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I think we are not truly comparing apples for apples:
I'd also point out that yes, lenz kicked it off but they have totally dropped the ball technology and progress wise. Digitrax is largest in USA but not outside USA - and it was biggest early but has slower growth than NCE by a very long way, with many lenz and digitrax users crossing to NCE in the last several years.
As of last year ESU were the worlds largest producer of DCC products. - not controllers, but all inclusive. So - stats as to size really are immaterial and irrelevant. Is the worlds biggest of anything always the best - NO.
Given that everyone is an evangelist for their own choice, I'll decolare my position and give you a perspective from one who uses and sells them all, and has a choice of anything at all for his own layout.
I use NCE and ECOS together (NCE either on its own or via the ECOS sniffer port). At my workbench is an NCE PowerCab which is the ONLY one I'll use there, as it can handle every sound loco and do anything a huge system can do, and I need to be able to test everything easily.
If I had to choose one and stay with it it'd be no contest - I'd not decide on features or frills, but ergonomics - NCE would win hands down as the best one to use and hold. PowerCab at the workbench, PowerHouse Pro at the layout. I love my ECOS, but I prefer a handset that fits my hand so well I don't need to look to operate it.
NCE, Digitrax, Lenz all work fine but the difference is in three things.
(1) The "up to date or not" nature of ther product: Lenz is really 5 years old sotware and things have moved forwards, but Lenz are NOT responding to what WAS a loyal customer base - they are truly dying in the marketplace. Digitrax is very competent but not overly up to date in reality, NCE is in fact the only truly "user upgradeable" of the three, and has the latest software revisions of the three. NCE is also the only one of those three with a built in computer port!
(2) Ergonomics. Lenz is a nice bit of design as far as the LH100 is concerned but even that is not at all instinctive for the new user - once mastered its fine and works well, but can be extremely hard to get on with. The set 90 handset is a dog of a product if you want to use functions regularly or do much programming. Lenz manuals really suck. Digitrax is confusing as its a lot of identical buttons without any real layout attempted to make it easier.Manuals are also in dire need of a re-write. NCE has a much nicer feel to it and is instinctive - the real eye opener is that those who want a "knob" get the choice of both, but almost universally gravitate to the buttons without thinking about it within a few days or weeks. Manuals are better, but still not perfect.
(3) The reliability of the product: Lenz has frequent handset problems due to poor quality cable in their handsets, and bad design of cable entry into the LH100. Lenz decoders run hot and in my experience have a high failure rate after installation compared to others. Digitrax and NCE are both good, but I have a probably 3:1 failure rate digitrax to NCE - Digi problems are 3x higher than NCE's, which are about zero on control systems. I do not use decoders from either Digi or NCE - there are better out there easily available.
As to ECOS needing more upgrades: Not really apples for apples. Its not need, but ease of offering that makes upgrades available
NCE, Digi, Lenz, MRC (gaugemaster) and most others you are used to use a very good processor - but it is a derivative of the Z80 processor which is common in computer controlled machinery - its intelligence is fed to it via changeable PROM processors (Chips) so upgrades cannot except for NCE be user installed - so they do NOT offer them as its inconvenient.
ECOS uses an active onboard computer system (Its sort of a dedicated portable computer really) that can have its software upgraded dimply via the web, making it easy. This flexibility allows ESU to offer new (at no charge) features often so increasing the value of their product and keeping it up to date.
They can do this almost for free - where every other brand mentioned has to buy and programme thousands of chips, distribute them etc etc - as I said NOT apples for apples!
So - How to choose... compare performance at the rails and the FEEL of them in your hand but do not be blinded by the BS thats in the feature lists - they will all do many many things. The importance is do they do the several things you REALLY want them to do.
Re gaugemaster: Its not bad, but its a re-badged MRC - which had problems when gaugemaster put their brand on it and bought their stock. unless its the NEW MRC (called prodigy Advance squared) then stay away from it - its functionality looks good but its approach to some things is NOT NMRA compatible, especially for functions above F10.
