[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Brian @ 13 May 2008, 13:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Wonder how you tell at the shop counter that youre buying a version 1.3 decoder?

Surely these versions will state so on the packaging/in the packaging/in the instructions ?

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (ebaykal @ 14 May 2008, 07:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Is this the "Sapphire" one that was expected ?

Baykal
No - this is the "Basic" which it really is - & at a RRP of 10GBP it is far too basic, especially when compared to the 11GBP Bachmann "badge-engineered" ESU one - just look at the specification ;

http://static.hornby.com/files/r8215-loco-decoder-284.pdf

There really are better decoders out there for about the same money, but, of course it will sell.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 14 May 2008, 17:22) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>It'll be nice to see Hornby continue to evolve positively with their DCC efforts.

Very true & certainly a step in the right direction.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (john woodall @ 15 May 2008, 09:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>(ie all locomotives have a DCC chip in them)
They tried that & backpeddled !

Personally (& I say this as a very enthusiastic DCC'er) I don't think it a good idea to fit decoders as standard - many locomotives that we come across do not perform as well on analogue DC with a decoder as without. In fact we have "dechipped" quite a number for customers.

Likewise (apart from factory fitted sound), as a DCC'er I do not want to buy a locomotive fitted with a decoder chosen by a bean counter.

To be honest, these days, especially in any locomotive tooled or re-tooled in the last few years decoder fitting should be easy & take no more than a couple of minutes - no excuse.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Oakydoke @ 23 Jun 2008, 10:16) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If they pre-fitted the equivellent of a Lenz Gold, would that change your mind?
Possibly, but I (like, I suspect quite a number of other people) would still like to be able to fit my choice of decoder - & also it should be very easy to do so.