Hello all Well, I bought my NCE Power Cab a while ago.....used it a couple times. Works fine, no issue (it was my "debut" in digital) But last year, I finally decided to make progress on my layout but mainly used DCC++ Classic then EX with an Arduino Uno + JMRI (I also have a Mega to try) So now, I wonder if I should keep my NCE Power Cab or sell it.... What do you think: can the NCE give me options I will not find with DCC++EX? Thanks
This is going to have to be your decision of course but if you don't need the money maybe hang onto it a little longer if you still have doubts about DCC++EX. A few years ago NCE was going to be my choice but then like you DCC++ came along and then DCC++EX and I also took that path. Since I didn't go there I'm not sure if NCE offers you any more than DCC++EX. The way development is going with it, DCC++EX might prove to be the gold standard for a DCC command station. I wanted a wireless throttle so would have ended up spending more that what the Power Cab costs (at least double). I like those throttles with the old time buttons on knobs. I think this is sorely needed for DCC++EX and hopefully someone will fill that void with something in the $100-$125 range. I have the parts to build Dave's wireless throttle and was about ready to go that route (still might build one at some point) but then Jimmy on DIY and Digital Railroad presented .... .... a phone throttle with a physical knob for speed and direction (shown above). So far I'm real happy with that and it is cheap and easy to build with either the 3D printed case/platform shown above ( more info HERE ) or .... ... using a piece of lumber for the platform as shown above and ( more info HERE ). What I like about the phone throttle over Dave's is that with EngineDriver you can connect directly to the newer versions of DCC++EX with WiFi or connect via JMRI's WiThrottle and also have all the advantages that JMRI has. It is a great combination in my mind, DCC++EX + EngineDriver on the phone + JMRI. So probably didn't help you make up your mind but personally I really like where DCC++EX is and where it is going. I see that there are people out there selling a running system in a case ready to use. I believe we will see more of that so it is open source but since it is also being sold I guess one could say that it is now a commercial product Sumner
If you don't need the funds that would come from selling it ($??), you should probably keep it. Having an independent, second DCC system can be helpful if you can't tell if a problem is in a decoder or your DCC++EX setup, or wherever. But if you've been using JMRI for programming, you will need the NCE USB interface to use JMRI with the Power Cab.
I own two Power Cabs. I use one for my layout and the second for my work bench. It makes DCC installs real easy for me. My thoughts would be to use it has a tool.
Hey for about $38 you can have an Arduino Mega with WiFi and the Arduino Motor Shield, thus a second DCC system that you could swap out. If you need the two power supplies add $22 (might have them laying around). If you can wait and get all of that from China you can probably cut the cost in half or less. Might be time to try out DCC++EX which could be a backup for your Sprog . Sumner
Sumner, that sounds interesting, but when will DCC++EX be able to use it's second track output to drive a secondary, 2.5A power district, configurable for auto-reversing? I'm looking hard at a new Pi SPROG 3 Plus system that does that now. More expensive, no doubt, but available today, on a single Pi hat (expansion board) or as a turn-key system with case and power supplies. The secondary track output can also be configured as a service mode programming track output (with readback). Then my existing Pi SPROG 3 system will be the backup. But if I'm using an R-Pi to run JMRI for the DCC++EX setup, and connect wirelessly to the household WiFi router for serving throttles (among other things like a VNC connection to a laptop/computer to use the Decoder Pro GUI), why would I need an Arduino Mega with WiFi? I don't want to switch my laptop or my phone to a separate WiFi network to run trains, program decoders, etc. I'm not trying to slight DCC++EX, but it does not yet do what I will soon need it to do on my new layout (AFAIK; please inform me if I am incorrect). As far as the OP is concerned, he may not be able to sell his Power Cab system for enough to cobble together a backup DCC++EX system (and power supplies). I don't know how much used Power Cab systems fetch for sale these days.
A new Power Cab goes for about $200.00 to day and you have to shop around, Used Power Cabs are few and far between. When you see one for sale it is gone real soon.
