The Märklin Outsider Episode 19: Looking at Digital Controllers (CS3, ECoS, Z21)
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- Опубліковано 13 січ 2020
- In this longer-than-usual, yet abbreviated, Video I look at the 3 primary systems used to control digital train systems: The Märklin Central Station 3, the ESU Electronic Command Station (ECoS), and the Roco/Fleischmann Z21.
All three are fantastic machines offering an amazing level of depth in controlling a layout from analog to the most sophisticated levels of digital control. I am not going in depth, but looking briefly at what the machines offer and are there advantages of one or another (SPOILER: I do think the Central Station 3 is the best).
Some chapters if you want to see specifics:
1:19 A brief overview of all 3
3:55 Pricing
7:55 Looking at the Z21
13:10 Looking at the Central Station 3 and ECoS together
22:20 Final comparisons
29:39 Wrap Up
There are many tutorial and how-to videos in many languages to get a more in-depth look at the machines, but I try to explain them in general terms here. It is always best to see the machines in purpose or in usage. I do not own all three machines to show, so take my views with a biased grain of salt.
Hello very interesting! As I informed some time ago I’m moving from ECOS 5200, to CS3+. Mainly because I expect to purchase Märklin products in the main. I love the ESU Steam locos however, especially the smoke effect from the cylinders. But! There is a problem. When I used 2 track DCC everything worked fine, my ESU trains ran as they should, with up to 29 functions, all labelled correctly. Using my CS3, I don’t seem to be able to program my locos in DCC, using 3 rail C-Track, they appear to,but they will not run etc. When I place the onto the main track, mfx kicks in. It loads an extra loco, with 16 functions only, they are mixed up and only a few work, some work but incorrectly. DCC Loaded locos, ( same loco ), bye the way won’t work. This affects all my ESU locos. They are not new and carry loksound ver.4.0 chips. Any ideas?
Living out in the sticks, here in the UK, I don’t know anyone using Märklin stuff. No clubs, nothing. Being old and partially disabled I’m a bit lost………..
So, if you or any of you chums have any ideas, that will be great. I am learning German at the moment, because most of ESU Manuals and books are only in German!!! TonyH
Hello Tony!
That is a curious situation with the ESU decoders. I have an ESU BR221 loco, but I believe all its DCC functions work on my CS3. I know Roco has DCC/MFx dual decoders. When you put the decoder on a CS3 and try to run it in MFx mode, you get half the functions than if you leave it DCC on the CS3. I am curious as to why in 3Rail operation, even staying in DCC, the ESU steamer has fewer functions. That is very curious, if not outright confusing. I now leave all my Rocos in DCC mode on my CS3 to get all the functions. As to the ESU? Hmmm, I would have to look at my 221 again.
A couple resources with great expertise are here (all primarily or entirely English-speaking):
1. Online: The Maerklin Users.net Forum full of great folks... you have to join to post, but it is all free www.marklin-users.net/Forum/
2. Their Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/131301210222254
3. Another good FB group: facebook.com/groups/Marklin.HO.AC.Digital
4. facebook.com/groups/362610785131919
Hey Anthony and greetings from Denmark!
As a new guy thats only been doing model trains for the last 8 months it's really cool to find someone else thats fairly new in the business :) Really glad I also found someone thats interested in mostly the same era as I and does it in english! :D Where we differ is I am willing to run whatever on my track and my clubs track, regardless of origin as long as its a cool looking train.
Good to know that the Z21 black does include the wifi-router also! I was not aware of that and was calculating adding one of those to my purchase when I'll upgrade my Z21 Start later this year. Is going to help out loads! :D Continue doing your awesome videos man, they are always a pleasure to watch!
