# Please help decide on DCC controller



## BillHuegerich (Feb 21, 2010)

Please help me decide how to get started with DCC. The more I research, the more confused I seem to be. Basically, my current HO trains are so old that I doubt the are worth upgrading, so I'm looking to basically start from scratch. I have a 4x8 table, which I want to come up with a layout for and figure since I'm starting over, I might as well go DCC. What I am thinking is that I want to eventually get maybe 2 or 3 engines/locomotives, with sound. There is a nearby club that runs Digitrax, but honestly, I don't have time or plan to get involved with them anyway for that to be a deciding factor.

So, I had been looking at the Digitrax Zephyr. I like the idea of the jump ports, in case I want to plug in the old transformer and let my son run his own throttle. Digitrax seems to be highly respected, but if I want to run a few trains with sound, would that system have enough function keys to adequately control everything?

The other option I have thought about is the NCE Power Cab. It looks like it has more function keys to control things, but not as much power. Would it be able to handle a few sound enabled engines concurrently without the booster?

I like the traditional looking throttle on the Zephyr, but like the additional mobility of the hand held Power Cab. So, I don't know which would be best for me. Unfortunately, I have not found any place where I can try or handle either one of them. FYI, I don't know much about wiring or DCC at this point, so ease of use would be a nice benefit, but I assume I can probably figure out the basics on either one. Thanks for your opinions!

Bill


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## BillHuegerich (Feb 21, 2010)

Well, since no one has replied, I assume either I'm asking the wrong question, or in the wrong place. For what it's worth, I saw a posting on another forum where a guy says he has ran up to 8 engines on a Zephyr, so maybe the power isn't that big of a deal. I guess the lower number of function keys is really my hold up with the Zephyr. I don't know enough about DCC to know if I'll be ok running that many keys, or if it won't be sufficient. If you are running a couple engines with sound, how many function keys do you really need? I've never had any more controls than a throttle and forward/reverse before, so I appologize if I'm asking dumb questions.


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## DigitalTrain (Feb 10, 2010)

Do you think that you would ever expand your layout beyond the 4x8? Or that the maximum you would ever create?


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

i guess i missed your post somehow. i had MRC express and about a week ago switched to NCE Powercab. i like it better.
while i really wanted to use loconed system (digitrax that is) i really don't like their controllers.

with only one controller you will be really hard pressed to run more then 2-3 locos, total numer that theorethically can be run is not as important IMHO


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## BillHuegerich (Feb 21, 2010)

DigitalTrain said:


> Do you think that you would ever expand your layout beyond the 4x8? Or that the maximum you would ever create?


Well, possibly sometime down the road. I have a table in my basement, so it would be possible to expand the 4x8, or put up a shelf to connect it to or something. But, I don't envision expanding my surface area for quite some time. I haven't settled on a layout yet, but saw one that intrigued me.


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## BillHuegerich (Feb 21, 2010)

tankist said:


> i guess i missed your post somehow. i had MRC express and about a week ago switched to NCE Powercab. i like it better.
> while i really wanted to use loconed system (digitrax that is) i really don't like their controllers.
> 
> with only one controller you will be really hard pressed to run more then 2-3 locos, total numer that theorethically can be run is not as important IMHO


The PowerCab controller does look nice. Unfortunately, the only big hobby store around me doesn't have either the PowerCab or the Zephyr on a display to try out. They push the MRC Prodogy. So, I haven't even physically seen either of the controllers I'm considering.

I understand that, particularly with a small layout, it would be difficult to run more than 2 or 3 locomotives at a time. Let me ask you this. If you have a button assigned to perform some function on an engine, and then switch to a different engine, can that same button do something else on the other engine? Or, once you program a function key to do something, is it used up?


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

function key preforms that function on active loco. as soon as the other one selected the cab controls that engine only. for what you want to do you will need two cabs. but powercab has recall button so it is convinient to toggle between 2 locos. more then that extra cabs are strongly suggested.

MRC is a good system, my only consern was lack of support by JMRI project. if you never intend to use PC to control your stuff MRC will do. and it is the cheapest, upgradable solution.


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## BillHuegerich (Feb 21, 2010)

tankist said:


> function key preforms that function on active loco. as soon as the other one selected the cab controls that engine only. for what you want to do you will need two cabs. but powercab has recall button so it is convinient to toggle between 2 locos. more then that extra cabs are strongly suggested.
> QUOTE]
> 
> Oh, so then the Zephyr really has 10 functions per locomotive? And then you just switch back and forth to whichever one you want to perform a function on? If that is how it works, it doesn't sound so limited after all.


