Massoth WIreless DCC

[dibateg]

I have a client that has seen and would quite like to use this system for a large O gauge garden railway.

 

Does anyone have experience of this system?

 

Is there anyone within reasonable distance of Mid Wales or London that could give me demo? I know it's probably a bit cheeky, but I'd like to see it in operation and hear of first hand experience.

 

It would help us out a lot and at least then we will know what we are doing.

 

Thanks

 

Tony

[PaulRhB]

Can't offer you a demo but it's widely used by the garden railway guys and you might find help over on Gscalecentral forum.

It's well liked by those who have it but supply can be a bit sporadic at times as it's a very small company. Their service backup is very good though and that's been proved on numerous occasions, personally I've had older sound chips upgraded to the latest software just for the cost of postage. I've used their decoders and other accessories but decided to go with a Z21 with it's touch screen control and boosters to get the 8 amps for my G scale as it worked out significantly cheaper.

I'd also recommend Garden Rail Outlet down in Hythe (Hants) as a supplier in the uk who really knows the system.

[Phil S]

We have the Massoth Dimax 800 and 2 wireless handsets for our G-Scale in the garden. [We tend to use the Roco system for our smaller LGB portable layouts - run as digital only]

One pre-dates the back--lit handheld panel - which makes bringing trains in in the dark more awkward - but all current production will have the back-lit display.

Each handset can control 2 locos simultaneously - one remains 'on the knob' and the other uses the < II > cursor keys, in a cycle which includes 'System Status' display, Point/Accessory Control, Route Control and 2nd Loco:  It takes some time for new users to familiarise themselves with the controller and this cycling, which is also shared with the Loco Functions 1-8 and 9-16: depending on whether 'F' '0' or a Programmable Key (m1) are pressed first.

There are 2 'Stop' buttons: Defalult: Right Button shuts off power - both Stop lights Flash - and the Left Button clears the Emergency Stop (assuming the short has gone).

 

The radio-link is bi-directional - which is important, especially in the depths of a garden: to have full control, but also be informed accurately of what is actually happening (ie Power State, Current Consumption etc). Obviously the system works best when the aerial is suitably located: the transceiver module is about 6cm square and connects with the usual RG cable to the Massoth Bus.

The Massoth handset also provides monochrome bitmap images of  your locos, and a NAME opportunity - the latter held in the handset and not the central unit.

As with other 'dedicated' wireless link systems; the price is 'high' reflecting the approvals etc required and the relatively small market - this is where the current trend toward wi-fi and smartphones has a price advantage: off the shelf technology in bulk.

An important aspect might be that it does support the use of an analogue (unfitted) loco - which is not allowed on our Roco handsets (including Wireless versions).

Track voltage on the base unit is selectable from 14V-22V as required, and the current limit as 4, or 8A (or 12A on the 1200 unit .... if still allowed..... regulations restrict controllers above 5A now.

 

With the current software in our system (not updated recently - so it may have changed) when a short or some other problem occurs, or the controller has timed out and powered off (wireless mode), you may find the loco is not reselectable when restarted: the solution is usually to power down the handset, and repower, so that 'old locos' are released properly - otherwise it appears to be assuming it is still in use on another handset.

 

FOR LGB USERS: The strength of the Massoth ssytem is its backward compatibility with the LGB MTS handsets which are also expenive and outdated: limited to 22 locos 1-22 and Loco 0 as analogue, in 14 speed steps. The Massoth immeditaley allows these to be run in 28 steps - even when used as a handset on the MTS3 central... and 4-digit numbering. So 'full nmra dcc', and programming control, consists etc ... the Dimax has a separate Programming output, and this disables the standard track output during programming.  A separate PC interface module is also available, as it was with LGB, for PC-linked programming.  Bus adapter modules are available to convert from MTS bus devices (eg track detectors or LGB handsets) to Massoth Bus. Whilst this might be similar to the differences between the Old Lenz bus [used by LGB originally], and the newer Expressnet, the protocol used is not published.

I have discovered, and reported a 'bug' some years ago, that when using the Massoth handset wit the MTS3 ... whose limit is 32 locos (8 running, but 32 remembered) .... when the user enters the 33rd loco etc., it is or was a 'lockout' problem, as there appears/appeared to be no way of forcing it to forget the earlier locos. [ Even if you do not have more than 32 locos yourself: if you have open days, and visiting locos, then >32 numbers can soon get used  - of course, most 'LGB' users remain in the 1-22 region by simply re-using the same nubers]

[dibateg]

Thank you both very much for your responses, that is very useful information that will be of great use to us.

 

Best Regards

 

Tony