Hey guys, im new to the world of DCC. As of now I am planning on building my own DCC system but I have been looking around and have found some decent deals is the MRC AD150 Prodigy DCC System any good? I dont need a whole lot of options I just want to control different locos thats about it for now. Bachman E-Z DCC anygood? I just want smiple, cheap. Pretty much the reason why I want to build my own also to do some electronics projects. Thanks, Mike
I have the Bachmann E-Z DCC. The Prodigy Express is a better option. It has more power and several features that I wish the Bachmann had. In fact I will be getting the Prodigy later this year. Micro Mark has the prodigy express on sale for $115 www.micro-mark.com
hello, i started with the prodigy express,great system,easy to use,the price is right,a big plus is that you can upgrade to a prodigy advanced by buying the advanced throttle,(i just did that more bells&whistles)...
prodigy express is only $94.99 at wholesaletrains.com: http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?ID=200428899 They seem to always have the best prices on MRC prodigy products the new X2 advanced is $177
You might want to look at a NCE PowerCab as well. I think you could have it to your door for under $150 and is a great system. http://www.digistardcc.com/systems_nce.htm http://www.empirenorthernmodels.com/NCE Page.htm http://www.tonystrainexchange.com/products/nce_ssets.htm
The only thing i dont like about NCE is there is no knob to control speed, though i'm not being picky. Out of MRC and NCE which would you guys choose?
MRC. I have it its awesome. I got advance, but express is probably just as good, minus some features. You can always upgrade no problem later.
Stick with the Prodigy Express or Advance. The AD150 is an older system. I own the Prodigy Advance and I love it. It is a full featured DCC system and is the most user friendly system out there. No hexidecimals or any nonsense like that. Programing is quick and easy, even for a beginner.
?? I think you'll find it has both buttons AND a knob for speed (the 'knob' being mounted 'sideways' so you roll it up/down with your thumb). NCE (but I have an NCE system, so I'm biased ). Having had a loco with an MRC decoder, which seemed to ignore many of the 'standards' used by other makers, I'd also be a bit suspicious of other MRC DCC products. Not saying I'd never buy any, but I'd want a lot more info on exactly how it would work for me before committing.
There is absolutely no question that the NCE is the way to go. A number of modelers in my area have had problems with the compatability of the MRC DCC products. For that reason I went with the NCE PoweCab. It is truly great. It does everything the higher end NCE systems does and can be plugged in at the club as ProCab throttle with no problems. Currently you can get one at Eastern Classic Model Rails for an astonishing $109. Works with BLI, PCM, Athearn, Digitrax, Lenz, Lionel, sound locomotives or decoders without problem whatsoever. You cannot go wrong with the NCE PowerCab! Of course you have to make up your own mind, but my motivation is to have you get something you will be happy with. My Opinion for what it's worth.
I love my MRC Prodigy Advance. The simplicity of it makes it the only thing I would ever choose. I have seen them all as I worked in the hobby shop business for quite a long time until just recently. I prefer my buttons and knobs to say what they actually do such as "program" and "delete" instead of "x" "y" and "z". But hey, that's just me. I'm not a computer geek. I just want to run trains without the brain drain.
At one time I was planning on building my own DCC system also. I started out in DCC with the MRC Command 2000. At the time all of the more advanced DCC systems were several hundred dollars. I built a command station that did most of what the Command 2000 did and was planning on expanding upon it. Now that there are three low cost starter sets that are much more advanced than the Command 2000, I decided that it was not worth the trouble. The Prodigy Express, NCE PowerCab and Digitrax Zephyr are all good systems with their own advantages and disadvantages and I don't think you would be unhappy with any of them. I had a hard time choosing, but I finally chose Digitrax, one of the overriding reasons being Loconet. I like the Loconet design, plus it allows me to interface my PC to the Zephyr. Both MRC and NCE have talked about a PC interface for their systems, but so far, neither one has been released. By the way, their are plans on the internet for building your own Loconet throttle. If the throttle isn't enough to settle the DIY bug and you still want to build your own system, I think you would be able to use the Zephyr as a booster( I don't think it has to have the Loconet signal to be used as a booster, but I am not sure).