Thank you for tuning in and Hej!. I have several limits to keep from spending WAY too much money on trains. I love the look of many steam engines- they are beautiful and the engineering so amazing- but they are not my thing. I have seen Finnish and Norwegian trains that are ERA 6 and they are gorgeous- but not for my layout. lol I have my trip to Germany I have to save for each year and so many other projects to do around the house. My self-imposed rule was that I had to have ridden the train when in Europe- but I already broke that rule with the Czech and Austrian Railjets. will be rectifying that this summer, because I will be riding a Railjet this summer. It's all good fun! :D
@@ModelTrainOutsider Haha I defintatly know the feeling! If I only were to run trains I had ever ridden onboard I think there would be 4 trains in total in my yard, all danish :P So I kinda have to go outside that field, though having ridden in one of the tends to push me towards them more. Just purchased a Desiro from a local line in Northern Jutland that I grew up with yesterday as I could not leave the bugger alone when I saw it, and seeing as I have been aboard that specific train dozens of times in my life, well I guess you can relate :)
How are you looking forward to the ICE4 coming out this summer? I've been eyeballing it ever since Piko released theirs and seeing it lying around my local shop.
@@MandoProjekt I already have it reserved (the ICE4). Sadly, it probably won't be out until November. As for "seeing a train and having to have it"- that's why I have an Austrian and a Czech Railjet. They were too beautiful.
Great video, thank you!
Thank you/Danke for watching and commenting.
Great review and comparison. Thanks for sharing. Dave
They are definitely not for everyone, but the digital folks do have the options.
Love the video. Thank you for sharing. Greetings from germany
Bitte schön. Grüße aus Amerika.
I have Märklin CS3 and use turnout decoder m83 and function decoder m84. It works nice. I have also Lenz system SET101 which are the new system by Lenz, but there is a warning about Lenz system! It is still same like old version 3.6 but upgraded to version 3.8 and the new cab control is not even better than the old. I was planing to buy a Ecos 50210 but some rumor says that ESU will soon ( Nurnberg messe 2021?) present a new central station with faster process by upgrade hard and soft ware. There is a lot of digital system in the market. But the most favorite are ESU with theirs system. With DCC protocol it works better than Märklin and Ecos do support RailCom which are better. Also support RailCom plus. Märklins CS3 do works better by use mfx/mfx+ protocol. Märklinist support and prefer to use CS3 and the sound decoder mfx. I do not like Märklins mfx sound decoder. ESU with the Loksound 4 and the new 5 are much better. Also Zimo sound decoder are better than Märklins.
Thanks for the information. I found that the ESU ECoS did accept other DCC-based brands a bit better as well. Märklin supports Märklin better. I have found that Roco and Brawa now work as well with ECoS or CS3, especially with the new Märklin upgrades to CS3. I think CS3, ECoS, and the Z21 are all equally good with strengths and weaknesses- user preference. As far as chips/decoders go- you can get 100 people here and get 100 opinions as to which is best. Lenz made the original Märklin (as I said in the video), just as ESU made the original Central Station. In each case, Märklin elected to start doing it in house. Is Zimo the best? Hard to say. I am happy with my Märklin decoders in my Märklin trains. In my two trains which had decoders added (2 Piko locos), I left it up to the shop. He did a Lenz with one and a Märklin in the other. In both cases, I was happy.
Central Station 3,
Returning to this hobby after about 50 years I need lots of help. I have very much enjoyed your very informative videos. In a previous episode, the one on adding turnouts to the track layout, you mentioned that a future video would describe the entire process of entering a particular layout to CS3. I am looking forward to seeing this instructional video.
That is, sadly, a video still down the road a bit.
Anthony Dodge The Model Train Outsider
I look forward to it
Very nice review, thanks a lot! -From my perspective, one very important features of the CS3/CS3+ is the possibility to use a PC to show and control your track layout rather than using just an App. Thus you can use a PC with a large touch screen instead of being limited to small tablet displays. -Just what I have been looking for :-)
Indeed. You also have the Märklin Interface Page which now lets you turn your laptop into a 2nd CS3. Originally, the Interface just let you run trains... then other things... now, you can design and program on the computer and have it carry over to the CS3.
