem, talk to me directly. Don't hide behind a pseudonym on a public forum.
Craig
DMW
CSX Robert wrote:jeffrey-wimberly,I am sure you're familiar with the phrase "no good deed goes unpunished." I think what you are doing is very commendable.
Oops....in my response, Jeff, and I agree with CSX Robert, I seem to have lost that part. My apologies. I sure didn't mean to belittle your gesture, any more than I would have Tom's way back when. My feelings about the EZ-Command aside, I applaud your generosity.
-Crandell
cheese4432 wrote: pilot wrote: Can the Zephyr power the reverse loop boards? I think you need a seperate thing for reverse loops.Can the Zephyr do DC over DCC (run my DC engines also), like on address zero or ten or something like that?The zypher can run locomotives on address 00.Can the Zephyr be configured with a wireless throttle?Yes digitrax offers wireless throttles in radio and IR lightversions.I have N scale Bachman EZ DCC and I am running a 160' of track, 20 switch, 6 locomotive (2 DC small steam) and am fairly happy. Only thing it WONT do that I want is wireless throttle (I have an aux throttle but it is wired). Could consist better also. I don't have any sound locomotives though, I am sure there is a lack there also. It does DC over DCC and handles the reversing boards just fine. For the money, a good system.If the Zephyr does all this the 2.5 amps is plenty for me. HO users MIGHT need more amps. I run max three trains at once. Of course N scale doesnt take as many amps.
pilot wrote: Can the Zephyr power the reverse loop boards? I think you need a seperate thing for reverse loops.Can the Zephyr do DC over DCC (run my DC engines also), like on address zero or ten or something like that?The zypher can run locomotives on address 00.Can the Zephyr be configured with a wireless throttle?Yes digitrax offers wireless throttles in radio and IR lightversions.I have N scale Bachman EZ DCC and I am running a 160' of track, 20 switch, 6 locomotive (2 DC small steam) and am fairly happy. Only thing it WONT do that I want is wireless throttle (I have an aux throttle but it is wired). Could consist better also. I don't have any sound locomotives though, I am sure there is a lack there also. It does DC over DCC and handles the reversing boards just fine. For the money, a good system.If the Zephyr does all this the 2.5 amps is plenty for me. HO users MIGHT need more amps. I run max three trains at once. Of course N scale doesnt take as many amps.
Can the Zephyr power the reverse loop boards?
I think you need a seperate thing for reverse loops.
Can the Zephyr do DC over DCC (run my DC engines also), like on address zero or ten or something like that?
The zypher can run locomotives on address 00.
Can the Zephyr be configured with a wireless throttle?
Yes digitrax offers wireless throttles in radio and IR lightversions.
I have N scale Bachman EZ DCC and I am running a 160' of track, 20 switch, 6 locomotive (2 DC small steam) and am fairly happy. Only thing it WONT do that I want is wireless throttle (I have an aux throttle but it is wired). Could consist better also. I don't have any sound locomotives though, I am sure there is a lack there also. It does DC over DCC and handles the reversing boards just fine. For the money, a good system.
If the Zephyr does all this the 2.5 amps is plenty for me. HO users MIGHT need more amps. I run max three trains at once. Of course N scale doesnt take as many amps.
I have a total of 8 amps availible to the booster and a total of 25 amps maximum off the house electrical box. My BLI ABBA F unit set in full cry never uses more than three amps total that I can see.
Some of my hand tools pull 5-10 amps or more.
Which is why I say 5 amps is PLENTY.
The DCS 200+ I think is a special booster/command station that auto reverses for you now. However lots of good parts are availible to do that job. Me I dont do reverse loops but have a switch for that manually if I need to.
My new NW switchers have the "Notch system" now and are able to behave/transistion at appropriate speeds and loads but those functions take the first 9 keys anyhow.
I really have calmed down on the bell and whistles. Maybe a pair of toots and a few dings before moving out.
pilot wrote:I have N scale Bachman EZ DCC...I don't have any sound locomotives though, I am sure there is a lack there also.
It will do 8 sound functions (F1-F8). These are the basic ones that everyone uses the most.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I cut my teeth on a Super Empire Builder and liked the DT400. The DT400 was rather expensive and the Zephyr does not have it. To get the Zephyr and a DT400 puts me into Super Chief country for a few more dollars.
Now where I am, I can always get a Zephyr for yard work or such.
jktrains wrote: Jeff- yours is a nice offer, but I left wondering why you would have so many extra systems that you loan them out? One DCC system should be all that's needed on a layout, maybe some boosters, but more than one EZ command station? What's up with that?While the EZ system may give a person a taste of DCC, why give them a Yugo test drive? It sounds like to OP haas already decided to go foward with DCC, so the question is more aloong the lines of which system, not DC or DCC.
