catnap posted:I currently have 4 MTH PS3 GP40's that I run under DCC. Back when I was in 3-rail I used to run DCS and I have to say that PS3 locomotives under DCC run just as well as they do with DCS. Other than no proto-couplers, DCC activates all of the features that DCS does. I prefer DCC over DCS because there are no annoying "Check Track" or "Engine Not Found" messages.
I have an NCE PH10R which is the wireless command set which includes a 10 amp booster. When I build my layout next year I will get another 10 amp booster and "Brutus" power supply - 2 boosters/2 loops, 1 command station.
That's the same reason I like DCC so much. When I issue a command the locomotive responds. Pretty much every time. The once in a rare while it doesn't respond is because it hit some dirty track. No command system will work with dirty track except the Dead Rail stuff.
I bought the NCE system about 10 years ago. It was cheaper back then. I later on upgraded the system to radio and then I added the Brute. I only have one Booster. I am glad I waited on the radio option because the original NCE radio equipment was not good. They re-engineered their radio stuff and now it is bulletproof like the rest of the system.
"You can not run your whole layout from one command set." This is not entirely true. Smaller layouts will only need the one Booster. I used to belong to a club that ran this system. They have a very large layout about 60' by 30' with large mainlines. I am not sure how many boosters they have but I don't think it is more than 3 or 4 but this is a large club layout. I can't picture home layouts needing more than 2 or 3 at the most. This is due to 2 rail or 3RS usually having larger curves and thus more of a scale themed track plan where less is more. In a scale atmosphere you usually do not see a spaghetti bowl track plan where the user tries to fit in as many loops as possible. Nothing wrong with those layouts just stating the difference. However you are correct in stating the Boosters are not cheap. Thank God they are a one time expense.
OTOH, if someone wanted to build a toy train layout with a lot of smoke and incandescent lighting it could really get expensive with the boosters.
