[mthornton]

A loco with sound lights and smoke still only needs one address. Even a DMU with a chip at each end will only need one address (both chips are set to the same address).

Consists also require an address (at least in some systems), but you won't have many of these.

For your points you need at most one address per point.

So you need rather less than 100 addresses in total.

Many people like the loco address to be related to its TOPS number (or equivalent), so it is probably better to be able to control 5087 by that number instead of just 87, but if you also have 43065 you will have to drop some digits so why not just use the last 2 for all?

On the subject of 43065, the dummy power car is (I think) 43085, but the function only decoder I have in that unit is set to '65'. If I fitted a motor to it I would number it as 85 and run the train as a consist / multiple unit.

 

[mthornton]

QUOTE (Makemineadouble @ 19 Oct 2006, 17:49) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Belive me your going to have a decoder for each loco (assuming you go DCC).

I agree, unless you place a very low value on your own time.

 

[mthornton]

QUOTE (dwb @ 19 Oct 2006, 18:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>>And I would like to consider return loops so does this feature use up address capacity?
As I understand it, these not inexpensive devices,
A Digitrax AR1 can be bought for £20 which isn't too bad.

 

[mthornton]

Even a 2 digit system has enough addresses for quite a large layout, you just may not be able to use the preferred number with a given loco (and even that doesn't matter if the system supports alpha numeric labelling like the new Hornby kit).

My now old Compact supports 100 loco addresses and another 100 accessory addresses (that is points and other items). For the old Roco system the 100 address limit was for locos and accessories combined.

Everything in a loco can be done with a single address --- it is just a matter of using a decoder that supports enough functions. If you need to control more lights independently than say a 6 function decoder permits, you can add a second decoder on the same address at get its to respond to a separate range of 'function' ids.

Which raises a separate issue; my Compact can only control functions F0, F1, F2, F3, F4. Other systems can control many more functions (13 or even more). Functions can be used for controlling lights, smoke units, opening doors, releasing couplings, sounds (this can use a lot of functions), raise/lower pantographs, ... For example, my class 24 has sets of yellow and red lights and front and rear all controlled independently by F0, F1, F2, and F3 (front yellow, front red, rear yellow, rear red).

QUOTE Steam Loco
Steam Loco lights
Steam Loco sound
Steam Loco smoke effect
D+E
D+E lights
D+E sound
D exhaust fume effect
Loco inertia setting start
Loco inertia setting stop
All this is a matter for the loco decoder (just one address), although inertia could also be managed by the control system.

 

[mthornton]

QUOTE (Graham Plowman @ 20 Oct 2006, 00:22) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Turnouts - 1 address each, crossover can be paired under one address and decoder
Crossoversings don't require an address at all, but usually require a reverse loop module to provide power to the frogs. (There are other ways of ensuring the correct polarity but this is the most convenient.)

Edited: I confused crossings and crossovers.

 

[mthornton]

QUOTE (Doug @ 20 Oct 2006, 07:21) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>A couple of the posts above say for turnouts you need one address per turnout.

You actually need one address per turnout decoder. Most decoders handle 4 turnouts, some handle 6. If you can put enough amps through the decoder, you can power two turnouts per outlet as long as the points are paired as in the case of a mainline crossover.
I said you needed at MOST one address per turnout (actually two for something like a 3 way switch).

While some turnout decoders use a single address for several outputs (each controlled by functions I believe), others, like the Lenz LK150, use an address per output.

So depending on the decoder we might control six point motors using addresses 1 through 6 or by using address 1 with functions F0 through F5 (but not on a Compact which can't control F5).

 

[mthornton]

QUOTE (Gary @ 20 Oct 2006, 11:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>How a control console handles functions once an address is called up seems like a key area for those wishing to have all singing all dancing locomotives and rolling stock.
Indeed. The biggest weakness of the Compact is not that it only supports 100 addresses, but that it can only control 5 functions (and two of those via a shift key). How it displays which functions are currently on is also poor.

What a function does on a given loco depends both on how you have wired the decoder and how it is programmed. So it would be nice if the command station remembered this for you and associated alpha tags with each function (on each registered loco). Then you could immediately see that on '38' F3 would ring the bell, while on 87 it controls a set of lights. As it is I should make up a card for each loco documenting what controls are available.

 

[mthornton]

QUOTE (Makemineadouble @ 22 Oct 2006, 15:47) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'm firmly convinced that Handsets rather than control centres is the way to go with DCC.
Apart from computer controlled systems, I'd agree. If money was no object, the Lenz LI system with PDA handsets would be attractive to me.

In the context of visiting other layouts, having a compatible handset would mean being able to take your handset(s) as well as stock. In the UK that would favour XpressNet products, especially as Hornby's products also support XpressNet.