DCC

I started with an Atlas Commander, but quickly realised that it was very limiting. There is nothing wrong with the unit, just very basic.

I switched to a high-end Digitrax unit and have not regretted it for a moment!

This allows me to do all of the computer-interface things that I found I wanted to do, along with having an underlying network infrastructure (LocoNet) that should be able to handle just about anything that users may want in the future. There are a large number of third-party devices available for LocoNet which provide extra functionality above and beyond that which Digitrax build themselves.

Don't get me wrong - there are very good systems from other manufacturers as well.

Jeff Law New Zealand

Phil: Remember tht any decoders you get willbe compatible whatever system you get originally, and maybe subsequently change to in the future.

If worried about initial cost and jyust want to get the first benefits (Multi train control) then the bachmann unit will start you at low cost, and be usable for a trst bench afterwards, or getting someone else into the hobby 8-)

You don't HAVE to convert the points over at the same time - you can spread the cost by changing them later --- I still hve Zero-1 modules on all mine, and will chgange over NEXT year, when I rebuild the layout after the extension is complete. Meanwhile, I still use a Zero-1 unit for the points (on a separate circuit!) - equally your existing point control can stay in use.

Choice of STYLE of controller, and its features is what causes the differences in opinion about the central controller.... you pays your money, and makes your choice... so it might seem like a good idea to try the bachmann unit for a while - I'm sure there will be a 2nd hand market for it, if it doesn'r iself upgrade in the way you eventually decide.

(I have a ZTC 511, 622 and Lenz copmuter and telephone interfaces -- they all share Expressnet in common, as do many other manufacturers offerings. The primary alternative would appear to be loconet.

Probably best to go with a system that allows you start off relatively inexpensively and then allow you expand later. The contenders I would say are Lenz and Digitrax (especially as the $ is doing down fast). The latest Digitrax entry level offering has the flexibility to allow you to hook up two DC controllers and allocate trains to them, model DCS50 I think. I have a Digitrax Empire set a mid level system that I am happy with. I have used Digitrax, Lenz and TCS decoders with success with this system but experienced problems with ZTC decoders that I could not resolve. Now have networked PC and PR1 for decoder programming and DAC10 for point control of fiddle yard, has the facility to program local routes with push button inputs from a panel to drive.

There's a nice piece about DCC on the Railway Modeller/Continental Modeller CD this month, if you can get it.

Chris

On this or a similar thread, someone (ref deleted) commented on a hiccup involving some Lenz decoders getting 'reprogrammed' on track.

I just had a thought: When this occured (I think you said it was when reprogramming another loco??) - were these locos on-track (presumably they were 8-)..... and were the LENZ decoders (1024/5) mentioned capable of being 'programmed on main' (as in fact, the Bachmann decoders are): if power was still applied to the main track during the programming sequence, it may well have been a legitimate and correct action on the decoders part to reprogramme themselves, as directed, and all to the same number?... although I would have only expected this to happen IF they were currently on the same number as the loco you intended to reprogramme! - was the action repeatable, or the consequence of an incorrect combination of buttons on the controller???

Alternative reasons, affecting many makes of decoder (and other non-railway equipment), for railways operated in the loft, are too high a temperature, as occured this summer, causing the NOVRAM to loose its data, and revert to previous (default) values.

Phil

In response to Phil (*"=A3$%^&*!!! New Google groups doesn't quote text when you hit the reply button)

It's nothing to do with programming on the main since program on the main packets are completely different to service mode programming packets. If service mode packets were sent to the main track then indeed everything would be reprogrammed, regardless of it's current address.

MBQ