C'mon guys, this is like saying that since Rusty can cast his own detail parts, one has to have a degree in metallurgy to be a model railroader, so I'll just stick to anything I can take out of the box RTR and stick it on the track, because that's always worked for me. Lorrell Joiner wrote an article on using a PC and the Forth language to automate DC block assignments. Does that mean I need to be a computer programmer to run DC?
DCC is complex? To get the equivalent of DC operation, you need to hook two wires to track pickups and two to the motor. Done. Anything more complex is only necessary if you want something DC cannot do. I submit that for anything beyond running one silent, dark locomotive, DCC is far simpler. It's easier to set up, and way easier for visitors to operate. Compare what you need to do to get a constant intensity headlight. DCC: hook two wires to the headlight. DC: short two pins in a bridge rectifier, remove a wire from the motor and attach to rectifier, run another wire from rectifier to motor, then two wires to headlight. Do you really want to compare assigning a locomotive address, which takes 5 seconds, with block wiring with toggles or rotary switches and tell me DC is simpler? Tell your guest operator. BTW: this isn't a criticism of people like Bill who choose to stick with what they've got and is working fine. The culprit is people that somehow make it appear that if you want some DCC capability, you must want all DCC capabilities. Most of us just want to turn a knob and have the locomotive move, maybe make some sounds and shine a light. None of that requires anything like the complexity that gets discussed on lists. Some people just get excited and want to have the rest of the world excited with them (nothing wrong with that, either). -Michael Eldridge -Still building the room for the new layout. Tough finding time lately. --- In [email protected], "Willam Fraley" <wjfraley@...> wrote: > > Lately after reading the list, I find that perhaps a model railroader has to > have a degree in electronics, especially those with DCC.
