command control

[philip]

Is there any reviews on the MRC Prodigy II system out anywhere. It may be called Prodigy Advanced. I checked the MRC website and nothing yet posted. Any body heard anything thru the grapevine? Thanks in advance.

philip

 

[Alan B]

Phil,

Go to http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/mrc-prodigya-review.htm for a review. Grapevine says it's a good system, but a little under-powered for the price. It's definitely better than a Digitrax Zephyr, but not a Lenz Set 90, in my opinion.

Alan

 

[kchronister]

Alan - Very succinct review, and I agree.

Now, can someone tell Lenz that their system is great, and can they just put out a LH-100 throttle with a knob/dial rather than pushbuttons. My one and only complaint with them is that. I love the easy-access to switching, etc. of the 100, but I sure miss that "crank her up, Gladys" feel of a rheostat...

 

[Alan B]

Alan - Very succinct review, and I agree.

Now, can someone tell Lenz that their system is great, and can they just put out a LH-100 throttle with a knob/dial rather than pushbuttons. My one and only complaint with them is that. I love the easy-access to switching, etc. of the 100, but I sure miss that "crank her up, Gladys" feel of a rheostat...

For that very reason, I personally prefer the Lenz LH90 for train control. But, I don't have any of my turnouts decoded as yet. The LH90 is great, street price is around $80, no hand throttle is cheaper with four digits. It feels nice in my hand and it's well made. Lenz builds the MRC Prodigy Advance, so I suspect it has a nice feel too. Lenz built the old Roco Lokmaus I. It was nice. I like the Lokmaus II which Roco builds in house. Lenz builds the Atlas Commander and Hand Command. But, the Atlas Hand Command has only two digit control and is more expensive than the LH90.

 

[philip]

Thanks for the link Alan,

I have been told,
The Advance system will only operate with engines that have decoders installed, which kind of blows for those who are analog. Our club is changing to the advance model. Big blowout at the club because its a 50/50 mix of analog and decoder personnel. Still in discussion

philip

 

[Alan B]

Thanks for the link Alan,

I have been told,
The Advance system will only operate with engines that have decoders installed, which kind of blows for those who are analog. Our club is changing to the advance model. Big blowout at the club because its a 50/50 mix of analog and decoder personnel. Still in discussion

philip

You're welcome.

You have been told correctly, the Prodigy Advance will only support decoder equipped engines. I would love to have been privy to the negotiations that lead MRC to accept that. But, the best any DCC system can do is control one analog locomotive. I don't really view the Prodigy Advance as a club system. It's way too under-powered for that. For a club, you really need the Lenz Set 90, 100 or NCE Powerhouse Pro.

A Digitrax Super Chief might do and they heavily discount to clubs. The Super Chief, like all Digitrax products has no future expandibility when new features arrive, you will either live without them on a Super Chief, or you will have to replace it at equal or greater expense. For that reason alone, I stay away from Digitrax products.

Alan

 

[philip]

Alan ,

I have no idea why the club keeps blowing money. The so called electricians must be rookies Maybe a budget thing. I do know they had digitrax and it bit the dust, a couple of other systems also. The club could have purchased a good system with all the experimental monies shelled out on the try and buy stuff.

What system would you advise. Rough cost?

thanks, philip

 

[Alan B]

Philip,

I'm fond of the Lenz systems. A Set 100 retails at $350 and a couple of extra boosters are probably $150 each. The handhelds retail for $100 each or you can get XPAs and let everyone bring their own cordless phone for about $50. The Set 100 has the capability with an XPA to run using some PDAs as well. Because of the warranty, the Lenz is just about impossible to beat from my point of view. Short of vandalism, Lenz USA will fix or replace the thing if anything goes wrong.

Alan

PS, where are you "down by the Ohio River"? I gew up in Tell City, IN.

 

[philip]

thanks Alan, :thumb:

Currently live in a Rambler,,, before it was a Studebaker Lark.

originally from New Albany, IN ....................now sleepy Irvington, KY Evansville Route just down the street

philip

 

[vanda32547]

I just got the MRC Prodigy Advance DCC System and so far it seems to do what I needed it to do. Since I am just new to DCC I have nothing to compare it too, however it is really nice and I am looking forward to many years of DCC fun on my small railroad. I also just received my Broadway Limited 4-6-4 locomotive with sound and it is so great. I wish all my other DCC equipped engines had sound now.

Regards,

 

[kchronister]

Ah yes, the hidden downside of sound -- once you get one, you'll want 'em all to have it... I actually have found the much-maligned MRC Sound Decoder to be a great option here. Costs 25% of the higher-end sound decoders and 40-50% of their "bargain" versions (e.g. Soundtraxx "LC" series)... Yet, to my ear the sound quality is about 75% of the top end and pretty close to the 'bargain' level ones.

Sure, I have high-end sound decoders in my high-end locos which I tend to run more frequently anyhow. But with a motive power roster of 16, 10 of which have no sound as of yet, I'm looking at spending $2,000+ to do the remaining ones "high end" and $600 to do them "good enough"...

Bottom line, at $60 a pop, you can sound-equip a lot more locos and lot more quickly than you can at $120-$200+ per...

Kris