Bachmann revealed more details today at the Warley National Model Railway Show of their new digital control Dynamis console. Prices will be announced at the London Toy Fair towards the end of January 2007.
No 'phone-pad' keypad. How similar to the EcoS does this look? ESU Redesign perhaps? I wonder who they consult when designing units like this? Do they ask DCC experts what they would like...?
Has the artist actually seen the console or is it more of a Picasso?
The artist may have been told to paint something with 12 buttons on one side and a screen in the middle and a knob on the other side and so on and he came up with something that meets the written brief without actually looking anything like the finished product!
It could be all bluff and double bluff a bit like the Dapol Voyager launch countdown.
This could be our chance to totally change the design of the product!
That switch/knob thingy though does look a little exposed and fragile to me. No doubt Bachmann will ensure that this piece will be made of metal.
How cool would it be if the case was polished aluminium?
I think that a telephone type keypad with alphabet characters on them is one of the fastest methods of getting text into an electronic device - just look at the text messaging younger generation. Buttons have to be à la Nokia.
If that key thing is a throttle - I'd like Bachmann to explain their logic before they build it. How is it going to work? Remember that you may be controlling more than one loco at a time - both running at different speeds - and switching between them... When you switch from one to the other what is going to happen to the speed of the loco if the toggle knob is in the wrong position? Please learn from the failings of the ZTC system.
Its not clear if it is a lever knob that you rotate or a joystick type device.
I wonder if it is a joystick driving a pointer on the screen and then you click various buttons along the bottom and side when the pointer is in the right position.
It could well be that point and click control is considered the new generation DCC.
A note to Bachmann: Look at how gamepads on video game stations work.
If it is a toggle (for speed control) - it would be good if it were a momentary switch. Up to go faster, down for slower and with an automatic return to centre. This way, it's position wouldn't directly influence the speed of a loco that is newly assigned to the control panel.
QUOTE No 'phone-pad' keypad. How similar to the EcoS does this look? ESU Redesign perhaps? I wonder who they consult when designing units like this? Do they ask DCC experts what they would like...?
Maybe it's an abandoned ESU design which Bachmann took over?
QUOTE If that key thing is a throttle - I'd like Bachmann to explain their logic before they build it. How is it going to work? Remember that you may be controlling more than one loco at a time - both running at different speeds - and switching between them... When you switch from one to the other what is going to happen to the speed of the loco if the toggle knob is in the wrong position? Please learn from the failings of the ZTC system. The Ecos has two toggles. There main function is for accessory control e.g cranes and things. Maybe the designers had this in mind?
At least it has twenty function which is up to date. I wonder if it has touch screen like the Ecos? Only one control knob isn't good. Someone, maybe on the other thread, said you could connect the points direct to it without having to buty point decoders. Thats pretty good.
QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 4 Dec 2006, 22:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>More info would be good.
It certainly would.
However - a suggestion :
Let's all wait & see what it actually does (or does not do) before we start a speculative flaming thread "a la Hornby Select". By all means discuss what. we would like to see or comment on it's looks. Personally, I don't like the look of it or the layout of the buttons.
QUOTE (dbclass50 @ 5 Dec 2006, 18:08) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>It certainly would.
However - a suggestion :
Let's all wait & see what it actually does (or does not do) before we start a speculative flaming thread "a la Hornby Select". By all means discuss what. we would like to see or comment on it's looks. Personally, I don't like the look of it or the layout of the buttons.
agreed
Apparently we won't have to wait long as the launch is scheduled for the London Toy Fair next month.
Deliveries to the shops are reported to be not far behind, March/April .
It does look very ESU 'ish ?
I suspect that it's a touch screen so maybe the key pad and throttles are on there?
Could the suprise features include wireless handsets?
Personally I think it's better looking than the Toys 'R Us Hornby systems.
QUOTE (Oakydoke @ 5 Dec 2006, 20:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Apparently we won't have to wait long as the launch is scheduled for the London Toy Fair next month.
Deliveries to the shops are reported to be not far behind, March/April .
It does look very ESU 'ish ?
I suspect that it's a touch screen so maybe the key pad and throttles are on there?
Could the suprise features include wireless handsets?
Personally I think it's better looking than the Toys 'R Us Hornby systems.
Exciting times.
It does look quite good. Peter described the Hornby effort as Fisher Price. It actually does look a bit like a Fisher Price telephone my two year old has.
A call to order:
you know your not supposed to be critical of Hornby products - even if it's in the experiential stage.
I think the term Fisher Price is degrading and in poor taste..............snigger ! . We all know these minor
problems will be sorted out. I thought the colour scheme was very attractive.
>what's a rofl
From the days of dial up (9600 bps if you were flush with dosh) bulletin boards where every character cost you money.... ROFL = Rolls On Floor Laughing!
I would say to these Bachmann guys the same thing i told ESU: put a lid on the screen or a dimmer button, otherwise (1) it gets dirty quickly, (2) when you turn the lighs off to show off your electric lighting, you get a powerful flare from the screen, which ruins the atmosphere!
also why only 1 throttle? If I had a choice I would ask for at least 3!
>I suppose you could say it's a four legged digi pad.
This model also has the retractable stylus, and is ideal for those who have never got on with computer mice....
Bachmann have confirmed that Dynamis is still very much on track for its unveiling at the London Toy Fair in January and are confident that the switch to DCC will gather momentum very quickly. Bachmann say that their high quality sound system offered by their Bachmann sound locos combined with a very competitive price should result in a large number of modellers adopting DCC operations.
QUOTE (M&GNR @ 22 Dec 2006, 23:58) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>It looks expensive two. Im not two shore about the hole dcc systam at the moment its just the hole thing costs so much in the first place.M
It costs more because it does more - you can always "test the water" with an entry level set & it also depends on the size of your loco fleet.
Lots of locos mainly triang wrenn and hornby dublo some modern hornby as well. 135 in all
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