Jeff- yours is a nice offer, but I left wondering why you would have so many extra systems that you loan them out? One DCC system should be all that's needed on a layout, maybe some boosters, but more than one EZ command station? What's up with that?
While the EZ system may give a person a taste of DCC, why give them a Yugo test drive? It sounds like to OP haas already decided to go foward with DCC, so the question is more aloong the lines of which system, not DC or DCC.
Crandell & jktrains,
I understand your arguments and agree with them for the most part. Expectations, needs (present and future), and affordability will all dictate our purchase buying. That's why doing your homework ahead of time is crucial to finding a system that is going to best meet your needs now and down the road.
I'll freely admit that I do have a special place in my heart for the E-Z Command. It met my expectations and I was happy with the product - even with it's limitations.
Personally, I would rather run my layout with a Bachmann E-Z Command DCC system - limitations and all - than continue using DC. Operating two different locomotives on the same track, doing two different operations, is why I enjoy the hobby even more today than I did when I first started out.
jktrains wrote:While the EZ system may give a person a taste of DCC, why give them a Yugo test drive?
jktrains,
I wouldn't even put the E-Z Command in the same comparison catagory as the Yugo. I remember when Consumer Report did a review on the Yugo a number of years ago. The only good thing that they could say about it was that it came to a stop. Despite how you may view it, the Bachmann is actually better than that.
jktrains, have you actually tried an E-Z Command first hand to see how it works? Yea, maybe the colors on the outside make it look a little toyish. Even so, it still can do a fair amount for a very basic DCC system. For someone who has a smallish layout, only wants to operate a couple of trains at a time, and doesn't have any real interest or desire in tweaking CVs, the E-Z Command would fit the bill just fine.
I guess the important thing that we can both agree upon is making sure that you know what DCC system you are buying up front BEFORE you buy it. If you purchase a DCC system then find out that it doesn't adjust CVs - and you wanted it to do that - you didn't do your homework. To bring up the car analogy again: Why buy a Toyota Camry or Lexus when a Echo will meet your needs just fine?
I agree with those who caution about the use of the EZ-Command system. To my knowledge, apart from the recent availability of a booster, an improvement by most standards, and certainly by its own, the device is so limited as to not afford the user much of what makes DCC most attractive. In fact, now that Broadway Limited is marketing sound-equipped DC locomotives, it really does reduce the DC/DCC debate to one of out-and-out utility.
I acknowledge Tom's fondness and loyalty to a system that was instrumental in his own introduction to DCC, but even he gave his away (to an MRC user, no less..) when it had served its usefulness to him. I believe that was at least a full year, after which Tom got the Prodi...er, the Pro-Cab (is it hot in here?)
To make the argument circuitous, though, Tom used the system as designed and to good effect...it was a stepping stone to an evolutionary process for him, and I think that is the use to which he commends it to the OP. Money is going to be tight for some of us, but we all have to priorize our discretionary spending. Getting an EZ-Command for anything from the cost of shipping to US$60 is hardly going to be a burden for the vast majority of us who can afford to engage the hobby at all.
So, I have come full circle...and this discussion is essentially reduced to whether the money should be spent on an additional throttle after a more substantial investment that may go bad because the OP may become one of about 2% of DCC dabblers who revert to DC. Personally, FWIW, I had the EZ-Command for about two weeks, 12 days of which it was in a box, either unpacked or repacked. It simply would not program my growing stable of locomotives, but I had made the commitment to go DCC after some reading and thinking. To me, it was like putting a Focus engine in a Ferrari. Sure, it'll move, but....really...
