QUOTE (TWG @ 21 Jun 2008, 19:22)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>You mention wireless operation. You need to bear in mind that American radio systems work on a frequency that is illegal in the EU. I believe that Digitrax are working on a European version but as far as I know it has not appeared yet.
Have you considered the Lenz system using a cordless telephone? Obviously it is not quite as good as having a handset designed specially for model railways, but I have heard that it works well and you quite soon get used to it. If you have Lenz already it would be much the cheapest option.
*** We need to be accurate when we call things illegal. The frequency is not illegal, it is a commonly used radio band - it is simply a frequency band generally reserved for devices of a certain category above certain power levels.
It is correct that in general it is not permitted for a UK retailer or distributor (or one based anywhere these days in fact) to sell any radio based product unless it has been tested if required by legislation and approved for sale, however the frequency and power output combination of the PHP doesn't actually by default make it illegal - in fact at the exceptionally low power output of the NCE Power House Pro radio system it is marginal whether it actually even needs testing....
I should add that with the latest NCE V1.5 radio software the low power does NOT limit the layout operating range, which is exceptionally good.
A consumer may import and use it with no problem, as the regulation which is created in order to protect consumers in that case changes context and it simply makes it unacceptable to cause interference with any other device.
There is no known example of an NCE PowerHouse Pro doing so as given its tight frequency regulation and low power, it conflicts with absolutely nothing.
Australia uses almost identical regulation to Europe in this area and having recently worked with the approval for radio equipped DCC and in a previous occupation done the same for hundreds of consumer electronic products that were far more complex to test than a DCC system I can say with confidence that the NCE will not give you any problems.
You ask about the Digitrax radio system.
Its good but NCE is actually a better product to use and is the ONLY DCC system that offers full 2 way radio communication and can do everything else wireless - digitrax, MRC, Lenz XPA and all others are effectively one way radio, so cannot do everything via "wireless".
regards
Richard
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