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DCC systems poll - January 2010

64909 Views 80 Replies 34 Participants Last post by  Doug, 
Doug
MRF members' DCC Systems​
What DCC System do you own?
Hornby Select4110.22%
Hornby Elite317.73%
Bachmann E-Z Command153.74%
Bachmann Dynamis4210.47%
Digitrax Zephyr71.75%
Digitrax Super Chief133.24%
ESU EcoS 50000256.23%
Fleischmann Twin-Center71.75%
Lenz Set-90 / Set-100348.48%
MRC / Gaugemaster Prodigy Advance266.48%
NCE Power Cab4310.72%
NCE Power House & Procab153.74%
Zimo MX110.25%
Zimo MX31ZL10.25%
ZTC 505 / 511102.49%
Roco204.99%
Arnold20.50%
Other (please indicate in the topic below)153.74%
None (or pass)5313.22%
What is your primary DCC System?
Hornby Select216.71%
Hornby Elite247.67%
Bachmann Dynamis3711.82%
Digitrax Zephyr41.28%
Digitrax Super Chief103.19%
ESU EcoS 50000247.67%
Fleischmann Twin-Center51.60%
Lenz Set-90 / Set-100319.90%
MRC / Gaugemaster Prodigy Advance237.35%
NCE Power Cab 3711.82%
NCE Power House & Procab144.47%
Zimo MX110.32%
Zimo MX31ZL00.00%
ZTC 505 / 51151.60%
Roco113.51%
Other (please indicate in the topic below)154.79%
None (or pass)5116.29%
What DCC system would you like to buy?
Hornby Select20.64%
Hornby Elite51.59%
Bachmann Dynamis72.23%
Digitrax Zephyr41.27%
Digitrax Super Chief144.46%
ESU EcoS 5000041.27%
ESU EcoS 50200 (colour)4213.38%
ESU Navigator (50300)20.64%
ESU EcoS Control Radio (50111 )72.23%
Lenz Set-90 / Set-100175.41%
MRC / Gaugemaster Prodigy Advance103.18%
NCE Power Cab299.24%
NCE Power House & Procab227.01%
Zimo MX120.64%
Zimo MX31ZL20.64%
Zimo MX3230.96%
ZTC 51141.27%
Roco41.27%
Other (please indicate in the topic below)61.91%
None (or pass)12840.76%
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7
I think I'll stick with my MultiMaus, although I would go for the wireless version.

My reasoning, it's reasonably priced and does everything I want it to do.

Regards
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D
i have a complete fleischmann twin centre with 2 x twin controls + the digital turn control for the turntable (even though i dont have a turntable - yet!) i wanted to buy the complete system before there were no more units left as its an old and outdated system now and no longer made after fleischmann came together with roco and fl adopted the modern roco system (tc only has 8 functions avail but its ok for n gauge as not many locos have more than 8 functions at the moment in n gauage ... ho/oo is different tho - but i dont model ho/oo)

however i have just bought a marklin central station 2 as its much easier to program the loco decoders on cs2 than the twin centre!.

ill probably use the twin centre to run all my accessories and the cs2 to drive trains! -)
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frame69
QUOTE (TonyDaly @ 24 Jan 2010, 12:59) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>NCE wireless. Unfortunately it doesn't work on this side of the world.

How come?
Frame.
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FUNGUS
As I understand it, It probably would work this side of the world, but as its not passed as CE complient traders would risk a hefty fine if caught selling it.
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T
Hi,

I use Trix MS and Märklin CS2. I'm very happy with both and especially impressed with what a simple looking device like Trix MS can be capable of doing.

Cem.
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B
QUOTE (wolverton bloomer @ 27 Jan 2010, 23:44) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>As I understand it, It probably would work this side of the world, but as its not passed as CE complient traders would risk a hefty fine if caught selling it.

Technically it will work - although it may be on a frequency allocated to something else in the UK/EU & may cause/recieve interference.