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

i understood you want to control one loco and perform functions on another. . and i might be wrong ,i never had the zephyr, but i think it has access to more then 10 functions.
and then it is not the cab that has functions, its the decoder. unless you have elaborate sound system, ordinary decoder has2-6 functions


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## BillHuegerich (Feb 21, 2010)

tankist said:


> i understood you want to control one loco and perform functions on another. . and i might be wrong ,i never had the zephyr, but i think it has access to more then 10 functions.
> and then it is not the cab that has functions, its the decoder. unless you have elaborate sound system, ordinary decoder has2-6 functions


I think that is where my confusion lies. I don't know what buttons are usually used for things. But, for example, let's say button 5 sounds the horn on engine A. If I have two engines running, but am switched to engine B, can button 5 do something on this engine then?


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

BillHuegerich said:


> I think that is where my confusion lies. I don't know what buttons are usually used for things. But, for example, let's say button 5 sounds the horn on engine A. If I have two engines running, but am switched to engine B, can button 5 do something on this engine then?


AFAIK, button 5 can only do one thing - activate function number 5 on currently selected locomotive. if the loco has 4 function decoder it will do exactly nothing.

ADD:
i need to add that some systems do key remapping and macros. macros are used for route selection, basically bringing number of remote turnouts (that sit on DCC stationary 'accessory' decoder) to a specific state.

i will suggest reading manuals of candidate sysytems. they say it better then me


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

I thought function 5, on a 4-function setup, activated the auto-derailer?



Okay, I was just kidding, Bill.


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## BillHuegerich (Feb 21, 2010)

Reckers said:


> I thought function 5, on a 4-function setup, activated the auto-derailer?
> 
> 
> 
> Okay, I was just kidding, Bill.


Don't do that, I might believe you! 

I stopped at the local hobby store this morning, and unfortunately they did not have either system in stock for me to look at. So, I might have to either order blindly, or road trip out of town some weekend to find a better equipped store.

Thanks for everyone's assistance trying to help me understand this. I'm sure once I get a system and start using it, a lot of these basics will start to click with me.


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## bradimous1 (Mar 3, 2010)

at some points in this conversation I thought I understood it, then I got confused again. Let me ask Bills question/example and see if I got it correct...
I am using loco A and have function 5 set up to be the horn.
Now I switch over to loco B, I cannot use function 5 for this loco as I already have it setup for loco A... is that correct? I would have to use functions 1-5 for loco A and functions 6-10 for loco B.


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

each mobile decoder has its own set of functions.


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## DigitalTrain (Feb 10, 2010)

bradimous1 said:


> at some points in this conversation I thought I understood it, then I got confused again. Let me ask Bills question/example and see if I got it correct...
> I am using loco A and have function 5 set up to be the horn.
> Now I switch over to loco B, I cannot use function 5 for this loco as I already have it setup for loco A... is that correct? I would have to use functions 1-5 for loco A and functions 6-10 for loco B.


Each locomotive will have its own name "own address". When you power on your throttle, you will input the name of the locomotive you want to control (some throttle's will allow you to input more than one name and give you the option to quickly switch between them). Technically speaking you can only control 1 at a time per throttle.

Now in terms of functions and features, locomotive A and locomotive B can have the exact same function #'s setup to do completely different things. These features and functions have nothing to do with your throttle. All of the functions and features are basically all programmed into the brains "onboard decoder in the locomotive".

Another way to think of it is that your throttle is like a universal remote. On that remote you'll have the basic control options that will most likely remain the same from one tv to another "from one locomotive to another", the exta buttons "function buttons" may vary from one tv to another device completely "from one locomotive to another".


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## bradimous1 (Mar 3, 2010)

DigitalTrain said:


> Each locomotive will have its own name "own address". When you power on your throttle, you will input the name of the locomotive you want to control (some throttle's will allow you to input more than one name and give you the option to quickly switch between them). Technically speaking you can only control 1 at a time per throttle.
> 
> Now in terms of functions and features, locomotive A and locomotive B can have the exact same function #'s setup to do completely different things. These features and functions have nothing to do with your throttle. All of the functions and features are basically all programmed into the brains "onboard decoder in the locomotive".
> 
> Another way to think of it is that your throttle is like a universal remote. On that remote you'll have the basic control options that will most likely remain the same from one tv to another "from one locomotive to another", the exta buttons "function buttons" may vary from one tv to another device completely "from one locomotive to another".


thank you very much... great response


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## vanslam (Apr 17, 2010)

I just went through this myself and checked all of the systems out and went with NCE PowerCab. If needed I can expended it or go to the next level of Power Plus and still use the controller for visitors or on the programming track. But best of all its easier to use out of the box (lights, sounds). My 2 cents.


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