Complete Massoth Dimax kit just popped up on eBay....

[Zerogee]

For anyone thinking of upgrading to a Dimax system, this has just appeared:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Massoth-1200z...=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item519a215d03 < Link To http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mas...mp;hash=item519a215d03

A nice setup, all the latest kit (the 1200Z is the new version with the USB port) - £900 (the start price) to £1000 is probably a fair price for it; when I bought mine a year or so ago, I managed to get the same setup (excluding the switch decoder) for just over £1000 after a bit of haggling (from a dealer who isn't generally known to haggle, too...!).

Just thought I'd point it out in case anyone is in the market for one!

Jon.

 

[daveyb]

are these worth the money,,

need something easy to use and programme etc,,,

 

[Steve]

If you can afford it yes 100%

 

[Phil]

are these worth the money,,

need something easy to use and programme etc,,,

Lets just say, best thing you could use to power your Digital empire!
easy to use.. booklets explain things clearly... easy set up...

 

[daveyb]

oh no,,,,, looks like the crowbar, balaclava and swag bag will have to be dusted off

how do people feel about the zimo all in one decoder rather than the usual control and sound,,,
would it work ok with this,,, need to start converting a few locos,,

 

[mike]

the best thing i bought after my lgb trackcleaning loco..

 

[nico]

excellent, buy it

 

[daveyb]

hmmmmm i take it thats a thumbs up then,,,,,,,,,,

goodbye kidney,,, you will be missed,,,,,

 

[Zerogee]

Good luck with the auction, you won't regret it! I'd just check out what prices you can get it for new before you bid, especially check with Dragon G Scale because you can get the 5% off there for GSC members - then you'll have an informed idea of how much you want to bid up to in case the auction starts to get silly (you know what eBay can be like sometimes....).

Hey, who needs two kidneys anyway? (unless they're in a nice pie with some juicy steak and onions!)

Jon.

 

[shropshire lad]

Dragon don't seem to be able to get Massoth stuff at the moment so I'd check prices out elsewhere too

 

[mike]

about 3/4 off new seems fair at best

 

[daveyb]

hmmmmmmmm pie,,,,

slurp etc,,,

trouble is layout at planning stage,,,,,, and garden not a pretty sight,,,,

and do i buy one and put it away for a year,,,,,, or 2,,,,

technology changes so fast nowadays,,,,

and now ive seen something else to buy,,,,,

damn you ebay!!!!!

 

[whatlep]

are these worth the money,,
need something easy to use and programme etc,,,

Only you can answer. Do you need ALL the features which differentiate it from LGB/Piko (also made by Massoth) and all the other manufacturers of DCC kit?

If yes, it's worth it to YOU.
If no, then there's the danger of - to give an alternative example - spending £20 on a bottle of wine rather than £10 because the extra money must make it twice as good.

In short, it's all a matter of what tastes right to you.

 

[whatlep]

Disagree! The analogy doesnt stand up. I can say from my experience that if your Massoth kit cost twice as much, you get twice as much,
With bottles of wine, you can pay half as much and get twice as much!!
Dunno what this has got to do with ebay but it is interesting

Thank you for proving my analogy accurate so quickly! You may prefer a less expensive bottle of wine to a pricier one. That's great. Similarly, a less expensive DCC system may taste better to this particular buyer.

We can all state our preferences both for wine or DCC system, but they're irrelevant unless they taste right to/ fulfil the needs of this buyer and him alone

 

[mike]

bite the bullet.. yes the earth moved:love:

 

[mike]

i was in arcaddia, tim(the owner) was showing me how to operate the sounds on my v52.and explaining why it wouldnt work at home.. i walked out with a lgb, mts2 set up, sold the unopened trainenginner id bought the week before!!

 

[whatlep]

Perhaps, we should have a survey on control equipment and how we rate it?

Good idea Roly. Note while reading this that I am not very interested in sound which does make a difference.
1998-2008 - I used an LGB MTS 1 box (55000). It worked fine (and still does if ever needed). The MTS1 box handled point modules, return loop modules and over the years chips varying from LGB 55020, 55021 to ESU Lokpilot and Massoth XL. The system also featured wireless control using LGB 55055/55050 items without any issues and up to 50 feet range (obviously serial only). The original Lenz loco mouse is still around, but no longer used. Instead I have one 55016 loco controller, which children seem to find intuitive, plus two 55015 universal controllers
2008 - acquired an MTS 55005 serial unit cheaply as eventually I outgrew the MTS1's 8 loco limitation and with the latest incarnation of Ruritanian railways wanted to double-head locos. Again no issues at all. By now, all the locos were Massoth XL fitted, except two old Stainzes with 55021s. Point and reverse loop modules gradually changed from LGB to Massoth for superior features and performance. I also swapped my Gaugemaster transformer for an LGB one and found I was getting much more stable voltage at the far end of the layout.
2009 - did a deal to exchange the 55005 for a new 55006 (MTS3 unit) and change the serial 55055 for a parallel version. 55055 parallel an excellent purchase. The fact it's labelled parallel is irrelevant: the improvement is from more sensitive radio components, as a little testing quickly proved. 55006 no improvement at all over the 55005. Not one of my better buys. Also bought a 55090 booster for the 1 in 20 hill on my line. Could have managed without it had the layout been flat.
2010 - borrowed a Massoth hand controller to see if that added something to the 55006 MTS3 experience. Horrid! I forced myself to stick with it for a week, then gladly returned it. How anyone uses it baffles me. Totally non-intuitive and far too complex for my poor brain.

So, what would I buy were I starting out again with my 13 years of DCC experience
[*]Second hand LGB 55005 (serial or parallel, doesn't matter) plus;[*]a decent transformer (either second-hand LGB or new Helmsman)[*]55055 parallel wireless receiver[*]55015 universal remote(s) with 55050 transmitters (serial or parallel)[*]Massoth XL chips[*]Masoth point and reverse loop modules If I was into sound, I'd go for all parallel kit to get more reliable performance on F2 and above.

 

[minimans]

for me it was...............1984 LGB starter set with controller, then in 1986 an upgrade to the LGB 5amp amp and throttle in the signal box. after getting our first real Garden in 1989 a further upgrade to an Iron Horse Blue streak 8 amp three channel transformer, upgraded to 10amp then again to 12amp and it's what I use today! 22 years use from this little beauty mind you it cost a fortune back then but worth every penny! And it's digital only takes one digit to operate...........................................

 

[daveyb]

im starting to go wibble again,,,,,

probably going to sit in the corner now,,

and turn out the lights,,

 

[Zerogee]

im starting to go wibble again,,,,,

probably going to sit in the corner now,,

and turn out the lights,,

Heheh.... yes, it can seem a bit confusing and daunting, and of course everyone has their own opinions.... this is MY view, for what it's worth:

The Massoth system will be everything that you are likely to need - but, it may be MORE than you need. There are cheaper options, such as LGB's MTSIII or Piko's new system, which would probably be entirely suitable for most purposes. BUT (and again this is purely my opinion, and YMMV) the Dimax is the "Rolls Royce" of systems in terms of quality. I pointed out the eBay auction to folks here in the hope that it would be useful to someone, especially if it doesn't go too far above the start price. As to whether it is worth buying and then not using for a year or more while you build your line, well, that's a gamble - the software on the Dimax IS upgradable when they release new versions, but obviously there will be new products coming on the market in that time - some of which may be even better. In the end, you sometimes just have to roll the dice.....

Jon.