The thing is, everyone of us who has switched to DCC has gone through the process JoeW is going through now. If you don't want to use DCC for whatever reason thats fine, but I have yet to see on any forum someone who was hesitant to take the plunge and then regretted it when they did. It may seem like evangelizing to some but I think it is enthusiasm.
I use a dual cab DC power supply. The exact reason I use a 4PDT switch. Its either DC or DCC. I dont think I would want to risk running both at the same time :tb-wacky::tb-ooh: .
Yep, I must have missed it first time through. What I most likely should of said. You can operate DCC during a operating session and operate Analog DC during another operating session. I tried operating my DCC and Analog DC at the same time on separate blocks and I had some arcing across my isolator gaps, from the constant AC of the DCC power supply, causing my Analog DC to pop a breaker. You can try it but don't run your DCC locomotive into a powered up Analog block. I've operated on analog DC for years and it won't bother me to continue. I can imitate each and every realistic move and love it. With DCC, it can be complicated as you try to operate more then one train at a time but fun. With Analog DC, it's not easy throwing all those toggles from Cab A to Cab B and it can be complicated as well. The evangelist in me. In my defense: I can't and won't sit idly by when the best thing ever to hit model railroading is here and now. The problem is it isn't cheap to engineer, manufacturer and distribute. We are going to pay for it. Yet, Oh so easy to install. So this tele-train-evangelist wants to know, why haven't the offerings started to flow in. I mean how is a tele-train-evangelist supposed to survive. LOL You have my blessing to operate on Analog DC for as long as you want. Just consider the gift you are missing out on. rolleyes: Ahh, just a parting thought. Don't expect me to tone anything down.
I made the jump to DCC back in 2003. Now I have too many locomoitives with decoders installed to think about turning back. On the inter-mingling of DCC and DC, I did that by accident and indeed fried my DCC controller. The cloud of white smoke sealed the fate. So realizing that I can't go back, I became determined to go forward and delve into advanced decoder programming, occupancy detection, signalling and looked at the systems level of implementing DCC. Where I am going with this, is that once you feel stagnant with DCC, there are many more avenues to explore to keep the interest peaked. Right now I am looking at setting up sectional modules that can run the whole module with out any connection to the other modules and the only connection is the bus between the boosters. Add to thie ths implementation of ABC signalling and detection and the module can operate all by itself if needed. In the future I will be looking at having DCC control lighting in structures and even some scenic animations. I am not saying anyone but my twisted mind needs to go this deep into the the abyss of DCC automation, just using it to make the point of DCC gives you the ability to do darn near whatever you want. I can not see how to do all of this using DC. Not that it can't be done, I just do not see it. I am also not trying to be evangelical either, I am just enthusiastic about what I have been able to make DCC do like having nearly perfect speed matching. And don't get me wrong, there have been a fair share of migranes along the way......... But I still have the excitement pushing me forward that I never had in the DC world. In fact today, a buddy is coming over to install decoders and program them. While we are at it, we will be installing new LED's in the E and F Units for the Mars and Headlight combination. On the ATSF units, we will be going a step further and installing a bi-colored LED, Golden White and Red, so that the Red Mars light will be on when the unit is running in reverse. Again another phase of the DCC abyss. And as Friedrich Nietzsche once said, "When you look into the Abyss, the Abyss also looks into you" As you can see, I am all in on DCC.
Particularly Decoders I have recently learned that the subject of DCC can raises the hair on the back of some non DC operators. I hope I won't have to start a new thread. Hopefully some of you will come back and keep this thread alive long enough to get your thoughts on decoders. What I now understand is that decoders can be cross functional on other DCC systems. In reading about the TCS decoder, they claim better slow speed operation than their competitors. I am try to understand if there is a real significant difference between decoders with out asking which one is best. However since I don't own any decoders I am very open to opinions. TCS? Digitrak? NCE?
Doug,He has a point..I seen lots of "DCC evangelizing" on other forums to hear some tell it "you can just barely run one train using DC"..When ask a direct question these folk has no real answer or replies in some manner very similar to your "But here's an idea....stay away from DCC topics if it makes you so upset". Of course in this here discussion there's been no hardcore DCC flag waving which speaks volumes for the quality of the members.
Kinda like asking: The Prototypical advocates to stop 'evangelizing'... The Unitrack advocates to stop 'evangelizing'... The Code 55 advocates to stop 'evangelizing'... The Kato, Atlas, FVM, IM, etc etc advocates to stop 'evangelizing'... and so on and so forth ! You call it 'evangelizing'...I prefer to call it "PASSION"...:tb-wink::tb-cool: .
Without completely disagreeing with the warnings that people have posted regarding mixing DC and DCC, I just want people to know that our club layout mixes both of them all the time on a common rail layout. To my knowledge this has not led to frying a command station, and we have people overrun their blocks all the time. I'm not saying this means that any setup mixing the two will work or be safe. We use Digitrax, and our boosters were specially ordered with optical isolation on the Loconet connections. (This is very necessary with common rail to avoid an improper ground loop). For analog cabs we use some funky thing that I don't know the origin of. I believe we currently also use Digitrax PM42s, but that hasn't always been the case.
Huh? I just have to disagree with that through and through. I really don't see what the style of layout has to do with it.
DCC kinda leads its self to a wireless walk around layout... In a club setting where where DC walk around, CTC, single track with signaled passing sidings is used wireless DCC throttles is just the ticket since it leaves the dispatcher free to set signals and line up meets instead of setting blocks for each train while lining meets between trains..
I do both N and Z and have little use for DCC. I run DC and like it. But then again, I just like to run trains, I am not into playing with them, doing switching chores while another loco is running and the like where DCC has more value. Quite frankly many might think I am nuts, but I am waiting for some sort of radio controll where the track doesn't even have to be powered. When that happens, then we will truely be running our locomotives.
TCS claiming better slow speed operation than their competitors is basically marketing hype. I think you'll find most manufacturers claim their product is better than their competition. In fact I don't ever recall hearing a manufacturer claim their product was inferior to the competition. Most of the better decoders have CVs for adjusting the pulse width modulation being fed to the motor. This allows you to match the decoder to the motor for better performance. Another feature in some decoders is a switching speed function, for example on a Lenz decoder pressing F3 causes the decoder to cut the speed roughly in half giving finer control.
