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Registered!

Dito

How exciting!

Thanks for the Tim Garland bonus article

I am all in.  Based on my positive experiences with other Iowa Scaled Engineering products, this is going to be great.  The bonus article from Tim Garland is a huge plus for me.   Finally I will be able to understand how they really drive these magnificent machines.

Proto Throttle.

So what does it cost?  No mention of that.

Mike.

How much does it cost?

It was stated earlier to be in the $400-$500 range. This may not include the interface for specific systems - NCE, Lenz, Digitrax, etc. Obviously I would hope to see this at $399 (or less) but , as is often said, “if you have to ask ...”

MSRP on ISE site

The MSRP is on the Iowa Scaled Engineering site:  http://www.iascaled.com

Just click on the ProtoThrottle on the homepage. 

We do plan to discount the throttle, at least initially. And Neil is correct that there is an additional receiver that needs to be purchased which communicates with your specific DCC system. You’ll only need one receiver. 

As far as cost is concerned, the throttle is a unique controller which as you might imagine has involved a lot of development investment. We truly wanted to deliver a superior product that exceeds the modelers' expectations. With that said, I like to make the comparison that the throttle itself is equivalent to two sound equipped locomotives. That seems to help when it comes to cost.

More fun ...

Yes, but as a ProtoThrottle beta tester, I can tell you it’s a LOT more fun than two sound locos. Using a regular old knobby throttle just isn’t the same any more after using the PT.

Agree with JoeI

Joe gave me instructions at Trainfest on how to use the throttle. It was great when he handed to me and I used it for quite awhile early on Sunday morning at the show. Everytime I walked again past the MRH booth there were people using it. It’s not a toy, it’s a piece of machinery that enhanced my running a locomotive. At home now running my RailPro throttles just isn’t the same. I’ll keep my RailPro but now I have to decide which DCC system to use for the Proto Throttle.

TomO

Regular Old Knobby Throttle

"Regular Old Knobby Throttle"  That's great!  ROKT is the new acronym/!  gs

How times have changed!

Scott, please pass along my complements to Tim Garland, along with my amazement of how procedures have changed.

I'm going to have to wait to place my order, but order I will!

Bart

Need to wait for..

...the steam locomotive version of this :-\

Ken L.

Miniature Control Stand

I can attest that the PT is almost like a miniature Control stand on an EMD locomotive. Operating with this controller makes others obsolete. Set up was super fast an easy with my NCE system and programming the Throttle was very user friendly. 

I really appreciate Scott and Michael giving me a chance to work on this project and I hope folks enjoy the article on the website. 

Tim Garland

It's amazing how my thinking has changed

Joe, that’s music to my ears!

You nailed it, Joe. 

When we demoed the throttle at both the St. Louis and Chicagoland RPMs last year that’s exactly the kind of experience most operators had. Some initially tried to use the ProtoThrottle like a standard throttle, but they soon discovered the prototype controls require the engineer to operate more prototypically – ie: slow down and think about what needs to be done for safe, efficient operation. 

And here’s the even better part: the throttle will only get better moving forward. We are currently working to develop a more realistic brake, and we still have plans to hopefully develop a tonnage feature to simulate four different weight classifications. Each weight classification, from running light to a heavy train, will require a different, more prototypical, approach to using the ProtoThrottle. Plus, with the throttle being developed through Open Source, others will be able to use their creative programming talents to add to the throttle’s realistic capabilities.

After reading Tim Garland's

After reading Tim Garland's article on the Protothrottle web site, I went back to my switching layout and made just one change. I turned up CV4 to the max of 255. Previously I had it about 160.

That was the missing piece to simulate coasting. That's brilliant and I'm not sure why I hadn't tried it before. 

I  don't need the "coast" button now, so I'll remap that to something else.

GS

If someone can figure out a

@Joe

Yes

Yes, planning on it -- We're going to set up an MRH table and yes, bringing the PT and a sound loco along with about 6 feet of track to play on. Depending on what's at the meet, we also might be able to play with it a bit on a layout at the show.

Vital Info Missing

After 20+ years within internet development and online business, and nearly 50 years of business experience, I must caution there is an information problem with the advance registration website.  The potential buyer must be informed of the expected or estimated retail price and must be informed of the expected or estimated discount being offered.  There can be no expectation that the prospective buyer will know that they must got to another website to find the estimated price.  Failure to fully disclose estimated retail price and discount on the advance registration site may be a source for problems you do not want.  I urge you resolve this concern before too long.

 Regards

Rick G.

Much appreciated, Rick…

We will address this immediately and take the appropriate steps. We certainly want to be transparent, legal, and protective of potential future customers. 

Thank you.

There is not a protothrottle

There is not a protothrottle receiver for the Digitrax system. Will Digitrax be added?

When will these be delivered, or expected to be delivered?

Price shows $499. How much will they cost with an initial "discount"? Two ET44AC sound locomotives from Intermountain would be around $460 so is that the discounted price point?

The dimensions on that Protothrottle shows that it is very thick a 3 inches deep. Why so thick? It would seem as though it is not meant to be handheld because it is a bit bulky. Looks like it much be clipped onto ones belt to take on the job of holding it. 

Throttle pic

The throttle is definitely handheld. There is a strap in the back where you can slide a finger or two to help hold it. It also has a way to attach a lanyard to the bottom of it. I personally hold mine with one hand and operate the controls with the other. I can still operate by myself especially with the lanyard. It is real fun to operate with a two person crew where one can focus on the engineer duties and the other can work as the conductor.

Digitrax "native" support?