Talk: DCC Starter Systems Comparison
Welcome to the talk page for DCC Starter Systems Comparison
(Renamed in 2020 to better reflect what it is.)
If you are reading this, you are one of the few who instead of complaining and pointing out inaccuracies, has decided to volunteer your time to update and correct this table, sharing this information with everyone.
Those who snidely state "How hard can it be to make a table using information from websites?" have obviously never tried. There are many DCC systems out there made by a multitude of companies, some of which are very frugal with respect to their websites. European sites are often not in English either. Many brands rely on their dealer network to educate the DCC Customer about the systems available.
So, thanks for taking the time to help update this table.
PS, if you want to work on this table, you can use the table generator at: Media Wiki Table Generator
Test of new table
This is just a demo. Some additional editing will be needed.
| Condensed DCC Systems Comparison | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Name | Maximum ThrottleCapacity | Throttle Type | Speed Control | Address Range: Number; Two or Four Digit | Maximum Consists | Consisting: Universal or Advanced | Speed Steps | Functions | Output Current, Amps | Feedback | Communications Bus | Programming Modes: Main or Ops Modes | Separate Programming Track |
| Bachmann EZ Command | 24 | Base Unit | Knob | 10; 2 | None | 14 | 9F0-F8 | 3 | No | X-Bus | No | No | |
| ECos 50210 | ? | Base unit | Knob | 9999; 2/4 | ? | All | 14/28/128 | 20 | 6 | RailCoM | ECOsLink | Main | Yes |
| ECos Cab Control 2 | 32 | Wireless6 | Knob | 16000; 2/4 | ? | All | 14/28/128 | 28 | 6 | ||||
| Roco LokMaus2 | 10 | Hand-Held | Knob, Centre Off | 99; 2 | None | None | 14/28/128 | 4;:F0-F3 | 2.7 | ? | XpressNet | Yes | No |
| Lenz Compact/Atlas Master | 5 | Base Unit | Knob | 100; 2 | ? | Advanced | 14/28/128 | 5: F0-F4 | 2.5 | No | No | No | |
| Digitrax Zephyr (DCS51) | 10 | Base Unit | Lever | 9983; 2/4 | 10 | All | 14/28/128 | 9 F0-F8 | 2.5 | No | LocoNet | Yes , plus Blast Mode | Yes |
| Digitrax Zephyr XTRA (DCS51) | 20 | 30: F0-F29 | 3.0 | ||||||||||
| Digitrax Zephyr Express (DCS52) | |||||||||||||
| Gaugemaster / MRC Prodigy Advance | 99 | Hand-Held | Knob | 9999; 2/4 | 99 | Advanced | 14/28/128 | 9: F0-F8 | 5 | Yes | MRC Throttle BUS | Yes | Yes |
| Lenz Set 90 | 31 | Hand-Held | Knob | 9999, 2/4 | 256 | All | 14/28/128 | 13: F0-F12 | 5 | Yes | XpressNet | Yes | Yes |
| Lenz Set 100 | Buttons | ||||||||||||
| Lenz Set 101 | Knob | 29: F0-F28 | |||||||||||
| Digitrax Super Empire Builder/ SEB XTRA | 22 | Hand-Held | Buttons, Two Knobs | 9983; 2/4 | 22 | All | 14/28/128 | 9: F0-F8; XTRA: 30 | 5 | No | LocoNet | All | No |
| Digitrax Super Chief/ SC XTRA | 120 | 120 | 13: F0-F12; XTRA: 30 | 5/8 | Yes | ||||||||
| Digitrax EVO Advanced | 100 | 9000+;2/4 | ? | 30 | 5/8 | ? | |||||||
| Digitrax EVOD Advanced | ? | ? | |||||||||||
| Fleischmann Twin Center | 64 | Base Unit | 2 Knobs | 9999; 2/4 | 8 | None | 14/28/128 | 9: F0-F8 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| NCE Power House Pro | 63 | Hand-Held | Buttons and Thumb Wheel | 9999; 2/4 | 127 | All | 14/28/128 | 13: F0-F12 | 10 | Yes | NCE Cab Bus | Yes | Yes |
| NCE Pro Cab | |||||||||||||
| NCE Power Cab | 2 | ||||||||||||
| CVP Products | 99 | Base Unit | Knob | 9999; 2/4 | Unlimited; No more than 256 locomotives in consists. | Universal | 14/28/128 | 9: F0-8 | 10 | No | EasyDCC | Yes | Yes |
| Zimo MX31 | 30 | Hand-Held | Slider | 10239; 4 digit | Unlimited; No more than 256 locomotives in consists. | Universal | 128 | 12 | 10/ 2@8 | Yes | 115 kbit/s CAN bus | Yes | Yes |
| ZTC 511 | 0 | Base Unit | Lever | 2/4 9999 | ? | ? | 14/28 | 28 | 5 | No | Extended X-Bus | Yes | Yes |
Important Note
This table relies both on user input to create and maintain entries, and the DCC manufacturers information or lack thereof for details about their systems.
If you wish to make changes or add information but are unsure of how to do it, please leave the information here so someone can update the list.
Updates or Corrections
If you make a correction or update from items in this list, please leave a note indicating it has been done.
Updates
Updated Jan 2019 to add Zephyr Express, delete Zephyr Added some NCE systems: May be incorrect as NCE is very quiet about their system's specifications and capabilities. Almost nothing is known about the NCE Twin, and how it compares to the Zephyr.
2020
Created the condensed version
Comments
Is the "Loco Number Readback" column refering to reading the locomotive number on the mainline or reading the locomotive number on the programming track?
I ask because I'm not aware of a system that can read locomotive numbers back on the mainline without optional equipment.
Lenz systems requre an LRC120
Digitrax systems require a BDL168 and an RX4 to do this.
Copyrighted page
The source code for this comparison table contains a marker which shows it to be copied from my site. The full and up to date version of this table can be viewed at http://www.p4me.net/DCC/systems.html
There is also an explantion for all of the terms used in the table, and a print friendly version available at my site.
The table shown on this site and my own is copyright 2005-2006 p4me.net
- Uht-oh. We'll either need to delete this page, or replace it with our a freely distributable page. Anyone up for a fun task of doing this?
- Page or website in question no longer exists. June 2018.
2020
The page still exists on the Wayback machine, but the web archive ends in 2008 (12 years ago). While there are some similarities, it isn't a verbatim copy. Some entries are missing from his, and his chart included images.
https://web.archive.org/web/20080917050347/http://www.p4me.net/DCC/systems.html