BLI is offering a heavy Mikado pre order under the Paragon 2 label. I am not familiar with this line. Is it as good as the original BLIs? How is the sound and operation?
73
Bruce in the Peg
They are essentially the same, probably the same tooling as the older Paragon (in some cases, probably most), and it would be only possibly the assembly staff/outift that is different. Without knowing specifics, about all you should expect is that the decoder will now be BLI's proprietary decoder, no more suits over BEMF and having stabbed QSI decoders in them as it was with the old Paragon.
I have a Paragon decoder in my new Hybrid Q2, and it seems go be great. Very smooth drive control, and the sounds are among the best I have ever heard in HO.
In a nutshell...new package and name, same tooling, same quality, new proprietary decoder that is a couple of steps above the improved QSI chip offered in 2006.
-Crandell
selector They are essentially the same, probably the same tooling as the older Paragon (in some cases, probably most), and it would be only possibly the assembly staff/outift that is different. Without knowing specifics, about all you should expect is that the decoder will now be BLI's proprietary decoder, no more suits over BEMF and having stabbed QSI decoders in them as it was with the old Paragon. I have a Paragon decoder in my new Hybrid Q2, and it seems go be great. Very smooth drive control, and the sounds are among the best I have ever heard in HO. In a nutshell...new package and name, same tooling, same quality, new proprietary decoder that is a couple of steps above the improved QSI chip offered in 2006. -Crandell
Crandell
Good thoughts on the new BLI sound package. I like many of the features but dislike the background sounds that they have included in the upper functions. The smoke feature that the BLI Hybrid Q2 has installed is rather poor but smoke is not a function I want in my HO locomotives. I thought the volume for the new BLI sound package is very loud and should be turned down to save the speakers.
CZ
CZ, I have found both the QSI and this Paragon decoder to be very loud, but turning down the sounds is the second CV change I do after addressing the loco by its cab number when I first get my hands on it.
I sure hope BLI finds a way to keep their hybrid series alive. They are amazing engines considering their cost relative to outright brass.
I think that Bruce should reserve one of the Paragon Mikes....don't you?
Ah man, I would love to see the T1 duplex released as brass hybrid, with all the new lighting features and sound system.
I'm anxious to see how the new Paragon 2 decapods turn out. I never got a chance to get one of the PCM versions, hopefully this one will be even better.
For all practical purposes, Paragon 2 is the same as Paragon.
Both are fine runners as is Blueline.
Alton Junction