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the next big thing(s)... Next18/18S

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cws:
I'm browsing through the Walther's releases for this summer and I see their new SW7 DC/DCC ready model has a DCC Next18 plug in it....  WTF is going on?....  The one thing I hate about standards is the fact that there are so many to choose from!  (Apparently this new standard is a few years old and the NMRA hasn't signed off on it yet but vendors have started implementing it.) Maybe I'll send Walthers my thoughts.... 

Generally it looks like our installations rip out any existing boards due to space limitations but this is getting crazy!  It doesn't look like any one on RPUG has upgraded a Next18 capable loco to RailPro as of yet.  It would be so nice if DCC ready was a 9 pin wiring harness and a cheapo board we could just swap out! 

I reached out to Tim at RE for his thoughts.  Will let you know what I hear. 

Carl

G8B4Life:
This is the real problem with standards...



The other problem is the NMRA did virtually nothing on the connectors standard for many, many years, and I doubt they had any interaction with the NEM who seem to be much more on the ball about these things. That led to what we have today, People wanted more outputs, the NMRA sat on their hands so the manufacturers responded to the market, first 9 pins (US) then importing what was being done in Europe.

It's a brave move by Walthers to put the Next18 plug in their upcoming SW7. While I can understand the smaller size of the decoder would be attractive for a small model I believe they're locking everyone into a single supplier (I think only ESU makes Next18 stuff currently) which the DCC crowd seems to quite loudly disprove of and they're locking everyone into 4 outputs.

As for your wish, 9 pin is dead; it's gone the same way as 8 pin. 21 pin is what is now and hopefully everyone can see the forest for the trees and can get on board with PLuX; or we invent something even better

- Tim

Alan:
Universal plug adapter. Works regardless of number of pins.

Gibs:
I'm going to have to agree with Alan, if we are installing LM's in their current format. Just to even get enough space in modern made loco's now is a premium. All makes seem to be intent on winning the "Newton Cup" for the most wagons that their loco can pull so every cubic mm is packed full of ballast. So something has to go, and for me its usually the factory PCB.

G8B4Life:
I don't disagree, it's what we do but the point is why do we have to? Ring not getting on board is why. By far the most popular format today is 21MTC which has been around for a long time now. When was the last time you saw a new release model come with a 9 pin connector on the motherboard? Even re-releases of older models are being put out with 21MTC motherboards.

Now I'm not a fan of 21MTC, it was royally stuffed up and pretty much remains so. I'd prefer PLuX to become the new thing for it's versatility and actual cross-compatibility. I rekon some sort of edge connector would be even better.

Anyway, the OP's post seems to be more on about the astonishment on another type of connector than that it has to be ripped out as usual and wishing that the 9 pin connector was still the popular motherboard connector today.

- Tim

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