Driline wrote: tstage wrote: jktrains wrote:I'll disagree with Jeff. Don't buy the Bachamnn EZ Command...The idea of buy the ultra cheap, ultra limited Bachmann system just so you can see how DCC works doesn't make sense. Sorry, jktrains, I gotta side with Jeffrey on this one. My first DCC system was the E-Z Command, which I bought for $53 back at the beginning of 2005. I wanted to try out DCC but didn't want to spend a lot of money just to get me "feet wet".Even though it does have it's limitations, I found the E-Z Command quite adequate at running 2-3 locomoitves simultaneously and operating 8 sound functions. I used the E-Z Command for a year before purchasing the NCE Power Cab. During that year I was able to research and determine what DCC system I wanted to upgrade to.Was that $53 wasted? Not to me. I actually ended up selling the E-Z Command to a fourm member here and, thereby, recouped some of that cost.The key is to know what you are buying and what your needs are and will be. My needs were to find an inexpensive DCC system to determine if indeed I wanted to pursue that technology. I didn't have anyone around that I knew that had a DCC system to check out/ask questions about, so this was the cheapest (i.e. least expensive) alternative for me. For Jeffrey, his funds are limited so this was his opportunity to try out DCC at a price he could afford. What happens when you decide you need more? Now you've spent $65 - $80 on the Bachmann and need to spend an additional $150 for a real system. Now your total outlay is over $215. Use the extra $65 to buy an additional throttle or other components. My personal preference is towards NCE. As others have stated, the user interface is easy to understand and use.jktrainsLet me put the shoe on a different foot. What would happen if I were interested in DCC, bought a more expensive system and then discovered that I didn't either care for the technology or that it didn't really buy me any advantage? Okay, now I'm out $150 when I could have spent only $60 to determine that. If you think I'm giving an absurd example, just talk to Larry (BRAKIE) here on the forum. And, to the contrary, the Bachmann E-Z Command is a real DCC system. It's just limited. The Toyota Echo is a real car. It just doesn't have all the nicities that the Camry or Lexus has. It is, however, STILL a car though. Be careful not to bash another system just because it might not fit your needs. It might fit someone else's just fine. jktrains, I will agree with you on the NCE systems. One of the selling points for me was that the Power Cab/ProCab throttle was very intuitive.TomBLASHPEHMY! Wow! Never thought I disagree with you tstage, but I think dumping money into a Bachmann EZ system is a waste of time. Like me I spent only 139 dollars on an NCE Powercab system and used the extra cash I would have WASTED on a bachmann EZ command to buy another throttle.BUT, if Jefferey is willing to send him a Bachmann EZ command for FREE hey go right ahead and play with it. Just make sure to buy quality decoders and stay away from the MRC junk.
tstage wrote: jktrains wrote:I'll disagree with Jeff. Don't buy the Bachamnn EZ Command...The idea of buy the ultra cheap, ultra limited Bachmann system just so you can see how DCC works doesn't make sense. Sorry, jktrains, I gotta side with Jeffrey on this one. My first DCC system was the E-Z Command, which I bought for $53 back at the beginning of 2005. I wanted to try out DCC but didn't want to spend a lot of money just to get me "feet wet".Even though it does have it's limitations, I found the E-Z Command quite adequate at running 2-3 locomoitves simultaneously and operating 8 sound functions. I used the E-Z Command for a year before purchasing the NCE Power Cab. During that year I was able to research and determine what DCC system I wanted to upgrade to.Was that $53 wasted? Not to me. I actually ended up selling the E-Z Command to a fourm member here and, thereby, recouped some of that cost.The key is to know what you are buying and what your needs are and will be. My needs were to find an inexpensive DCC system to determine if indeed I wanted to pursue that technology. I didn't have anyone around that I knew that had a DCC system to check out/ask questions about, so this was the cheapest (i.e. least expensive) alternative for me. For Jeffrey, his funds are limited so this was his opportunity to try out DCC at a price he could afford. What happens when you decide you need more? Now you've spent $65 - $80 on the Bachmann and need to spend an additional $150 for a real system. Now your total outlay is over $215. Use the extra $65 to buy an additional throttle or other components. My personal preference is towards NCE. As others have stated, the user interface is easy to understand and use.jktrainsLet me put the shoe on a different foot. What would happen if I were interested in DCC, bought a more expensive system and then discovered that I didn't either care for the technology or that it didn't really buy me any advantage? Okay, now I'm out $150 when I could have spent only $60 to determine that. If you think I'm giving an absurd example, just talk to Larry (BRAKIE) here on the forum. And, to the contrary, the Bachmann E-Z Command is a real DCC system. It's just limited. The Toyota Echo is a real car. It just doesn't have all the nicities that the Camry or Lexus has. It is, however, STILL a car though. Be careful not to bash another system just because it might not fit your needs. It might fit someone else's just fine. jktrains, I will agree with you on the NCE systems. One of the selling points for me was that the Power Cab/ProCab throttle was very intuitive.Tom
jktrains wrote:I'll disagree with Jeff. Don't buy the Bachamnn EZ Command...The idea of buy the ultra cheap, ultra limited Bachmann system just so you can see how DCC works doesn't make sense.
Sorry, jktrains, I gotta side with Jeffrey on this one. My first DCC system was the E-Z Command, which I bought for $53 back at the beginning of 2005. I wanted to try out DCC but didn't want to spend a lot of money just to get me "feet wet".
Even though it does have it's limitations, I found the E-Z Command quite adequate at running 2-3 locomoitves simultaneously and operating 8 sound functions. I used the E-Z Command for a year before purchasing the NCE Power Cab. During that year I was able to research and determine what DCC system I wanted to upgrade to.
Was that $53 wasted? Not to me. I actually ended up selling the E-Z Command to a fourm member here and, thereby, recouped some of that cost.
