ESP Ψ Aegis 5 Amp Wireless System for PowerCab

[Tallpaul69]

Hello one and All,

What do folks think of the new DCC Concepts  ESP Ψ Aegis 5 Amp Wireless System for PowerCab?

 

It could be the right time for me to upgrade my system as I have two Powercab controlled layouts that are going to be combined into one next year.

I was already thinking I would need a 5 amp system which this is.

 

Going Wireless would be good although the transmitter the Powecab plugs into makes the control end look a bit clunky?

 

Any thoughts welcome!

Cheers

Paul  

[peterm1]

I've just seen the price... 😳

[Tallpaul69]

9 hours ago, peterm1 said:

I've just seen the price... 😳

Yes, on the face of it £500 is a lot, but it equates to two sound fitted locos, and what else is available that is wireless, ready made, and that you can be sure will work with a Powercab?

[WIMorrison]

For £500 I can see several systems that provide wireless capability without  any need for add on bits.

[Tallpaul69]

1 hour ago, WIMorrison said:

For £500 I can see several systems that provide wireless capability without  any need for add on bits.

But are they Powercab compatable, and what is their power rating-is it 5A?

Not sure what you mean by add on bits?

 

Cheers

Paul

[Nigelcliffe]

4 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

But are they Powercab compatable, and what is their power rating-is it 5A?

Not sure what you mean by add on bits?

 

Cheers

Paul

 

At £500 plus the sale of a couple of powercabs,  your budget would be "almost any system you like".   Which would bring in all the modern 21st century designs, rather than a decent, but distinctly 1990's product from NCE.   

[dpgibbons]

Presumably the wireless link is via bluetooth and not wi-fi. A pity, as a wi-fi interface would allow the use of other throttles, including mobile phones.

[peterm1]

15 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Yes, on the face of it £500 is a lot, but it equates to two sound fitted locos, and what else is available that is wireless, ready made, and that you can be sure will work with a Powercab?

I'm just glad that I've got just about everything I want. All the prices seem to be crazy now, and not just that.

[Nigelcliffe]

4 hours ago, dpgibbons said:

Presumably the wireless link is via bluetooth and not wi-fi. A pity, as a wi-fi interface would allow the use of other throttles, including mobile phones.

 

Does the maker say what their wireless system is based upon ?   I could find nothing which told me on their website, either for this new system, or the earlier point control under the same "esp" labelling.    It could be on any of the available frequencies (eg. there's the garage door opener frequency, which at least one other maker uses).  

 

Devices only talk if the protocols implemented are those used by other devices.   Just being "WiFi" isn't sufficient.    There are several WiFi throttle protocols which work differently, examples include Withrottle and Roco's Z21 - you can't use a device designed for one of those on the other (or in phone case, you need different Apps for each protocol).          

 

Without documentation from the maker, there's no way of telling what other devices might or might not be able to connect.  

 

 

[woodenhead]

For £500 as a wrapper around an NCE Powercab I am getting visions of V'Ger from the first Star Trek film.

 

Maybe it's part of an eco system for other DCC Concepts products, but what I see is a 5 amp system upgrade, a dongle and a lot of metal, why not just go to a better solution like a Roco and be done with it, which on the face of it looks more flexible.

[RAF96]

2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

For £500 as a wrapper around an NCE Powercab I am getting visions of V'Ger from the first Star Trek film.

 

Maybe it's part of an eco system for other DCC Concepts products, but what I see is a 5 amp system upgrade, a dongle and a lot of metal, why not just go to a better solution like a Roco and be done with it, which on the face of it looks more flexible.

Why not either build the wireless in or have a direct plug in dongle without the curly lead.

[RAF96]

21 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

But are they Powercab compatable, and what is their power rating-is it 5A?

Not sure what you mean by add on bits?

 

Cheers

Paul

. . . maybe that big lump on the other end of the curly wire.

[Nigelcliffe]

37 minutes ago, RAF96 said:

Why not either build the wireless in or have a direct plug in dongle without the curly lead.

 

Designing handsets and getting them made is seriously expensive -  likely the most expensive part of developing a DCC system for the manufacturers.   The handset plastic needs to sell in significant numbers to recover the design costs.      Designing boxed components which plug together is much much cheaper.   

 

Of course, its the handset which gives a system its "feel".    So it *is* important.    

 

 

There is a wireless handset for NCE which is legal in the UK - the TCS UWT 50 and UWT 100, plus the WiFiTrax WiFi base station.   The TCS handsets are nice designs, very well thought out. 

 

 

- Nigel  

 

[Tallpaul69]

4 hours ago, woodenhead said:

For £500 as a wrapper around an NCE Powercab I am getting visions of V'Ger from the first Star Trek film.

 

Maybe it's part of an eco system for other DCC Concepts products, but what I see is a 5 amp system upgrade, a dongle and a lot of metal, why not just go to a better solution like a Roco and be done with it, which on the face of it looks more flexible.

Go on then, sell me the Roco, but dont forget to price all the bits needed, not just the handset?

 

Cheers

Paul

[WIMorrison]

What are you running that need 5A from a command station - that is a lot of current and can cause issues in itself if using it on smaller gauges such as 00. Especially as modern European locos (as opposed to American) do not have large current draws.

 

The better, more conventional, and safer route, is to use a 'normal' 3A command station and use boosters to provide power around the layout if additional power required.