Small fine if you import/use personally if you get caught.(little chance).
Big fine if you import/sell if you get caught.(good chance).

IMHO - not worth the chance, although it's a similar situation to the "good old days" of CB in the UK when it was illegal 10-4 !
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TonyDaly
QUOTE (Brian Considine @ 28 Jan 2010, 09:16) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Technically it will work - although it may be on a frequency allocated to something else in the UK/EU & may cause/recieve interference.

Small fine if you import/use personally if you get caught.(little chance).
Big fine if you import/sell if you get caught.(good chance).

IMHO - not worth the chance, although it's a similar situation to the "good old days" of CB in the UK when it was illegal 10-4 !

As I understand it the transmitter power given out is so little it wouldn't affect anything outside the layout room.Remember we are talking about something with very little power here with a very small range.
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B
QUOTE (TonyDaly @ 28 Jan 2010, 09:28) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>As I understand it the transmitter power given out is so little it wouldn't affect anything outside the layout room.Remember we are talking about something with very little power here with a very small range.

Probably not in practice, but my comments still stand & that would make the system more suseptable to outside interference.
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B
Hi
Brian C is correct. Not only if you sell it but if you're reported causing RF interference by using EU illegal RF equipment then you will not only get a fine but you'll lose the equipment too!

If MRC with Gaugemaster can redevelop their Prodigy Advance wireless system to become UK/Europe RF legal. GM PA Wireless and manual PA Wireless manual I cant understand why NCE can't do so too? If they want to increase their legal EU sales that is!
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TonyDaly
QUOTE (Brian Considine @ 28 Jan 2010, 09:42) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Probably not in practice, but my comments still stand & that would make the system more suseptable to outside interference.

Hi Brian.
What type of interference are we talking about here ? As I also understand it the nearest frequency is mobile phones but that is not exactly on the same frequency. Do you know of others ?
Someone has a wireless system in the UK but I think that is on 2.4ghz which is the same as video senders.
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TonyDaly
QUOTE (Brian @ 28 Jan 2010, 10:07) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi
Brian C is correct. Not only if you sell it but if you're reported causing RF interference by using EU illegal RF equipment then you will not only get a fine but you'll lose the equipment too!

If MRC with Gaugemaster can redevelop their Prodigy Advance wireless system to become UK/Europe RF legal. GM PA Wireless and manual PA Wireless manual I cant understand why NCE can't do so too? If they want to increase their legal EU sales that is!

I think NCE is predominantly American where they sell most of their items. Maybe the costs in becoming EU compliant would be to much considering the numbers of items they would sell.The american market is huge compared to Europe & the UK.

Edit:
As a matter of interest the Prodigy Advance uses the 433Mhz band while the NCE wireless uses 916.5Mhz. If anyone wants to see the UK bands you can find them here. Look down the page until you come to the band you want.
http://www.wibble.co.uk/links/ukspectrum/spectrum.html#b854
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O
QUOTE (TonyDaly @ 28 Jan 2010, 10:15) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I think NCE is predominantly American where they sell most of their items. Maybe the costs in becoming EU compliant would be to much considering the numbers of items they would sell.The american market is huge compared to Europe & the UK.
Not only that, but NCE's only presence in Europe is in the UK market. Despite it's popularity here, sales are miniscule as a percentage of the EU market.
Hardly worth the investment needed to introduce an EU wireless version IMHO.
Of course it would be great if they did.

If you want legal radio wireless throttles, then a number of EU DCC manufacturers already have them available, or are shortly to introduce them to the marketplace (e.g. ESU, Roco, CT Elektronik, Zimo etc.).

There's also 3rd party wireless devices such as the iPhone/iPod Touch running applications like TouchCab; plus at the lower end there's IR wireless available on the Dynamis, Navigator and Digitrax throttles.
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dwb
QUOTE What type of interference are we talking about here ? As I also understand it the nearest frequency is mobile phones but that is not exactly on the same frequency. Do you know of others ?
Someone has a wireless system in the UK but I think that is on 2.4ghz which is the same as video senders.

