Digitrax

[Alpineandy]

I am considering this system for my railway, most likely the wireless duplex system.

Any pro's and cons would be useful to aid my decision.

Thanks in anticipation :thinking:

 

[PaulRhB]

Pros
It's a well proven product and does what it claims well, several stockists for extras in the UK. Price, it's the cheapest uk legal radio system and extra basic throttles only cost around £92 by far the cheapest option for adding extra radio throttles.

Cons
Manual is a bit techno speak in places. The handsets buttons are all the same sizes you have to look rather than feel for functions.

I've looked at several and, unless NCE do a uk legal radio, this is my top choice to replace the MTS when it succumbs. The NCE throttles are more intuitive and I use their system for my OO stuff.
I've been using my mts since 2002 so it's hopefully got a few more years in it but it's easier to do research now and just watch developments on each system in case one leaps ahead with useful features.

 

[New Haven Neil 2]

I only have proper hands on experience with Lenz and Digitrax, I found the Digi handsets to be a total nightmare, just not intuitive to use at all. A brief try of NCE was positive though. I use Lenz which is OK, but a touch expensive and getting a bit out of date now. I've had it for years though, totally reliable.

As an aside, the only decoder from over 40 in use I have ever had the magic smoke escape from was Digitrax.

 

[Brixham]

As previous posters have said, the system works well, but the control surfaces are difficult to use, with many small buttons all the same colour and very closely spaced.
If only they would redesign the housings to make operation much easier. The entry system DCS50 called the Zephyr has just been redlaunched, called the Zephyr extra. Digitrax could have made a great leap forward facilitating easy operation, but they have kept the design concept the same.
Do many of you remember the Sinclair ZX80/81/Spectrum and the horrible keyboards. Well, Digitrax isn't that bad, but there was a huge supply of after-market add-on keyboards for the Sinclair's...if only someone would do something similar for Digitrax.
Just look at the modern Hornby Select..it has large, multicoloured buttons, easy to navigate. Mind you, I don't like it technically.

Going back to Digitrax, one of my friends has made layouts in OO and TT using a combination of Digitrax units, ending up with a DCS100 command station, two DCS50's and two UT4 slave throttles, along with Digitrax's point controllers all wired on one control bus. It worked really well, without any serious issues. We did agree that the next layout would have touch screen point control, but he's moving hose, and all layouts are now dismantled.

I have seen a temporary outdoor layout run with Digitrax ( Alresford vintage train show ), but I suspect pressing the correct buttons in the dark would be an issue!

Malcolm

 

[PaulRhB]

I did wonder if you could get an overlay made with symbols on and holes punched for the buttons or even some caps that glue on to the frequently used ones to make them stand out.