Regards
Richard
DCCconcepts
I'd also point out that yes, lenz kicked it off but they have totally dropped the ball technology and progress wise. Digitrax is largest in USA but not outside USA - and it was biggest early but has slower growth than NCE by a very long way, with many lenz and digitrax users crossing to NCE in the last several years.
As of last year ESU were the worlds largest producer of DCC products. - not controllers, but all inclusive. So - stats as to size really are immaterial and irrelevant. Is the worlds biggest of anything always the best - NO.
Given that everyone is an evangelist for their own choice, I'll decolare my position and give you a perspective from one who uses and sells them all, and has a choice of anything at all for his own layout.
I use NCE and ECOS together (NCE either on its own or via the ECOS sniffer port). At my workbench is an NCE PowerCab which is the ONLY one I'll use there, as it can handle every sound loco and do anything a huge system can do, and I need to be able to test everything easily.
If I had to choose one and stay with it it'd be no contest - I'd not decide on features or frills, but ergonomics - NCE would win hands down as the best one to use and hold. PowerCab at the workbench, PowerHouse Pro at the layout. I love my ECOS, but I prefer a handset that fits my hand so well I don't need to look to operate it.
NCE, Digitrax, Lenz all work fine but the difference is in three things.
(1) The "up to date or not" nature of ther product: Lenz is really 5 years old sotware and things have moved forwards, but Lenz are NOT responding to what WAS a loyal customer base - they are truly dying in the marketplace. Digitrax is very competent but not overly up to date in reality, NCE is in fact the only truly "user upgradeable" of the three, and has the latest software revisions of the three. NCE is also the only one of those three with a built in computer port!
(2) Ergonomics. Lenz is a nice bit of design as far as the LH100 is concerned but even that is not at all instinctive for the new user - once mastered its fine and works well, but can be extremely hard to get on with. The set 90 handset is a dog of a product if you want to use functions regularly or do much programming. Lenz manuals really suck. Digitrax is confusing as its a lot of identical buttons without any real layout attempted to make it easier.Manuals are also in dire need of a re-write. NCE has a much nicer feel to it and is instinctive - the real eye opener is that those who want a "knob" get the choice of both, but almost universally gravitate to the buttons without thinking about it within a few days or weeks. Manuals are better, but still not perfect.
(3) The reliability of the product: Lenz has frequent handset problems due to poor quality cable in their handsets, and bad design of cable entry into the LH100. Lenz decoders run hot and in my experience have a high failure rate after installation compared to others. Digitrax and NCE are both good, but I have a probably 3:1 failure rate digitrax to NCE - Digi problems are 3x higher than NCE's, which are about zero on control systems. I do not use decoders from either Digi or NCE - there are better out there easily available.
As to ECOS needing more upgrades: Not really apples for apples. Its not need, but ease of offering that makes upgrades available
NCE, Digi, Lenz, MRC (gaugemaster) and most others you are used to use a very good processor - but it is a derivative of the Z80 processor which is common in computer controlled machinery - its intelligence is fed to it via changeable PROM processors (Chips) so upgrades cannot except for NCE be user installed - so they do NOT offer them as its inconvenient.
ECOS uses an active onboard computer system (Its sort of a dedicated portable computer really) that can have its software upgraded dimply via the web, making it easy. This flexibility allows ESU to offer new (at no charge) features often so increasing the value of their product and keeping it up to date.
They can do this almost for free - where every other brand mentioned has to buy and programme thousands of chips, distribute them etc etc - as I said NOT apples for apples!
So - How to choose... compare performance at the rails and the FEEL of them in your hand but do not be blinded by the BS thats in the feature lists - they will all do many many things. The importance is do they do the several things you REALLY want them to do.
Re gaugemaster: Its not bad, but its a re-badged MRC - which had problems when gaugemaster put their brand on it and bought their stock. unless its the NEW MRC (called prodigy Advance squared) then stay away from it - its functionality looks good but its approach to some things is NOT NMRA compatible, especially for functions above F10.
Regards
Richard
DCCconcepts
... including spare handsets.
