The "DCC WAVE" has it influenced your model railroading?

[Anonymous]

After having a layout with several electrical switches working different things, it became too confusing and frustrating to be fun.

[AntonioFP45]

Hello Fergmiester, [:)]

You're right, no need to feel obligated other than to have fun! [;)][swg][tup]

Don't feel that this poll is about "Gestapo-Like" pressure to cave in to.
No "Got to Have It" gurus here! I also find them annoying!

As I've indicated in other polls, most of our budgets are tight. (By the way, basic DCC decoders are now available for $18! Prices are dropping like flies! )

There's absolutely nothing wrong with traditional DC cabs. The Suncoast Model Railroad Club in Largo, Florida operates successfully with DC cabs, though the club will be switching over to DCC in the next year. Impressive layout! 70 car HO unit trains with 5 locomotives pulling are among the spectacles! Worth visiting if you're ever in Florida. Go to: www.suncoastmrrc.com

Basically DCC is doing today what DC cab did for model railroading decades back, opening new doors for creativity and operation on a different field. That's all.

As I stated on another thread, I was 100% anti-DCC! I felt no need for it and it was too pricey! A simple demonstration by a no pressure TCS rep, a gentleman in his late 50s won me over! He let me run locomotives on his DCC demo layout. Totally independent control, turning lights on and off, total control of sound effects, and three head on collisions!!!!! [;)][:D][:)][:p]

[Anonymous]

After seeing how well DCC worked at my LHS, I knew that was the way I was going to go. I have one HO layout that has cab-control, and while it's nice, I would like to make my layouts all DCC, from the locomotives, right down to the signalling devices. It would be nice if I had the bucks (and the space) to computerize the system so that when I send a train down a particular track for a particular destination, I can let the computer handle the switches.

I'm not "pressured" into wanting DCC, I see it as a great way for me to control more than one operation at a time. I am somewhat frustrated at times by the lack of DCC-friendly locomotives out there, but I'm glad that there are 'workarounds' for all of them.

I've run DCC in N-scale, I have a very beautiful (in MY eyes!) Norfolk Southern SD80MAC from Kato in HO. I lack the decoder for that, but it's a simple drop-in decoder that's not all that expensive even for the full-features of the decoder (Digitrax, by the way.)

I plan to buy a Digitrax Empire Builder from my LHS, not because he's cheaper, but because he's generally given me good advice on my purchases and he's been extremely generous with his layaway policy. He has offered my choice of freight car from his "premium" display case, all because I helped with a computer problem at his shop. The help I gave certainly wasn't worth the cost of the car, so I declined his offer because he operates on a shoestring budget, anyway. He's helped me, so I figured it wasn't too much for me to help him.

Why Digitrax? I like the design of the controllers, plus, I have the software and cabling for my Palm PDA that enables it to function just like a Digitrax UT2 throttle. I'm not putting down the other manufacturers, I just prefer to go with what I already have.

[dano99a]

I converted my DC layout to DCC back in January, since then I've converted all my engines over (total of 12) and I'd never go back.

I use Digitrax empire builder and to be honest the hardest part was installing a decoder in a P2K SW9. Digitrax doesn't make a true-plug and play decoder for them so I tried a decoder from NCE (which wasn't plugin play either) 2 hours and a bunch of soldering later it worked fine. Digitrax does make a GREAT (true plug and play) decoder for P2K GP7's & 9's "DH163LO" no bulb replacment what so ever, takes the better part of 2 minutes to install, program and get rolling

So to sum it up, converting was EASY. If you have blocks set up then it will make signaling all the easier in the future. Installing the decoders into the SW9's was the hardest most time consuming project yet. Beyond that I'd reccomend it to anyone.

[Fergmiester]

Whether I'll have an option in a few years is erelavent. I'll stay with DC cab control as long as I can. I have only so many dollars available and do not feel obliged to cave to the "You must Have This" Gurus. There are more important things to buy then DCC chips for $50s.

[Anonymous]

I just use conventional power on my layout and am very happy with it. I have no intention of getting DCC.

[Anonymous]

My layout will be controlled using Bachmann EZ DCC command, but until I can get that, I'll stick to DC. DC is just fine, DCC does seem a appealing, but with all the lights and sounds, ugh! Sound is great in one or two locomotives but after a while, IT BECOMES NOISE. Bachmann's DCC is the only DCC that's easy to hook up to EZ track. I don't plan on having more than 12 locos anytime soon, anyway.

[AntonioFP45]

Hey friends![8D]

I currently don't have an HO layout as I'm in the planning stage. When I'm finished "tweaking" the locomotive fleet (simple maintenance or complete remotoring), the decoders and their special lighting effects are going in! [swg][tup]

These include my older Atlas with the Roco drives as well as my Athearns. The Athearn Cowls and the U-Boats will be the first ones with sound. Any new units will have decoders "dropped in". I've decided to wait for the Soundtraxx's "Tsunami" release [;)]

For those of you (including me) on a budget [2c] ; many local model railroad shops still offer "LAYAWAY". If you really do want to explore DCC, go for it! DCC is becoming more and more user friendly and costs are not so high, especially if buying from Litchfield Station or Tony's Trains! [:D][8D][:)][8)][^][:P]