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On the fence

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gzygadlo:
I've been working on and off my layout for a bit and now is the time where I need to decide about DC/DCC or RailPro.  I have seen the post for it and against it.  I have watched the videos on the Ring site.  I like how easy it looks to possibly setup, but I'm not too savvy doing the electrical part of model railroading.

My last layout was DC where I used Atlas connectors and just used track nails to put the wire against the rail.  Soldering I have not ever attempted so I a little reluctant to do that and ruin any track. Almost all my engines are DC or DCC ready and I have about 35 of them, and that could get costly to upgrade to DCC or RailPro.


Wondering how some of you made the jump?  I would post this on MRH, but these type of posts usually turn into the DCC vs Railpro battle and I don't want that.

Alan:
Speaking for myself, I made the decision to go RailPro because a) it communicates directly with the locomotives instead of a third component i.e. booster; b) it is wireless; c) load sharing.

a) RP is a simpler system from a components count. I like simplicity. Less potential failure points.
b) Relying on digital control signals sent over hundreds of feet of potentially dirty track and then being picked up by also potentially dirty rolling wheels just sounds like a bad idea from the get go. If we were dealing with very high voltages and/or high amperage then maybe okay. But at only 14 volts... no way. Look at all the problems people have with stalling on frogs. Now you want me to also pass the control signals on the same conduit? No thanks.
c) Easily the deciding factor. The load sharing functionality of RailPro is a quantum leap forward from DCC. Even the exotic (and expensive) DCC products like ProtoThrottle can't come close to RP's load sharing functionality. Speed matching every DCC loco to run exactly the same??? C'mon, you'll never get there no matter how much time you spend trying.

PS. don't be afraid of soldering. Honestly, it is so simple once you know what you are doing and getting to know what you are doing comes quickly. Real life example that just happened recently... a friend's hot tub quit working. We tore into it and found a corroded connector plug. We chopped off the plug and took it to my house where I have a supply of the pins used inside the connector. I stripped some wire, fired up the soldering iron, and began making new pin inserts for the connector. My friend, who has never soldered anything in his life, watched and after a bit said "Can I try that?" Sure! Handed him the soldering iron, gave him a few quick instructions, and he was off and running. He finished all the remaining pins. His hot tub is working fine now. If my suit and tie, never has had his hands dirty friend can solder so can you.

Dean:
You can wire your track up with Atlas rail joiners with wires. [ https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/atlas-ho-465-true-track-roadbed-terminal-joiners/ ]
There is nothing to connect to the track except a power supply. Just two wires from the rail joiners listed above.
The RailPro decoder plugs into the same 9 pin connector used in a lot of DCC ready engines. If the engine uses something other than the 9 pin connector, there are plug and play adaptors available. [  http://tcsdcc.com/accessories/harnesses  ]
There is no CV programming with RailPro like there is for DCC. I have had two different brands of DCC controllers and I never did figure out how to do consisting with either of them. I finally gave each engine in the consist the same address. Then I spent over an hour trying to speed match them. With RailPro, select an engine, press the 'Link' button, select the engines you want in the consist, press the 'Done' button. RailPro will do the speed matching automatically, on the fly.
Radio control is extra with DCC. It is standard with RailPro.
DCC controllers take batteries, $$$. The RailPro controller is rechargeable and comes with a charger.
The instruction manuals for some DCC systems seem to be written for EEs or someone with a computer science degree.
I wish I had found RailPro before I bought my present DCC system. ( I was so disgusted with the first DCC system that I threw it in the trash )
If you have a good power supply, all you need to get started with RailPro is the handheld controller and a RailPro decoder.

darryl.trains:
   "Wondering how some of you made the jump?"

Tis an easy decision for me as I never cared about those pesky CV things. After reading and research, I saw the light and it was bright for now I can do everything with a touch of the finger, no ! not that one! Well it was kind of hard to toss a bunch of decoders but the end was well worth it for me. Cheers, TOF in Arid-Zona

nodcc4me:
This was also an easy decision for me. I belong to a club that operates with DCC. Watching a couple of the more technically savvy members spend hours trying to make CV adjustments with JMRI was not something I was interested in doing. The 7 or 8 locimotives I had at the time were old and not DCC ready, so I had to jump in with hard wiring right away...a good learning experience. After using RP for 6 years with 31 locomotives, I would never go back to DC and I still keep a safe distance away from DCC.  ;D

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