DCC vs. Battery/Android cellular or other controller

[sdCowboyBen]

This may have been covered before but I am interested in finding out now at THE turning point which way I should go. I have spent more than $1000 on NCE product including Procab with SB5 and accessory items over the past year. Knowing ALL the ins and outs of both systems which will still allow me to do switching (JMRI) and run 3-4 locos and accessory items? Consists? Lighting? Blocks and detection? Or anything else someone might think of.

Thanks, Ben

[jrbernier]

Ben,

  I am not sure where you are going with this.  DCC with you NCE system will allow you to use your Android or iPhone as a throttle.  You will need a computer, the NCE computer interface and a wirless router.  Your phone runs an 'app' that is the throttle.  It talks to JMRI via the wireles router, and JMRI sends the instructions to the NCE system.    JMRI has nothing to do with 'switching' - It is a PC based programming tool for the most part(Decoder Pro).

Battery - There have been several wireless systems on the market.  None are compatible with each other.  Some allow consisting(Ring Engineering), but none will work with DCC(other that they can use the DCC track power rather than an on-board battery).  The decoders are different due to the addition of the RF package.

  For the foreseable future, DCC is the current 'standard'.  You already have the investment in DCC, so make use of it.

  I have been using DCC for over 20 years, and also have a large investment in it. At this point, there is nothing I have seen that has all of the features of DCC, and something extra that DCC does not offer.  I use it at home and at the club.  It allows me to use cell phones as throttles, JMRI allows me to program decoders, and it is compatible across most DCC system manufacturers.

Jim

[tstage]

Ben,

I would stick with what you already have and use JMRI with the smartphone option, as Jim suggested.  Bluerail still has some growing pains but is making strides - or at least that's what the proponents are saying.  Using a smartphone as a throttle does have some pluses.  I just can't get past the need to be glued to a screen in order to operate my locomotives/layout.

Tom

[Anonymous]

DCC is a worldwide standard, while all other systems are more or less proprietary with little market penetration (in a global view).

I think you are quite safe with your investment into DCC for decades to come!