In between ongoing room preparations and refining the plan for The Hills Line, I've been able to setup and test out ISE's ProtoThrottle for future use on the layout. Others have already sung the praises of this product, but I wanted to offer my own observations and give a little insight to how it will be implemented on The Hills Line.
To begin, here's my current setup...
From left to right in the back, we have the EasyDCC Command Station, a PowerPax Programming Booster from DCC Specialities, the CVP ZoneMaster Booster and Wireless Receiver, the Power Supply for the ZoneMaster Booster, and a MacMini running JMRI connected to the Command Station with a Keyspan Serial to USB Adapter. In the front is the ISE ESU/Digitrax/JMRI Receiver, the ProtoThrottle, the CVP T5000 Wireless Throttle, and a small test track.
First and foremost, the CVP Wireless Throttle and Receiver are not required to make the ProtoThrottle work. They are here simply to prove that the ProtoThrottle can work along with CVPs wireless throttles without issue. Second and more obvious, there are a lot of moving parts in this configuration. Using the ProtoThrottle with CVP does require JMRI’s WiThrottle. CVP still uses a serial connection for computer control of its command station, hence the need for the Keyspan Adapter. The PowerPax gives the required extra boost when programming sound decoders.
So why not go with something more streamlined? Obviously NCE and ESU (among others) have made a commitment to work with ISE, and should be rewarded for their efforts. For me, I was already invested with CVP for the better part of a decade and had fully amortized the cost. I still prefer using the EasyDCC Command Station over a throttle for programming or other tasks. Plus, I would still want to use JMRI, regardless of the DCC system I was using. Sticking with what I had, and what I knew would work, became an obvious choice for me.
The ProtoThrottle itself is where ISE shines over CVPs throttles. The T5000 (along with it’s predecessor the RF1300), are solid throttles. However the functions buttons are not at all tactile nor can one determine if a function is on or off just by glancing at it. This led to guest operators not knowing which direction they were headed or if the brakes were set. With the ProtoThrottle there’s no doubt.
I have noticed that I have to be deliberate with my actions when using the throttle. Because the ProtoThrottle is so robust, it’s real easy to get into a mode of slamming the handles back and forth. However that can lead to WiThrottle not being able to keep up with the commands the PT is transmitting. So, much like the prototype operators, I need to slow down and make deliberate and measured changes to the throttle. I see that as a bonus, since it will help extend the run on my layout and for my operators. While I have no empirical evidence, I would assume that the NCE/Lenz version does not exhibit the same issues, since it’s a direct connection to their throttle bus.
Overall, this is truly a game changer for me. I’m able to maintain my existing DCC system but overlay a prototypical interface. To me, that’s an investment worth making.
James
