DC or DCC over DC track

[Giugiaro]

Good afternoon everyone!

 

I have a hard decision to make. I'm considering purchasing, eventually this year, the Fleischmann version of the SNCF BB 22000.
As a European model, it has both an Analogue version and a DCC version with sound, totalling a 90,50€ difference.

 

Given that I currently have a fully analogue N scale system, would the DCC version be worth the investment if it runs in Analogue?

 

I have a DCC controller at home, so I can hook that one if I want to use additional DCC functions.
The locomotive also allows me to participate in the N Club Portugal module exhibitions, as they operate only in DCC.

 

On the other hand, 90,50€ is money that can buy a lot of stuff from the Japanese N scale market. The DC version is already quite a punch in the gut, and the DCC is an investment worth two months of savings.

Edited June 12, 2022 by disturbman

[katoftw]

Can this DCC product be run on your DC track?

 

Does the DCC controllers your club use allow the use of one DC train to be run?  Some products do.

 

If no to both?  Can the DCC and DC boards be interchanged in this product your wish to purchase?

[Giugiaro]

12 hours ago, katoftw said:

Can this DCC product be run on your DC track?

 

From the catalogue the DCC version uses a Zimo Next-18 sound decoder, type MX659N18.

Looking at the ZIMO website the MX659N18 is said to be able to run on DC.

 

 

12 hours ago, katoftw said:

Does the DCC controllers your club use allow the use of one DC train to be run?  Some products do.

 

There are no rules stated in the club chart that the operation mode is DCC only.

But in the last event the module installation was running in DCC and the trains were being controlled automatically by a central computer.

All other clubs in the event were also only operating in DCC.

 

 

12 hours ago, katoftw said:

Can the DCC and DC boards be interchanged in this product your wish to purchase?

 

I can buy the DC version and later install a decoder if I wish. A LokPilot 5 Fx micro goes for around 34€ and is also DC compatible.

What confuses me is the fact that this locomotive uses a Next18 plug that I've never heard of.

Edited June 13, 2022 by Giugiaro

[disturbman]

1 hour ago, Giugiaro said:

I can buy the DC version and later install a decoder if I wish. A LokPilot 5 Fx micro goes for around 34€ and is also DC compatibe.

Sounds like you have your solution. Less up-front and total investment.

 

1 hour ago, Giugiaro said:

What confuses me is the fact that this locomotive uses a Next18 plug that I never heard about before.

It's quite common.

Edited June 13, 2022 by disturbman

[chadbag]

12 hours ago, Giugiaro said:

What confuses me is the fact that this locomotive uses a Next18 plug that I've never heard of.

 

The Next18 is a common newer technology DCC decoder interface.  You can either buy the DCC version and remove the decoder and put the DC plug in and then put the DCC decoder back in as necessary or buy the DC version and at your leisure buy a Next18 compatible DCC decoder to add if you want to run it on the clubs DCC.

 

Depends how much the sound is worth it to you I guess.

 

I personally avoid the DC DCC cross compatibility modes.  No personal bad experiences but I've read enough to not want to take the chance.

[Martijn Meerts]

On 6/13/2022 at 8:57 AM, Giugiaro said:

I can buy the DC version and later install a decoder if I wish. A LokPilot 5 Fx micro goes for around 34€ and is also DC compatible.

What confuses me is the fact that this locomotive uses a Next18 plug that I've never heard of.

 

Just be aware that the Fx series of decoders are function decoders, and can't control the motor. The regular (non-Fx) LokPilot decoders aren't much more expensive though, and they're great decoders.

 

The Next socket is actually fairly common, but mostly in H0, for N you still mostly have NEM 651 or 652, or some version of the PluX socket.

 

Anyway, I'd probably just get the analog version and add a decoder later if needed. But then again, I'm no fan of sound in N-scale, and overal I prefer to be able to pick which decoder I want to install rather than have a factory installed one 🙂