Reccomended DCC controller for beginners

[yelrow]

I have 3 selects daisy chained to Elite, for ease of control round the layout.

[Mountain Goat]

I use Both selects, and Elite, and have been quite content with their performance.

Nice. Out of interest, can they be used together on one layout? What I mean is... With my Lenz the starter controller (No longer made me thinks) known as the Compact which can be used on its own, can also be used as a slave controller to the better Lenz systems. Is this the same with the Hornby DCC controllers and with other makes?

Yes, a Select can be plugged into an Elite as a slave controller. In fact, I believe up to seven can be daisy chained off the Elite. Only the Elite can be connected to the track and the Selects must not have their power supplies connected.

PS. A Select can also be connected to another Select, which becomes a master, as a slave. Again, up to seven can be connected together AFAIK.

Ah. Similar to the Lenz Compact as one can run other compacts as slaves to the Compact one uses as a master. The only part I thought was not so great is one needs to buy the lead as a separate item if one uses a Compact as a slave. It would have been nice for Lenz to include it anyway as standard.
I know that either the Lenz sets 01 and 02 and the later sets 90 and 100 all (If I am correct) can be used with up to 32 handsets or slave controllers and Roco (Locomaus) handsets can be used if desired. There was another make of handset which I can't remember which was designed to work with Lenz. Why one would want to use 32 handsets I don't know. I have four if I include the Compact and I have never had four people use them at the same time.
Not sure what the latest Lenz is doing as I have not kept up to date as last I looked a few years ago they were developing a new system and I have not looked since. May take a look now just out of curiosity. Not buying! Haha!

Updated. Apart from a new "Minimalistic" handset (A good idea to be honest), a new wireless handset system and more loco functions accessability, I can't see a lot that is different to mine, (Saw the Coastal DCC site) so it goes to show that a well designed system does not need many changes to it.
I never forget asking an elderly owner of a nice G scale garden railway when she was struggling with her new DCC system what was wrong with the old one as she knew how to use the old one, and she says her son changes the system every two years so they can be ahead of the latest DCC developments.
Yet for what they use their DCC system for, apart from DCC sound on some of the locos and the ability to control points (Which most DCC systems will do), they really have no need to change as none of the potential new technology out there on whatever new system they choose to get next is going to be any good to them as all they really need is a nice simple easy to use system as she is in her 80's and does not really understand it. (I have actually suggested to her to either go with radio control (With a dedicated handset for each loco as she only really uses a few locos) or to use plain old DC because the amount of issues she has are mostly the inability to understand what is happening where with DC, I know I can set up her railway in an easy to use way via section switches which will be very clear and visible so the two of them will be able to control trains without the "Panic" in trying to work out what they are doing! The only thing they will miss with DC is the DCC sound. Best with radio control though as they can not only keep the sound, but they can run on dirty track... Where as it really takes a day and a half to properly clean their track, I feel it is by far their best option for what they are trying to do.
They have a lovely railway as part of their B&B guesthouse and they try to run it when they can.

Myself these days I think I prefer DC and simple cab control, but I am not against other methods. It is really what is better for what one is trying to do, and part of the issues that I have with DCC is when things get too complicated, and what I mean by this is (And here is the test for what I mean) is supposing you use your DCC system on your layout, but then you move abroad for a few years on a long holiday, or you just don't look at your railway for a few years... And then you come back to use it. Can you just switch on, pick up a handset and make the loco sitting in front of you go? (Assuming you have clean track).