MRC Prodigy Advanced

[NWR #200]

I'm currently in the market to purchase a DCC system for my soon to be built Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railway. I have test ran a MRC Prodigy Advanced System at my LHS. I felt it was MUCH better than the standard prodigy system and seemed as though it would be a worthwhile investment. It retails there for $249. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this system and can steer me on the right path on whether to purchase or dump this system.

 

[grande man]

I'm currently in the market to purchase a DCC system for my soon to be built Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railway. I have test ran a MRC Prodigy Advanced System at my LHS. I felt it was MUCH better than the standard prodigy system and seemed as though it would be a worthwhile investment. It retails there for $249. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this system and can steer me on the right path on whether to purchase or dump this system.

Having just done the research on DCC systems, it's fresh in my mind. I like the PA but it does have some drawbacks. MRC tends to have compatibility issues with new products and their older systems. If something new hits the market from them, it'll probably not work with your system. Also, the PA doesn't have things such as PC interface, transponding, etc. MRC is a middleman, not a mainstay DCC provider.

For a system just to run trains it should work well. For a serious RR like it sounds like you're building, there are better choices, albeit more expensive ones.

 

[HaggisKennedy]

One of the comments made at the Nat'l Train Show was where we thought MRC was going to fit in with all of the different DCC systems out there (actually, from the decoder perspective). I remember somebody saying that MRC keeps re-inventing themselves trying to stay relevant. This was in the context of Loksound and Digitrax Sound decoders.

As far as the basic system itself is concerned, the real key will be how well it plays with the general NMRA specs for DCC, as well as support for the higher-end decoders (F12 and above). While maybe those kinds of decoders aren't here yet, they will be. Expansion and compatibility as the new stuff comes out should be a consideration.

DCC systems is a long term investment. I've had my NCE system since '01(?). I still only have a couple of 4x8 tables for a layout, but I can run the latest multifunction super-fancy sound decoders with it because it supports all them neato functions...

Kennedy

 

[vanda32547]

MRC Prodigy Advance owner/user

I run a MRC Prodigy Advance system on my layout and it does a stellar job for the money. I also use it for throwing turnouts and other DCC devices. Grande Man is right though and there are much better (although much more expensive) systems out there. For my money, after researching different systems I decided on the PA because it provided what I wanted for my layout.

Regards,