Post by backshophoss on Sept 11, 2016 17:37:51 GMT -5
While there are reviews of the DCS 240 out (this months MRH,for example),the Rio Grande Valley (the HO club at Expo NM)
took the plunge and installed it.
To me it's been a mixed bag running with it,in an attempt to "automate" the layout for short staffed running during
the state fair and other Expo NM events held,they have been installing DS-64's,and Digitrax's signalling systems
to allow "Museum mode" single direction running and full operating sessions in "CTC-261" mode with a dispatcher.
The "LAN" style of loconet allows for this,but everything runs off it.
Loconet is an"open ended" network,if you have an accidental loop,the network has"issues"
They upgraded to "win 10" with the current version of JMRI on board,waiting for a better Wi-Fi signal after the fair runs this year
to get "update 101" of Java 8.
The "old" interface was a PR-3 programmer (original version),the DCS 240 is the "xtra" version of the PR-3
built in the command station.
Older,unupgraded versions of the DT 400,400R,402,402R,and 402D throttles will restricted to the "first" 120 slots
of the 400 slots avaible.
Digitrax has "Firmware" upgrades avaible for the PR-3 and the 402 series throttles,the 400 series need to factory upgraded
by Digitrax.
The current "given" is there's a need for 1 or 2 Loconet repeaters to handle the network message traffic across the layout.
There seems to be an issue with decoder addresses in the 70 to 200 range,and my QSI sound U-Boats went crazy.
All of my P-42's went wonky,and some recently finished conversions wouldn't run.
MU'ing more than 2 units,the middle units would quit running,loose consist info.
At present the Superliner consist is pulled by an C30-7 + F40ph combo!!
1 more week to go at the state fair,will see how that goes
took the plunge and installed it.
To me it's been a mixed bag running with it,in an attempt to "automate" the layout for short staffed running during
the state fair and other Expo NM events held,they have been installing DS-64's,and Digitrax's signalling systems
to allow "Museum mode" single direction running and full operating sessions in "CTC-261" mode with a dispatcher.
The "LAN" style of loconet allows for this,but everything runs off it.
Loconet is an"open ended" network,if you have an accidental loop,the network has"issues"
They upgraded to "win 10" with the current version of JMRI on board,waiting for a better Wi-Fi signal after the fair runs this year
to get "update 101" of Java 8.
The "old" interface was a PR-3 programmer (original version),the DCS 240 is the "xtra" version of the PR-3
built in the command station.
Older,unupgraded versions of the DT 400,400R,402,402R,and 402D throttles will restricted to the "first" 120 slots
of the 400 slots avaible.
Digitrax has "Firmware" upgrades avaible for the PR-3 and the 402 series throttles,the 400 series need to factory upgraded
by Digitrax.
The current "given" is there's a need for 1 or 2 Loconet repeaters to handle the network message traffic across the layout.
There seems to be an issue with decoder addresses in the 70 to 200 range,and my QSI sound U-Boats went crazy.
All of my P-42's went wonky,and some recently finished conversions wouldn't run.
MU'ing more than 2 units,the middle units would quit running,loose consist info.
At present the Superliner consist is pulled by an C30-7 + F40ph combo!!
1 more week to go at the state fair,will see how that goes
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