While the Lenz system is nice option have a look at the NCE Power Cab
http://www.ncedcc.com/ncetest/nce2.htm The Power Cab is a basic starter system but is expandable with the addition of a smart booster. Although this is a starter system there is also a computer interface device which allows the connection of a PC. The Power Cab has most of the features available to it's big brother the Powerhouse Pro but there are some limits. The number of recalls available is 2 instead of 6, the power output is 1.2A which limits the number of locos you run at one time and the number of cabs ( throttles) are limited to two. With the addition of a Smart Booster 3 power is increased to 3A and the number of cabs to 4. The best bet is of course a Power House Pro which is full featured 5A system which with the addition of radio means you are longer tethered to one spot.
Companies like Bachmann and Hornby are only just getting their feet wet with DCC having resisted it for so many years, although Hornby Zero 1 was the first big push towards DCC it wasn't well supported. Companies like Lenz, NCE, Digitrax, CVP Easy DCC, have been around for nearly twenty years and know what they are doing. Bachmann and Hornby in an effort to keep it simple and cheap have taken shortcuts in an effort to keep the price down and have in reality produced an inferior product that causes more frustration and will in effect drive people away from model trains.
Sorry about the rant.
Charles Emerson
Queensland
Australia
QUOTE (shumifan50 @ 12 Mar 2009, 02:15)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I emailed Bachmann to get a scheduled delivery date for the Dynamis ProBox and got the following response:
My questions:
I bought a Dynamis DCC system a year ago and the release of the Pro box was indicated as 'soon'.
1. Is there any scheduled release date for this box? I wish to connect my DCC system to a PC.
2. What will the price be?
And this was the response:
Thank you for your enquiry. The Dynamis ProBox is nearly completion and will be available soon. The ProBox will not have a computer interface as the suppliers have been unable to develop an appropriate protocol.
This poses 2 problems for Dynamis users:
1. No software upgrades as we still won't have a PC interface.
2. Because it will not be possible to update the software, it will never have a PC interface.
The estimated price is £164!! What are you paying for? A programming track and more controllers at over £100 each and being able to read CVs.
It seems there are much better solutions out there that have more features and cost less. I am now sorry I bought this system and will be looking at Lenz and their LZV100 + LI101F and then running KAM's LOCO Ce software on a PDA wirelessly. But before I do that I will look for some reviews on the system.