Keep your Power Cab 1 Having a 2nd completely separate system can be very helpful when trouble shooting. Having to go buy a new setup cause yours might be the problem can take time. just keep it and you will have the backup right there when you need it. 2 you can use it on a test loop for programing /testing while trains are running on the main layout. 3 with the way inflation is going in 10 years you may be able to sell it used then for more than you paid for it new. 4 as has been said Used Power Cabs tend to sell quickly. So unless you really need the money it will bring right now keep it. 5 Create a 2nd separate loop on your layout that can be isolated from your DCC++ and wire the PowerCab to use as a 2nd dairy/ guest independent throttle so friends / family / grand kids can run a train on your layout with out fear of them crashing your train or damaging your main throttle. 6 I think everyone here will agree their are tons of reasons to keep it and only a few to sell it. Reasons to sell 1 your getting out of the model railroad hobby 2 you desperately need the money. 3 you are switching to a new system and already have multiple backup setups you can use IE DCC++ and 2 Power Cab setup's or maybe a DCC++ and the NCE Power Cab and a Digitrax Zephyr. David
That is something that I believe Flightrisk would have to answer as I'm not following all the things they are doing on Discord and things are moving fast with DCC++EX. I'm sure going into the future and even now one can always find something that one system can do that another can't. One needs to look at which fulfills their own needs and go with it. Sounds like another Sprog is that system for you. I do believe that DCC++EX is moving forward faster than any of the other systems due to the number of people worldwide that are working on it. JMRI adding features to work with and take advantage of it is an example of how it is being received. It is my understanding that you can now drive onto a siding and without having to throw an electrical switch to change if from the main to the program track via DCC++EX and back off again after the programming. That is a nice feature but not what I think you are looking for. I'll have multiple reversing sections and power districts so having one wouldn't be much of a selling point in my case. The Tam Valley boosters are about $43 plus $15 for a power supply if you need it and one of their auto-reversers is about $30 and if you get the Hex Frog Reverser which will do up to 6 frogs or act as up to 3 auto-reversers for $66 you are down to about $22 per reversing section. I've got the boosters and the reversers and like that fact that if I switched DCC systems down the road that they would be compatible with the new one since they wouldn't be part of the DCC Command Station system. I also like getting all of the components from the same company and not mix and matching components. Not having to worry about one saying it is the other ones components causing the problem if I had a problem. As far as the WiFi and am pretty sure that the WiFi on the Mega can act as either Access Point Mode or Station Mode. In Station Mode it would do what you are doing now and want to do. I'll go the AP mode myself and that also appeals to those taking their layout to say a show. Once there anyone with a smart phone can connect to it without having another network involved. A Mega with WiFi is only about $15 so I'd get that even if I wasn't presently interested in using it. DCC++EX will work either way. I don't see a need myself to have my laptop or CAD computer connected to the layout as I use the Pi to work with JMRI (programming decoders and keeping an engine roster at this point) so I'll probably stay with the AP mode when I setup the new Mega but could go the route you prefer if I wanted. Using the AP mode I don't even need the Pi running to run trains as I wouldn't need WiThrottle. Of course I'd still be keeping it for decoder programming and probably some other JMRI features I'm not interested in now but might be down the road. Sounds like you have a plan for yourself so not trying to persuade you but thought the questions you brought up and what I think I know above might help the OP or someone else decide what might work for them. The choices for someone looking at a DCC system can be quite confusing Sumner
Well....I don't really need the money per se So I guess I will keep it for a little while...as a backup, just in case !
Sumner, I use the laptop to VNC into the R-Pi (for running JMRI Decoder Pro and performing system maintenance/updates) in lieu of a separate monitor, keyboard & mouse dedicated to the R-Pi. Most of the time, my laptop is completely uninvolved with running my trains, while the R-Pi runs JMRI Panel Pro in headless mode. My in-progress layout is small, and will only have one reversing loop (via a double crossover in the folded dogbone). I suspect a lot of small layouts do not need more than one auto-reverser. And for every large layout with multiple reverse loops, there are easily dozens, if not hundreds, of small layouts with one or none. Other than proprietary vs open software/hardware, SPROG and DCC++ are very similar, except DCC++EX (on the right hardware) also incorporates a WiFi throttle interface, whereas SPROG relies on an external host computer running JMRI to provide the user (WiFi) throttle interfaces. If you use JMRI anyway (I highly recommend it for ANY DCC layout!), SPROG is not much different than DCC++, except the former is pre-assembled, pre-configured, and priced accordingly. There are plans for a SPROG 3 Plus USB interfaced DCC system, also with dual track outputs, one of which can be the programming track or a separate power district, optionally auto-reversing. It will be useable with any computer that can run JMRI. One of these days, I may pick up the Arduino hardware for DCC++EX and play with it (especially if they incorporate auto-reverse on the secondary outputs), and I may very well adopt it for my DCC solution (and I'll be bugging YOU for help!). But right now, playing with hardware and embedded SW is not the hobby I want from model railroading. I designed/developed embedded electronics/systems for my career; but for retirement, I'm enjoying something else: building a layout and running trains.
