zablocki22 wrote:
For those of you who belong to a model RR club, do you have a setup where you can switch from Analog to DCC for operating a particular session or you had a meeting, voted and decided to go straight with DCC?
I belong to the South Shore Model Railway Club in Hingham, MA, and we use the Digitrax Chief DCC system. We are an old HO club, est. 1938, and we had been in the same location in Weymouth from 1953 to 1998 when we moved to our new location in Hingham. If we had not moved, we would probably not gone with DCC. The old layout did run well, and we knew all the tricks, so it probably woudn't have happened.
However, with the move came the opportunity to build and all new layout with all new electronics, but feelings for the old analog system remained high amongst the members while others wanted to embrace the new DCC system.
So, the membership established a "DCC Task Group" to fully explore the three major systems of the day: Digitrax, SystemOne, and Lenz. Costs, features, user interfaces, customer support, etc., were all examined. In fact, we had Lenz and SystemOne come to the club and give a demonstration of their products, and they impressed many.
The DCC task group determined the following:
1). The cost of DCC vs. DC was about the same due to the high cost of wiring a vary large layout for 10 or more cabs. Each cab would cost around $500 to build (50 block toggles, lights, wire, throttles, power supplys, etc. add up quickly) and consume many man hours of labor.
2). That Digitrax offered the most bang for the buck, and the rumors were swirling about a new radio throttle, larger throttles, a signal system, etc. (all of which have come true).
3). The Digitrax system architecture was based on LAN technology, which appealed to the guys in the club who run office networks.
4). That the NMRA standards for DCC meant that a large investement of decoders in any one system would not be wasted if our company of choice went out of business.
5). That having both analog DC and DCC on the layout would lead to doubling the cost of the layout's electronics for not much gain.
The DCC Task Group then presented their findings to the membership in a 12 page report, and recommended that we purchase the Digitrax Chief system. During a regularly scheduled business meeting of the members, the motion to go with DCC was passed with a vote of around 35 yes, 5 no, and 5 abstentions.
If you have the ability to operate both ways, could you basically explain how you electronically went about it?
With all the above being said, we will have a section of layout that will be DC analog or DCC. We plan on having a working trolley line on our layout, and it will be DC live overhead or DCC two-rail. The plan is to have either a relay and a couple switches, or a large toggle somewhere. The trick is to make sure you can't accidently switch from one to the other.
Did members find it as a hardship to invest in decoders?
We pointed out that decoders are getting cheaper all the time, and that they don't have to invest in decoders if they don't want to. Besides, the club itself owns 20-odd engines, and all of these would be decodered so no one has to be left out of running with DCC.
Just wondering because we are having at times some "heated" discussions at our club.
One of the other things that helped ease the transition was that a few of the DCC folks who know a thing or two about electronics hold a monthly DCC installation clinic at the club. One of the guys has a large stockpile of decoders, bulbs and resistors that he brings in once a month. Members then can buy what they need from him.