Another good video Anthony.!
As i'm just getting back into the hobby after several decades. As you can imagine that there are significant start up costs. Just the wood alone c/w legs with wheels, bolts and several sheets of plywood were several hundred CDN $. (As my wife mentioned the other day while looking at our VISA statement: "Will this new hobby of yours bankrupt us?" Yeah maybe...Also I work(ed) in an office and am generally not handy - therefore had to buy a myriad of tools. Then on top of that, there is the purchase of new track as I abandoned my Marklin K Track. (Originally was going to use K track in the visible areas and C-Track in the non visible). However the K Track (1972-1977 vintage) was in suspect condition and I don't want to risk any shorts with digital. So I had to buy all new track - 70% of which I was able to buy from a colleague at 40 cents on the dollar. The balance I will buy new. Also I do not own any Loco's that are digital. However ONE is on the way from my dealer - EuroRail Hobbies (an e-commerce operation, but they also have a store in Kelowna BC)
So, I come to my point, Santa got me a Marklin Starter kit (29000- only $170US). It come with a Mobile Station. That should be sufficient to run the layout for a while. - until I get more locos. I have a plan for 200 feet of track. I will be using an analog transformer to power switches with push button control boxes, However I'm thinking of getting decoders for my lighting circuits as a start.
Question - will the decoder switch these directly? You have a fairly large layout. Are your decoders placed centrally (in one location) or are they distributed?
Thanks
To your first part. I had never been in the hobby until 4 years ago, so it all overwhelmed me massively, other than I already had a Märklin train (my first ICE3) and so my kids got me a controlled (MS2) and a loop of track (C-Track) so I was already committed. Anyhow, I have been learning on the fly and still know very little. I have realized that running trains is more important than realism, so the C-Track is just fine for me.
As far as building things, I am an academic, but my father was an electrician and handyman who knew how to do everything and I learned what I could, so I am relatively handy in construction from Drywalling to basic electrical and framing. But, I build on a budget, and the basic wood here is very cheap. I think my plywood sheets for the entire table were about $125, and another $150 in 4x4 posts for the legs and support framing 2x3, but I gathered a bit at a time until I had it all ready to go. But I digress...
Right now on my layout, I have decoders on all the turnouts which are controlled by either the Mobile Station 2 or the Central Station 3. My lights for the station and platforms are run separately and are not yet on a decoder, but I want to do it- just not as tech savvy as I once was. My lights are wired so that they plug in to an outlet and turn on with a light switch under my work area. So, I probably am not helpful there yet. I would probably run the decoders centrally so that, if I had to work on one, it would be easy to access, rather than crawl under the table to each one. It's not going to change the amount of wiring. On the flip side, Märklin now makes lighting systems for lights along the tracks, which have decoders inside their mounting box and then wire directly to the track to which you connected them- just like the turnout decoders and motors. Again, for my other lights, I will try to run them through a decoder (I would have to see how my lights can be linked to one board before sending them to a decoder).
I do have one concern, the age of your older non-digital trains concern me. I do not know if the Mobile Station works with them. Have you already tried? The CS3 and Z21 claim they can work analog trains, and the ECoS definitely does, but I do not know about the MS3.
Sadly, I feel that I am not much help on your behalf.
Cheers!
Thanks - I am abandoning my 5 analog locos. Only 2 are in decent working condition. I'll probably have them sitting on the layout without pick up shoes. Yes the hobby is overwhelming. However guys like you on UA-cam can be very helpful. But at some point you have to roll up your sleeves and get to work. A leap of faith if you will. I am there now - Starts tomorrow. (Shameless plug below)
ua-cam.com/channels/W6b3ic93W4SpHoC0MJpSKA.html?view_as=subscriber
Shameless plug accepted and subscribed. :D Just take time, as you know, layouts are always a work in progress. There are ways to save money. eBay and a couple Facebook pages are great- Märklin HO AC~ Digital Marketplace facebook.com/groups/MarklinHOMarketplace/?epa=SEARCH_BOX and the Maerklin Forum Boerse facebook.com/groups/boerse.maerklinh0forum/ (in German). Also, If you time your purchases, my favorite shop- Modellbahnshop-Lippe ( www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com ), is worth a look. As I mentioned in other videos, if you pay the $50 a year membership fee, you get that back plus more than enough to cover shipping fees, as well. I also get new releases weeks or even months before they hit America. When CS3s came out they were $699 USD or more, I paid $550 and that included the shipping. Just time it right, you get your money back and more. I have spent a lot, but saved a lot there.
