Digitrax - one of the main contenders for my chosen system [but look at that cab!].

The Harrowing Tale of a DCC Virgin's Nightmare in Trying to Choose a DCC System

In this section I hope to describe what is going on in my tiny little mind by the way of trying to select a DCC system for my layout(s). If you are at a similar stage, I hope it might be of some help. It has certainly been cathartic for me [leaving me more cash on my trains than potentially huge psychiatrist bills]. As I have been writing this, it has really galvanised my my thought process and it has actually helped me to make a decision - almost!

Of course all NMRA compliant DCC systems are compatible - trackside. This means that all decoders will work with all systems. However, the systems don't work with each other (except the ones that are the same systems but marketed under different names in different countries).

Tony's Train Exchange produces a wonderful system comparison spreadsheet that really tackles the nitty gritty technical comparisons - invaluable. My thoughts, detailed below, are purely subjective and reflect my feelings about the systems supplementing the technical.

Initially, I thought for me it would be a choice between Lenz and Digitrax. But then I started playing with the two systems and others, managing in the process to cause an almighty crash on the Sunningwell demonstration layout [they were a little surprised but were very calm and understanding]. The Digitrax cabs to me seemed flimsy and the cable comes out of the top of the cab rather than out of the bottom (one experienced Digitrax user has told me that this was causing problems with his exhibition layout in that over a period of time, the cables were becoming damaged due to the way they were hanging). The other thing that I really disliked about Digitrax was the radio control / wireless provision. To achieve the functionality that one would require, it appears that you have to plug the cable into the system. What's the point of that? However, the Loconet bus seems to be the best supported by various third party DCC equipment manufacturers.

	The Lenz contender.

Lenz cabs were not that much better and certainly my young son would not find either of the two Lenz cabs intuitive (he found the Hornby system extremely easy to use but daddy wasn't too keen on that one). Again, the wireless option seems a joke. I understand the reasoning behind it - to get over the legislative difficulties concerning wireless operations in various countries, and I have seen it work successfully - but using a telephone for a cab? Get real. Again, consisting provision is very good and the Xpressnet bus seems very well supported too.

This all prompted me to look at other systems. Without going into all of the ones I looked at, Easy DCC looked very good but was not quite as well supported by accessory manufacturers (particularly in terms of computer control). The MRC Prodigy (marketed by Gaugemaster in the UK) looks superb. The cab is easy to use and there is very good wireless provision. The other advantage was the range of functions available. I also love the MRC N-gauge sound decoders which the Prodigy can exploit to the full. My only problem with this is the lack of support from other manufacturers and particularly accessories for the bus; unfortunately, Juergen Freiwald at Railroad & Co. has confirmed that they do not support the MRC Prodigy and currently, there are no plans to do so in the future.

NCE - certainly worth considering.

The latest NCE system currently looks to be the best compromise, the cabs are quite good with a slider (would rather have a nice big knob though), it seems to be fully supported by Railroad& Co. and there is a simple USB connection for a computer link (Digitrax requires a third party USB connection - Loco Buffer II from rr-cirkits). This would be my choice but it appears that the radio cabs are illegal in the UK -I've emailed NCE for comment and am currently awaiting a response. Stop press - NCE were very helpful and replied very quickly - it appears that they have hit the same stumbling black as many manufacturers have in trying to navigate the UK radio frequency compliance nightmare. The fee would be over $50,000.00. It appears that our Government see this as another revenue raising opportunity whilst the people of the country suffer yet again.

I am awaiting Bachmann's Dynamis (I have played with it and it seems wonderful). The only question will be how well the bus will be supported. In honesty, if Railroad & Co. support Dynamis at level 1, I will probably opt for it. I will need to check out the available functions and consist functionality but everything else looked very good.

The Zimo is also definitely worth a look, it seems to be fully supported by Railroad & Co (this is a bit of a benchmark for me - but you've guessed that already!) and has very good wireless provision. The ECoS is also worthy of examination. Some very interesting features and a bus that would seem to rival that of Digitrax. They seem to have concentrated their efforts on sound decoders to date but they say they have lots of plans for tethered throttles, turnout control boards and "...much more." The bus is fully supported by Railroad & Co. This really does sound full of potential once the system becomes a bit more mobile rather than being stuck in one place to the central control 'box'. It seems to be one of the newest DCC systems and one of the most promising. This really leads me to believe that DCC has not yet come of age. I think in the long-term, a number of existing systems will fall by the wayside and we will be left with three or four big players. As people get to grips with what DCC can offer, the bus and support for the bus will become more important.

Which system/s will win in the longer term? Is it going to follow the old IBM PC / Apple Mac dilemma? IBM opened up the license for the PC and various manufacturers supported the format. In the end it became far more popular than the MAC because of trade support and general availability rather than because it was technically superior or easier to use. Could the same thing happen with regard to the DCC bus?

I do not think that any one DCC system currently wins outright. In my opinion, the best cabs are the Prodigy cabs, the best on functionality (according to my needs) seems also be the Prodigy but the best bus seems to be Digitrax [and possibly ECoS - we will have to wait and see what developments they have in the pipeline]. The best for wireless seems to be the Dynamis. Will Digitrax follow IBM's example and license other manufacturers to design better cabs / wireless control? Until everything is resolved, I don't know what to choose. I hope the outcome does not follow the other technological analogy that comes to mind: the technically inferior VHS winning out over Betamax!

No - I haven't made up my mind yet. I want to see just what exactly ECoS has got planned and how the law suit taken out by QSI against them works out. They seem pretty confident and I can see why, you just only have to look at the two websites. Unfortunately, ECoS have confirmed that their system does not link up with Bachmann's Dynamis (which is a joint project between ECoS and Bachmann). However, I'm (currently think) ECoS will win through. Yes - it came as a shock to me too .I was sure I was heading towards Digitrax. And of course there is always NCE.

So there you have it, it's currently between ECoS, Digitrax, NCE and possibly Dynamis.

There is always the possiblity of not using any system and just hooking the layout directly to a computer using software such as "Digital Direct" which is actually free.

Although I haven't made up my mind which system to buy, it won't stop me from wiring up - although I am having to put a bit of thought now into the potential systems & software I am going to use before determining a wiring plan.

Note: This is not a benchmark test. This page simply contains my thoughts based purely on my own personal experience and perceptions and my own personal requirements. No liability is taken for the correctness or completeness of this information.