The primary concern would be "congestion". If equipment has been designed in the expectation that it has an "exclusive" in a particular waveband, there will probably be industry specifications which set out how the equipment should behave so that kit from different manufacturers can inter operate effectively. If someone introduces a piece of kit from an entirely different product category there may be a completely different set of characteristics such as broadcast power and so on which could lead to this other kit completely swamping the airwaves and thus rendering the "native" kit unusable. If the "native" kit is a telecoms system for emergency services, the consequences of the interference could be very severe indeed.

The 2.4GHz band is "unregulated" in the Europe, or rather you don't have to have a specific license to make kit for it. It is used by microwaves, cordless DECT phones and WiFi to name the few* that I know about. The 2.4 GHz band is now becoming quite congested with the result that there is a move to using the 5GHz band for newer WiFi access points although I don't think that there are too many of these available yet on the market.

David
*A former colleague suspected that a neighbour's wireless house alarm system was severely disrupting their WiFi access but I don't think they were ever able to prove anything.
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B
QUOTE (Brian @ 28 Jan 2010, 10:07) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If MRC with Gaugemaster can redevelop their Prodigy Advance wireless system to become UK/Europe RF legal. GM PA Wireless and manual PA Wireless manual I cant understand why NCE can't do so too? If they want to increase their legal EU sales that is!

As you say probably not enough sales to be worth the hassle of obtaining CE.

QUOTE (TonyDaly @ 28 Jan 2010, 10:11) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Brian.
What type of interference are we talking about here ? As I also understand it the nearest frequency is mobile phones but that is not exactly on the same frequency. Do you know of others ?
Someone has a wireless system in the UK but I think that is on 2.4ghz which is the same as video senders.

The sort that you can easily get on you TV/Radio (especially digital ones) just before your mobile phone rings.

AFAIK 2.4ghz is a "free for all" band & you cannot complain if your video receiver picks up next doors porn channel.
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TonyDaly
QUOTE (Brian Considine @ 28 Jan 2010, 10:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>As you say probably not enough sales to be worth the hassle of obtaining CE.

The sort that you can easily get on you TV/Radio (especially digital ones) just before your mobile phone rings.

AFAIK 2.4ghz is a "free for all" band & you cannot complain if your video receiver picks up next doors porn channel.

Now we know what you do in your spare time


Would these radio bands be very tight,in other words would something operating between say between 400Mhz & 430Mhs spill over these figures ?
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3
QUOTE (Brian Considine @ 28 Jan 2010, 10:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>.... & you cannot complain if your video receiver picks up next doors porn channel.
I wouldn't complain at all....
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QUOTE (TonyDaly @ 28 Jan 2010, 11:04) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Now we know what you do in your spare time


Would these radio bands be very tight,in other words would something operating between say between 400Mhz & 430Mhs spill over these figures ?

Dam - my secrets out ! - actually next door watch mine
.

Not too certain about "spill" but I do know from a friend who worked on military communications that harmonics could play a big part.
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4
QUOTE (Oakydoke @ 28 Jan 2010, 11:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I won't complain at all....


Looks like your secrets out too !
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TonyDaly
I did a quick bit of research & for anyone interested here is some information about possible wireless sets available.It might give you some idea of whats out there.
Brian I didn't know you played the harmonica


http://www.tee-usa.com/store/product30604.html

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index...?showtopic=4603

http://www.dccsupplies.com/shop/product_in...roducts_id=1037

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/129646.aspx
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O
Manufacturer links to the same products Tony has listed....

ESU Navigator IR wireless

Roco MultiMaus ...... More MultiMaus (German only)

CT Elektronik system (German only)

Zimo MX31ZL (English translation on the web site)
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