Thanks for the purchasing tips Anthony. Especially the shop n Detmold. It has a great website, good selection, and prices are very decent. Interestingly enough I was born close nearby about 45 minutes by car. And my father, grandfather and great grandfather were all born in nearby Bielefeld. I'll have to buy something and see what Canada Customs charges in import duties. (Although there may be an exemption for hobby items)
@@tommycanadasmobazimmer Wow, I did not know Canada added an additional import fee to online purchases. 3 of my 4 grandparents were born in Germany- one grandma was from the Rhineland, the other was from Stettin (now Szeszchen in Poland), and my mom's dad was from Bavaria. So, I am 2 generations removed from Germany. My dad's older brother married a girl from Dresden he met in Berlin (her mother and her fled to Berlin to escape the Russians at the end of WW2)- so there were plenty of German relatives around.
nice video Anthony we are still looking into DCC but still not sure what to go for, the main reason we want it is so we can do double or triple heading with out damaging any locos apart from that we all love the analog controlling.
The ECoS is probably the best at mixing analog and dcc. It is just a hefty chunk of change. The nice thing is, you can have any of these to control digital and also have analog controllers as well. Several people I know have a couple lines analog and then some dcc lines isolated, but all controlled through their z21 or ECoS. Märklin Central Station users tend to be folks committed wholly to digital.
Hello, I own the ecos 5200 and have run 2 rail dcc for years. I also, have esu engineering locos and have run these on the same dc 2 rail system. I am building a completely new layout after moving home and will be moving out 3 rail c track. I am still undecided on my dc stock. I will either sell it or have a separate integrated layout run independently. I now realise that trying to run ac and dc from the same controller may cause major failure of my ecos. I also believe the cs3+ is easier to link turnouts and signals, (all Marklin) when setting up.
Can you offer any guidance please. I own no Marklin locos, mainly due to the smoke effects don’t seem to synchronise as good as esu do! Or have I just been watching the wrong UA-cam videos? Thank you for your very informative site…….. Tony
Hello, Tony, and thank you for writing. Let me answer a few points the best I can, but I am by no means an expert. I am wrong often, especially in these older videos.
1. You actually can run AC and DC with an ECoS... you just need to split the power lines. I know a few people who do this. You just can not have any connection between the two sets of tracks. I had an ECoS before I went to the CS3 and loved it, it worked very well with my C-Track and locos. I bought it used and it had a couple tiny glitches with non-Märklin AC trains (some of my Piko and Roco seemed to have issues with consistency or being read- and it just may have been me at the time.
2. I personally believe that "like works with like." I use the CS3 because I run predominantly Märklin stuff. Märklin stuff is designed to work with Märklin products, although Viesmann makes excellent turnout motors and decoders for the C-Track system, too. The ECoS is a brilliant machine (ESU actually designed the first Central Station) and does all the same things the CS3 does. The newest Märklin decoders and devices are just more intuitive with the CS3 logic, and companies like Roco do a better job than others in making their locos work with Märklin's system.
3. The smoke synchronization is a tricky question, as Märklin runs various levels... from basic smoking with no synchronization to synchronized as well as any. Usually the price (and product listing) will tell you. ESU obviously makes that a priority in all their steam devices, though I find ESU has their own issues in other areas. Brands have their lovers and haters. I only own 1 ESU, a diesel 221, and am not impressed with how it runs, but I will not judge ESU by 1 loco. I am not a huge steam guy, so the synchronization is not something I pay attention to, but my Rheingold 18,5 did synchronize nicely before I blew the smoker in it (by overfilling it).
