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Just bought my first DCC system (NCE PowerCab)!

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  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, January 20, 2011 8:56 PM

 That select refresh thing for the PowerPro confuses me. DO you mean to say that currently with an NCE system, you can;t select a loco on your throttle, and then select a different one while the first continues to run? Or does the second one continue to run UNTIL you use the recall to get it back as the 'active' loco, at which time it then stops?  Seems odd that either of those would be the case, if not, then I guess I don;t understand the wording of that feature update. It seems the PowerCab already does this, whatever it means, even withotu the update.

                             --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,249 posts
Posted by tstage on Thursday, January 20, 2011 10:32 PM

Randy,

I'm not entirely sure what the OP meant by it either.  I was only quoting him.

As you are aware, the current Power Cab will remember the settings for two locomotives in the recall stack.  If you call up a third address while the other two are operating, the third address will replace the address of the last locomotive you were operating.

Say, you want to change speeds of the locomotive, whose address you just overwrote in the recall stack.  You, therefore, must re-enter that address again in order to select it.  Once you press the SELECT button, that locomotive will come to a dead stop because the speed step is now "000".  That makes for jerky transitions.

With that said, transitions from locomotive-to-locomotive in the recall stack are no problem because the throttle remembers the settings.  Randy, if you add an 11th locomotive (or 1 plus whatever the recall limit is) to the Zephyr's recall stack and add the replaced locomotive address (which is still moving) back into the stack again, would it "buck" or stop when you acquired it again?

Anyhow, that's what I know on the topic, Randy.  If this new feature means something else then...I guess I'll be enlightened on it.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Denver, CO
  • 3,576 posts
Posted by Motley on Thursday, January 20, 2011 10:35 PM

Randy,

Yes that is an odd thing about the Pro upgrade. I have the Pro 5 amp system that I got a year ago, and when I select a different loco, what ever loco was running doesn't stop or anything, until I select the loco again and tell it to stop. In fact, I would be PO'd if it did not act like that.

Maybe they are talking about an older Pro system?

Michael


CEO-
Mile-HI-Railroad
Prototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • 1,511 posts
Posted by pastorbob on Thursday, January 20, 2011 10:44 PM

Your choice as to keeping it or not, but I have had NCE full DCC system since the early days and wouldn't trade it for anything else.  I use wireless and cabled cabs, I use the procab and I use the small cab06 cabs, I have not had failures of any kind with it and I work the system hard.  Have upgraded a few things as needed, but overall a good solid system.

Bob

Bob Miller http://www.atsfmodelrailroads.com/
  • Member since
    March 2008
  • From: Jacksonville, FL
  • 913 posts
Posted by gatrhumpy on Friday, January 21, 2011 5:24 AM

Apparently, and I did not know this, but NCE is based in Webster, NY, 20 minutes from where I lived for the first 18 years of my life! :woohoo:

I can't wait to get this sucker!

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  • Member since
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  • From: Northeast OH
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Posted by tstage on Friday, January 21, 2011 7:36 AM

gatrhumpy,

And another good shop for you to know that's just down the road from NCE in Webster is Empire Northern Models.  Tim Smith is VERY knowledgeable about DCC and installs.

Tim's prices are among the best on the Internet.  And, even if he doesn't have something, he can more than likely get it for you - if you ask him.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, January 21, 2011 10:50 AM

tstage

Randy,

I'm not entirely sure what the OP meant by it either.  I was only quoting him.

As you are aware, the current Power Cab will remember the settings for two locomotives in the recall stack.  If you call up a third address while the other two are operating, the third address will replace the address of the last locomotive you were operating.

Say, you want to change speeds of the locomotive, whose address you just overwrote in the recall stack.  You, therefore, must re-enter that address again in order to select it.  Once you press the SELECT button, that locomotive will come to a dead stop because the speed step is now "000".  That makes for jerky transitions.

With that said, transitions from locomotive-to-locomotive in the recall stack are no problem because the throttle remembers the settings.  Randy, if you add an 11th locomotive (or 1 plus whatever the recall limit is) to the Zephyr's recall stack and add the replaced locomotive address (which is still moving) back into the stack again, would it "buck" or stop when you acquired it again?

Anyhow, that's what I know on the topic, Randy.  If this new feature means something else then...I guess I'll be enlightened on it.

Tom

 You can't add that 11th loco (actually I think it allows 12, 10+2 for the jump ports, so that would be the 13th loco) with Digitrax. The command station keeps track of which locos are running, not the throttle. I guess that's why recall is a more useful option on systems like NCE and MRC. If I select a loco on my Digitrax throttle, set it running, and then select a different loco on the same throttle, the throttle has no memory of the first loco (although there is a 'recently used' recall stack - like dropping down the recently used items in your web browser), the command station is maintainign that info. So no matter when I reselect an already moving loco, even on a different throttle, it will maintain current speed and direction - unless the throttle is a UT4 with a potentiometer, in which case the loco will gradually adjust speed to the throttle setting.

                           --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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