The key is to know what you are buying and what your needs are and will be. My needs were to find an inexpensive DCC system to determine if indeed I wanted to pursue that technology. I didn't have anyone around that I knew that had a DCC system to check out/ask questions about, so this was the cheapest (i.e. least expensive) alternative for me. For Jeffrey, his funds are limited so this was his opportunity to try out DCC at a price he could afford.
What happens when you decide you need more? Now you've spent $65 - $80 on the Bachmann and need to spend an additional $150 for a real system. Now your total outlay is over $215. Use the extra $65 to buy an additional throttle or other components. My personal preference is towards NCE. As others have stated, the user interface is easy to understand and use.jktrains
My personal preference is towards NCE. As others have stated, the user interface is easy to understand and use.
jktrains
Let me put the shoe on a different foot. What would happen if I were interested in DCC, bought a more expensive system and then discovered that I didn't either care for the technology or that it didn't really buy me any advantage? Okay, now I'm out $150 when I could have spent only $60 to determine that. If you think I'm giving an absurd example, just talk to Larry (BRAKIE) here on the forum.
And, to the contrary, the Bachmann E-Z Command is a real DCC system. It's just limited. The Toyota Echo is a real car. It just doesn't have all the nicities that the Camry or Lexus has. It is, however, STILL a car though. Be careful not to bash another system just because it might not fit your needs. It might fit someone else's just fine.
jktrains, I will agree with you on the NCE systems. One of the selling points for me was that the Power Cab/ProCab throttle was very intuitive.
BLASHPEHMY! Wow! Never thought I disagree with you tstage, but I think dumping money into a Bachmann EZ system is a waste of time. Like me I spent only 139 dollars on an NCE Powercab system and used the extra cash I would have WASTED on a bachmann EZ command to buy another throttle.
BUT, if Jefferey is willing to send him a Bachmann EZ command for FREE hey go right ahead and play with it. Just make sure to buy quality decoders and stay away from the MRC junk.
Tstage, consider the other side of the coin. A person buys an EZ system, tries it out and decides that this DCC thing is over-hyped because he can't do this or that with EZ that he could do with a PowerCab or Zephyr. He gets disappointed by it and gives up on DCC.
Instead he could purchase a POwerCab or Zephyr, a more full featured system so they he gets a more accurate taste of what DCC can do. Say he tries it and still doesn't like it. He decides to sell what he bought. There is a much broader demand and bigger market to sell either a used PowerCab or Zephyer than a used EZ system.
I am still chugging along with a Sys1 by Wangrow, ugraded with NCE radios. If I were to build a layout of the size you mention I would try the NCE PowerCab, based on price and versatility.
Roger Aultman
I also have LENZ with both the 90 and 100 throttles. I prefer the 100 but use the 90 for some switching.
I added the XPA for use with a cordless phone. I got a brand new 2.4 mhz phone at Staples for $25.00 and then got a $25.00 rebate. So the phone was free. The phone has an LCD screen so you can see at a glance which loco number you are operating as well as verify the numbers you type in when changing loco's of stationary decoder addresses.
I fine for almost all my operating, except for programming, the cordless phone works perfectly.
Range is no problem. The base station can be located anywhere even out of sight. I have no idea about the maximum range except to say it works flawlessly from anywhere in my house or outside the house!
This is a very inexpensive way to go 'RADIO'. Total cost for the LENZ XPA and phone was under $50.00. And you may have multiple XPA's connected to the system.
The phone keys are very easy to use as they are quite large.
Frank,
You're are more than welcome to disagree with me and my logic all you want - even if you are wrong. (I'm just kidding. )
Frank, I don't expect you or everyone else to totally agree with my reasons for doing what I did. I had the Bachmann E-Z Command for a little over a year and I was happy with the product for what it did. To me, buying the E-Z Command was an experient to see if I wanted to pursue DCC or not.
Now, if had I paid full MSRP for the Bachmann (i.e. $100) - compared to only needing another $40 more for a more functional and powerful NCE Power Cab, or $50 for a Digitrax Zephyr - that would be an entirely different matter. However, I only spent $53 for my E-Z Command. That's nearly $90 less that I had to fork out for my "experiment".
Was/is the E-Z Command a limited system? Yes, it is. Did I know that before I purchased it? Absolutely. Even if I couldn't adjust CVs, I could still operate two or more trains on the SAME track...at the SAME time...going in DIFFERENT directions. Pretty cool! And, with the "ultra-cheap, ultra-limted" E-Z Command, I still could access 8 sound functions with it. Those are the SAME 8 basic sound functions that the majority of us use the most often anyhow.
Frank, your point about buying quality decoders - no matter what DCC system you use - is a good one. Even if you can't utilize the full capability of a decoder now, you might be able to at a later date or on someone else's DCC system.