About to take Plunge...

[ljudice]

[ducks]  Digitrax  [ducks further]   

Couple of things I came to realize - the two local DCC experts around here - Warren at the Model RR Shop and the guys at Trains and Lanes
are Digitrax people.  There was no doubt I could do a "headless" system with PC's and other devices. I am not too thrilled with any of the
controllers, though NCE seems to be the best.  Digitrax seems to have a lot of third party software,  I like the peer to peer network, etc...

But the fact is they are all so good that none would be a mistake.  Digitrax just seemed more comfortable to me.... 

- Lou

[crrcoal]

Congrats! I didn't choose Digitrax but Digitrax does have excellent customer support from what I hear. I'm sure you will enjoy the system.

[peteski]

Congrats on following the other sheeple.   I'm sure you'll have fun with it.  You'll probably need lots of expert help. 

[ljudice]

Congrats on following the other sheeple.   I'm sure you'll have fun with it.  You'll probably need lots of expert help. 

Or become an expert!!!

[peteski]

Or become an expert!!!

Anything is possible Lou! May the Schwartz be with you! 

[elnscale]

[ducks]  Digitrax  [ducks further]   

Couple of things I came to realize - the two local DCC experts around here - Warren at the Model RR Shop and the guys at Trains and Lanes
are Digitrax people.  There was no doubt I could do a "headless" system with PC's and other devices. I am not too thrilled with any of the
controllers, though NCE seems to be the best.  Digitrax seems to have a lot of third party software,  I like the peer to peer network, etc...

But the fact is they are all so good that none would be a mistake.  Digitrax just seemed more comfortable to me.... 

- Lou

Lou,

Welcome to the DCC world!

Your posts indicate you're going to be using JMRI.

With the use of JMRI, the distinctions between the user interfaces of the various system becomes of less significance. Using Digitrax, IMO, with JMRI is straight forward for programming the decoders and the other accessories that I have used. The availability of smart phone applications for JMRI for throttles reduces the difference even more.

So, the point of this is not to demonstrate that Digitrax's native interface for programming is not complex, but to point out the usage of JMRI mitigates that complexity immensely. There is a multipage mostly generic programming interface for a decoder. It's pretty straight forward.

Steve

[ljudice]

Steve, thanks...    I've got JMRI installed and running (up to the point of connecting to a DCC system, which is still sitting at MB Kleins) 

My thought has been all along to look at this from the high level software and just pick a system that facilitates it.  Even though I'm an EE I have spent 30+ years in software and I'm really more scared by soldering stuff than taking on some complex software or configuration issues.

I am really looking forward to playing around with this stuff now...

- Lou

[peteski]

My thought has been all along to look at this from the high level software and just pick a system that facilitates it.  Even though I'm an EE I have spent 30+ years in software and I'm really more scared by soldering stuff than taking on some complex software or configuration issues.

I am really looking forward to playing around with this stuff now...

- Lou

While I realize that you used "soldering stuff" figuratively, I don't quite get it what it has to do with choosing a DCC system. It is not like physical DCC throttles come as kits which you have to solder.    Depending on software can be nice and very flexible, but OTOH, software is often very buggy (IMO, more so than hardware).

Does this also mean that you are not planning on using any of the system's native throttles?  What happened to your earlier reservations about using touch-screen throttles?  It just evaporated?

Just curious....

[elnscale]

While I realize that you used "soldering stuff" figuratively, I don't quite get it what it has to do with choosing a DCC system. It is not like physical DCC throttles come as kits which you have to solder.

That's not how I read his remark. I read it as he has no fear of configuring software - and therefore configuring DCC - it's other aspects of the hobby such as soldering that scare him.

[ljudice]

Peteski,  you missed where I said I downloaded the two well known mobile device throttles and said,  hey these are not too bad!

[peteski]

Peteski,  you missed where I said I downloaded the two well known mobile device throttles and said,  hey these are not too bad!

I did see that but I thought you meant "these aren't bad for spare or extra throttles".  If you wrote "these mobile throttles are awesome - who needs regular throttles?!", then I would have understood things right away,. But now things are clear.