Model Railway Forum

Been thinking for a while about whether to upgrade my DCC system and got a mail earlier today from one of the Main retailers advising that they have NEC Powercabs back in stock.

I currently have the Gaugemaster Prodigy system which is ok, but not brilliant……….my sense is that I have generally only seen positive things about the NEC system.

Any comments for or against either system or anything else that is a stand out ?

Thanks Richard

Mod Edit. Title amended to correct initials of NCE

Hi
I have both the PA2 and a NCE PowerCab.

Both do very similar things, but the main difference is that the PA2 has a 3.5Amp power output while the PowerCab is limited to 1.8Amp +/- 0.3Amp depending on plug in power unit supplied. The Powercab has a thumb speed wheel while the PA2 has a conventional turn knob, but they both can have speed setting altered via up/down buttons.
Of course in both cases a Booster can be added to increase track current if needed.
Both are hand held. Both carry out all adjustments via full CV settings. Both can operate DCC accessories. The NCE PowerCab does not have a dedicated Programming track output, while the PA2 does.
Both are in short supply. But today DCC Concepts emailed to say they have the PowerCab now in stock.

Thanks Brian for the detailed response ( and spelling correction ) ….. good to have insights from somebody who has both systems, but based on your inputs there doesn’t seem much incentive to change from my existing Prodigy system.

Cheers - Richard

No, IMO you would gain nothing from changing from the PA2 to the PowerCab. In fact you would be loosing, as the GM PA2 offers a 3.5 Amp output and a dedicated Programming output. Both of which the NCE PowerCab lacks.

For what it's worth I also have experience of both systems. Started on the Prodigy and kept that for West Orton. But I found a very inexpensive used Powercab on eBay and installed that on Low Ghyll. It works absolutely fine but I didn't find the controls particularly intuitive and a little cumbersome to use.
Of course, I may just need more practice.

I had the MRC prodigy advance 2,sold it last year after upgrading to a Digitrax evolution set but find it a bit hard to understand ,still don't know how to program with it although the train control is superb ,smoothest ive ever had from a controller,but I bought a NCE powercab because of its simplicity,the powercab is a very good controller and easy to use.

I went DCC in 2017 and purchased a Gaugemaster Prodigy PA2 system and have been very pleased it and find no reason to change at the moment. I have just added a second handset, which has not been readily available from the online retailers, this came from flea-bay and is all good.

My back up system is a Roco z21 Start and I have 2 wireless handsets. I do get some strange behavior when using the z21 as some loco's short on points (electrofrog), this doesn't happen when using the PA2.

My friend uses the Lenz system with the new handsets, using the Lenz seems on the whole as easy as the PA2 and if I wanted to change I would move to Lenz above other DCC systems.