[JohnR]

54 minutes ago, WIMorrison said:

What are you running that need 5A from a command station - that is a lot of current and can cause issues in itself if using it on smaller gauges such as 00. Especially as modern European locos (as opposed to American) do not have large current draws.

 

The better, more conventional, and safer route, is to use a 'normal' 3A command station and use boosters to provide power around the layout if additional power required.

 

How so? Sound locos are more popular, and some modern locos (eg Heljan) can draw up to 1A each. The standard power supply that comes with the PowerCab is just 1.5A, and NCE's own upgrade is a 5A booster. 

[young37215]

1 hour ago, JohnR said:

 

How so? Sound locos are more popular, and some modern locos (eg Heljan) can draw up to 1A each.

 

Based on my experience I disagree with this assertion. I have 20 plus sound chipped, 00 gauge locos including 4 Heljan ones which from my recently installed DCC Concepts Alpha meter, shows I draw a total curent that remains stable at around 1.2 Amps even when running several locos with sound on. My controller only provides power for the layout, I have seperate power supply for accessory control.

 

As an alternative to Powercab I suggest that ESU's 7Amp Cab Control be considered. This is more up to date than Powercab, comprises a wireless hand held controller made and supported by a known German manufacturer which can be imported into the UK from the USA for a total cost of around £400. 

 

 

[WIMorrison]

1 hour ago, JohnR said:

How so? Sound locos are more popular, and some modern locos (eg Heljan) can draw up to 1A each

 

The fact that a decoder is rated at 1A doesn't mean that it will draw 1A. Another layout I am involved with has ~30 sound locos and with them all running (using iTrain) it draws just over 1.9A - as reported by the command station, not using a multimeter which cannot measure DCC voltage or current accurately.

[JohnR]

1 hour ago, WIMorrison said:

 

The fact that a decoder is rated at 1A doesn't mean that it will draw 1A. Another layout I am involved with has ~30 sound locos and with them all running (using iTrain) it draws just over 1.9A - as reported by the command station, not using a multimeter which cannot measure DCC voltage or current accurately.

 

I said nothing about what a decoder would draw, although its obvious that a loco with sound and lights will draw more than one without. Heljan locos are well known for drawing 1A - theres a reason some Hornby decoders wont work with them. 

[WIMorrison]

2 hours ago, JohnR said:

... and some modern locos (eg Heljan) can draw up to 1A each.

 

5 minutes ago, JohnR said:

I said nothing about what a decoder would draw ...

 

You earlier statement looks like a fairly definitive statement that Heljan locos draw up to 1A, and it is the decoder that draws the current to feed to the motor, functions and generate the sound, ergo you have stated exactly what you say you haven't.

[JohnR]

1 minute ago, WIMorrison said:

 

 

You earlier statement looks like a fairly definitive statement that Heljan locos draw up to 1A, and it is the decoder that draws the current to feed to the motor, functions and generate the sound, ergo you have stated exactly what you say you haven't.

 

Well, let me be clear. Heljan locos draw close to 1A. Stick a Hornby TTS decoder in one and it will blow. 

[Tallpaul69]

4 hours ago, young37215 said:

 

Based on my experience I disagree with this assertion. I have 20 plus sound chipped, 00 gauge locos including 4 Heljan ones which from my recently installed DCC Concepts Alpha meter, shows I draw a total curent that remains stable at around 1.2 Amps even when running several locos with sound on. My controller only provides power for the layout, I have seperate power supply for accessory control.

 

As an alternative to Powercab I suggest that ESU's 7Amp Cab Control be considered. This is more up to date than Powercab, comprises a wireless hand held controller made and supported by a known German manufacturer which can be imported into the UK from the USA for a total cost of around £400. 

 

 

What do you get with the ESU 7amp? 

Do you need a wireless receiver or is that included, and if included what does it plug into - can you use it with the NCE twin socket panel which I have fixed into my layout facia? 

 

Many thanks

Paul

[young37215]

10 minutes ago, Tallpaul69 said:

What do you get with the ESU 7amp? 

Do you need a wireless receiver or is that included, and if included what does it plug into - can you use it with the NCE twin socket panel which I have fixed into my layout facia? 

 

Many thanks

Paul

 

ESU link to their marketing spiel attached below. Cab Control comprises 2 components and is all you need to operate a layout including an inbuilt receiver in the internal control unit which links via wifi to the Mobile Control 2 handheld unit. I have zero knowledge of what Cab Control can be used with as I use it on a standalone basis to run my layout.  What I will say is that if I can use Cab Control, anyone can! 

 

https://www.esu.eu/en/products/digital-control/cabcontrol/

 

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

6 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

What do you get with the ESU 7amp? 

Do you need a wireless receiver or is that included, and if included what does it plug into - can you use it with the NCE twin socket panel which I have fixed into my layout facia? 

 

Many thanks

Paul

 

The CabControl base unit (ESU call it an ICU) contains the system's Command Station and Booster, plus WiFi contained within.

It comes with a 7 amp power supply.

The wireless handset, the Mobile Control II , connects via WiFi to the ICU.

You can add additional MC handsets, all connected via WiFi to the ICU.

 

You don't have to plug anything in to anything, other than the power supply to the ICU and the ICU to the track and accessories.

Your NCE socket panel (PCP)  will be redundant.

 

 

.

[Izzy]

Is this actually available in the UK/EU? The documentation states only made for and available in the US & Australia. I can’t seem to find a UK seller. Other ESU stuff but not this.

 

Bob