ECOS50200 inspiration

[Guest keio6000]

I just got an ECOS50200.  The german company that makes it are as far as I can tell a meanspirited bunch of ****s who provide terrible customer service, but they make a good product (DCC contoller), especially if it was 2008 (now, it needs an upgrade, but is still very good).

Here are some inspirational shots of my new toy. The first shows the kato wide view shinano train and the controller.  note how i have created (modified) and uploaded a graphuc to match the train.

 

the second shows some of the trains that i hope to control soon via this (again, i have created or modified the images and have uploaded them to the controller.

 

Edited October 16, 2014 by keio6000

[Martijn Meerts]

But, if the ECoS is 2008, what would things like the Digitrax throttles be, 1950? :)

 

Or how about this beauty: http://www.rautenhaus-digital.de/images/stories/produkte/slx844neu.jpg ....

 

 

Actually, I think the only DCC controller currently available that looks more modern than the ECoS, is the Marklin Central Station 2, but performance wise it's pretty much the same.

[Guest keio6000]

well, basically it uses an ancient touchscreen with a stylus (was low quality even in 2008), 64mb of memory, etc, and the housing is somewhat cheap.

 

yes, of course it is the most recent in modern railroading, but for example if this was done today it would be done with a better screen, more up to date cpu, built-in-wifi or at least USB, etc, since the costs to implement these now are nearly nil relative to the cost of the unit.

 

you'll notice that i wrote the train name as "WideView Shinano" and not "Wide View Shinano". This is because of the character limitation in the UI.  again, stuff like this.

[Martijn Meerts]

Multitouch screen wouldn't have worked all that well. They'd have to increase the size of the UI, which means there'd be less content overall (or a larger screen). I use it regularly without the stylus, but it's not always easy. The limitations are partially due to compatibility with external throttles and such. It could've been handled better, but in hindsight everything could've been handled better.

 

It would be interesting to see what someone could build using current hardware though, but the time from idea to finished product would be pretty extensive so that by the time the product is done, all the hardware would be old again :)

[Melandir]

Actually, I think the only DCC controller currently available that looks more modern than the ECoS, is the Marklin Central Station 2, but performance wise it's pretty much the same.

 

I think that the most modern looking DCC controller is your smartphone and tablet with the Z21 software..... function wise is the same as the other two

[Martijn Meerts]

If you include modular systems, then yes, any controller that supports some software on a table/phone looks more modern. Of course, the ECoS and Central Station (and Viessmann Commander and Lenz Digital-Plus etc.) have that option as well :)

 

I guess the most modern system could be considered to be the one that's driving Miniatur Wunderland =)

[Melandir]

If you include modular systems, then yes, any controller that supports some software on a table/phone looks more modern. Of course, the ECoS and Central Station (and Viessmann Commander and Lenz Digital-Plus etc.) have that option as well :)

 

I guess the most modern system could be considered to be the one that's driving Miniatur Wunderland =)

It's a little different, with the Z21 you need a smarphone or tablet, or you will not have any controller at all, the Z21 package don't include it, they suppouse that you have already a smartphone or tablet.

 

Miniature wunderland doesn't it use train controller as control system?

Edited October 16, 2014 by Melandir

[Martijn Meerts]

Well yeah, the Z21 requires it, but a lot of other stations support it as well.. Either way, I'm still of the opinion that one should go for a command station that they feel comfortable with. Which brand it is is really rather irrelevant.

 

I think Miniatur Wunderland uses Railware for their software for the most part, hardware wise it's a mix of different things, but they do use a lot of Littfinski components. They have a lot of computers controlling the layout. When I was there, they were still building the airport, but they already had like 40 computers. They've probably doubled it by now.

[macdon]

Watching some videos of this ESU ECoS was really impressive! After watching, it made me feel like throwing my DC kato controller in the thrash :D

Awesome hardware and software! Too bad, still a bit out of my reach.

 

Mardon

[Guest keio6000]

I went for the ecos over the tablet/z21 route as i place a lot of importance on the tactile sensation of the controller (any touchscreen i think just isnt the same for direct train control) plus this will always work as a standalone system without the need for evef changing phones and tablets. That said, with this i have the option to use it as a z21 as well.

 

Downsides: cost of the unit amd esus terrible customer "service."

[kvp]

Is there a physical controller available for the Z21? I'm thinking about something like the Tomix cab controllers.

[The Next Station Is...]

Is there a physical controller available for the Z21? I'm thinking about something like the Tomix cab controllers.

You can plug in at least the Multimaus and Rokmaus II controllers on both versions of the Z21.

[Martijn Meerts]

The black version also has loconet, so it should be compatible with pretty much all Digitrax handhelds for example, and any others that are loconet compatible.

[Melandir]

Z21 can also use Lenz controllers

[E6系]

The black version also has loconet, so it should be compatible with pretty much all Digitrax handhelds for example, and any others that are loconet compatible.

 

I could not find this product.  Do you have a link to the Loconet equipped version?

[Martijn Meerts]

http://www.z21.eu/en/FAQ-Support/FAQ

 

Black one's right up top..

 

Black one is the 'regular' version, whereas the white one is designed for starter sets and the like.

[Melandir]

I could not find this product.  Do you have a link to the Loconet equipped version?

 

At the moment the only thing you cannot do with the Loconet bus in the Z21 is to pilot Loconet Boosters

[E6系]

I C

 

Complicate

 

So if I want to use Z21 app on tablet with existing Digitrax DCC, what do I need?  It looks like I need Z21 Black, configured as a slave.  Is that correct?

[Melandir]

I C

 

Complicate

 

So if I want to use Z21 app on tablet with existing Digitrax DCC, what do I need?  It looks like I need Z21 Black, configured as a slave.  Is that correct?

 

Hi E6

 

yes you can do that, but you need to take special care to use the correct loconet cable and configure the Z21 as slave