Author Topic: Forgive me group for I have ... almost errored  (Read 4801 times)

TomO

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Forgive me group for I have ... almost errored
« on: May 10, 2016, 11:51:58 PM »
Sold the house, layout and the Rail Pro system with it. Due to medical issues I have been away from model railroading these past few weeks, just on the forums. No place or energy to run trains.

This evening I went to the home of a hobby shop friend who had asked if I felt up to running a few trains? Answer was yes. I took a non decoder but DCC ready Kato SD40 over as its an easy install. Friend opened up the engine dropped the LOCSound decoder in and attached to the iphone 4 speaker already installed. The sound was awesome as was the running on the program track.

A few minutes with the easy to use NCE Procab and off and running we went for awhile. I asked to consist one of his engines with mine. He took both engines to programing track to consist them. He must have fiddled with those things for 45 minutes before saying, sometimes engines just do not consist. I said no problem (he-he) I'll just run mine on his beautiful switching area.

He played maybe another 1/2 hour while I ran one of his consists around the layout, loksound creates awesome music to diesel lovers. Never got to run my train again this evening. He said the CV's all needed to be adjusted. Told him I appreciated the time and in a couple months he will need to visit my new space and layout.

I have been contemplating not returning to Rail Pro and going with NCE which to use is a very nice system. After watching what he went through to get one engine coded to run and the difficulty of consisting engines, no freaking way.

I will be ordering another Rail Pro system to go along with the experiment that will be dead rail using the 2 new boards from BlueRail Trains I have received.

He only has 5 locomotives on his NCE system which is 3 ProCabs all tied to fascia plugs. I took him to the RailPro site and the videos there. Told him to wait on any more purchases until he tries Rail Pro on my layout. I can't wait for my track to arrive as the benchwork is up, so tomorrow will be applying the 2" foam to the benchwork and ordering a new system. I say the only real improvement needed to Rail Pro is the sounds, Loksound truly was beautiful to listen to.

Every difficult to program issue I've heard about DCC came forth this evening. I was only able to use Rail Pro for a couple months before the house sale was finalized. They asked for the layout for the 12yr old son. I took 4 locomotives that were still DC but DCC ready with me.

The 3 engines left behind were all DCC ready, A Kato, Athearn Genisis and finally an INtermountain. The Rail Pro module while a little big still was an easy fit and the sound attached to Iphone 4 speaks (thanks Bill B for your blog on that) was good. I don't think it took any more than 10 minutes including the 1st one. Preaching to the choir I know, but consisting was so easy.

I'm coming back to Rail Pro

TomO

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Re: Forgive me group for I have ... almost errored
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2016, 01:02:13 AM »
I hope things pick up for you Tom.

Welcome back to RailPro. I think your friend will be even more impressed when he gets to run a train with it and may even convert or at least get the system; this is a phenomenon many on here are familiar with.

It's really comparing apples to oranges RailPro and Loksound, ESU have been making sound decoders for 17 years. I don't know how many years Ring has been at sound but Ring will never be in the same league due to the closed nature of RailPro and the open nature of Loksound. The sound will get better but it's going to take a lot longer than the time it could take.

- Tim

nodcc4me

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Re: Forgive me group for I have ... almost errored
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2016, 08:36:30 AM »
Preaching to the choir is OK here Tom. Not only might your friend become a RP fan, but the 12 year old who inherited your layout will become one too.  :)
Al

Run your train, not your brain. Get RailPro. It's a no-brainer.

KPack

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Re: Forgive me group for I have ... almost errored
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2016, 10:12:56 AM »
Indeed, Loksound does have the best sound.  That is the only thing that DCC has over Railpro, at least in my humble opinion.  You can't beat Railpro's ease of use though.  Your story about your friend trying hard to speed match brings back nightmares of hours upon hours of wasted time and aggravation.  Never again!

-Kevin

William Brillinger

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Re: Forgive me group for I have ... almost errored
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2016, 10:23:59 AM »
Tom, your story is a fantastic testimony for RailPro. The few annoyances we have to deal with are nothing compared to the normal for DCC.

I do agree, the sounds on RailPro are the weak link, but the system is capable of being just as good! The more people that contact Ring's support and ask for updated sounds, the sooner it will happen.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2016, 08:39:12 AM by William Brillinger »
- Bill Brillinger, RPUG Admin

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, owner of Precision Design Co., and RailPro Dealer.


TomO

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Re: Forgive me group for I have ... almost errored
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2016, 07:58:41 AM »
Someone here posted a partial quote of mine from this thread on a Digitrak thread at the MRH forums.   I since have said sorry to Joe Fugate as he felt it was a marketing ploy and I included a link to this site so they could read all. NCE was/is  a great system to run and the initial setup was very easy. The consisting as stated was a mess.

There was no intent on my posting here to incite a US vs them debate.

TomO

William Brillinger

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Re: Forgive me group for I have ... almost errored
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2016, 08:05:45 AM »
My apologies Tom. That was not the intent of my quoting of your post. I will remove it.
- Bill Brillinger, RPUG Admin

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, owner of Precision Design Co., and RailPro Dealer.


TomO

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Re: Forgive me group for I have ... almost errored
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2016, 09:04:15 AM »
Bill--leave it. No poor intentions as I see it and coming from you no issue. As with Joe I have respect for what you have always posted and I love following your stuff on MRH.  I thought someone was trying to start a flaming event, which Joe definitely stopped

TomO