4. I found, when I got into model trains in 2015, that Märklin and its C-Track system was just a wonderful way to go digital as painlessly as possible. The cohesion between track, stock, and controllers was something else. Making digital turnouts is unbelievably easy, and the big sacrifice is the realistic look of the track, although having traveled by train in Germany, there are areas in which the ballast beds look like the C-Track. It does involve a bit of work if you intend to do block detection and run with JMRI or Train controller (which I have not done). I actually run a big, but very simplistic table. Just 6 running loops and trains in non-stop motion. My Märklin stock runs very well (with 2 exceptions- my BR102 /Skoda 109 and my ICE4).
It is very difficult to give advice, for I fear being wrong and saying something is one way, only to have them find it not that way for them. It's like food... what tastes good to one, may not taste good to another. I do love C-Track and am glad I stumbled into it when I got into the hobby. The track is more expensive, but what it saves in hassles and wiring more than makes up for it. If you love model trains and Euro stock, there is plenty of 3-Rail (AC) stuff available for any era, but it will be more expensive than 2-Rail (DC) analog. Märklin makes nothing that is analog anymore (not true, TRIX makes a few things analog for 2-Rail and Märklin releases some older-designed analog product under their "PRIMEX" name).
3-Rail and digital have many advantages over 2-Rail analog, but it is a different world coming from the DC/2-Rail world. Just to clarify, this hobby uses terms like DC/DCC, 2Rail, 3Rail, etc with a lot of vague meanings. Most tend to say "DC" to mean "analog" and "DCC" to mean digital. Obviously, in the world I am in, We use "DC" to mean "2Rail operation" and "AC" to mean "3Rail" operation. DCC is actually a programming 'language;' one among many. Think Linux vs. iOS vs. Windows.
Märklin's system is "DCC" (digital) but their programming 'language' on their decoders is called "MM/MFx." All the controllers are designed to read both.
I was just impressed with how easy and ready-to-run Märklin was with a bit of C-Track and the Mobile Station or Central Station. No system is perfect and user errors and the occasional glitch can happen. It was an accident that I got into 3Rail and Märklin, but I have never regretted it.
I will happily answer any questions you might have and then steer you toward much smarter people and sites than me when I can not answer. I would also suggest watching a replay of one of my livestreams to see what I am doing (if you had not done so) and check earlier episodes of my Märklin system videos (episodes #2-12). Lately, my channel is more about my live streams, new stock when I get it, and my attempts at comedy in the train world.
All the best,
Anthony Dodge
@@ModelTrainOutsider Thank you for your reply. It’s very helpful, and hopefully I will be asking you more in the near future……… TonyH
My nearest hobby shop is 300 miles a way in another state.
I’m happy with DC and at that price I’ll stick with it.
Have a great day.
Indeed. There are cheaper digital. Märklin/Trix makes a digital controller called the Mobile station that runs about $100-150. These are just the big consoles for running completely digital everything. Gaugemaster and others also make digital controllers in the $50-$100 range, but they require a lot of manual button pushing and do not easily allow fast and direct control of turnouts and trains.
Thank you for your interesting review, it did make it a lot clearer to me. However, one thing still crosses my mind, the CS3 is designed to Märklin AC train systems, and Märklin has it own set of decoders, switch decoders, magnetic switches etc, if in my case you use a DC two rail train system where all trains are provided with ESU lok pilot 5.0 decoders I think I loose a lot of funtionality compared to AC three rail train systems. Is this true?
Thank you for viewing. You do not lose any functionality. The CS3 is no different than the ESU ECoS or the Z21- it reads DCC decoders, and all brands. Some are already in the data base; some might need to be loaded manually, but ESU lp 5.0 would be read easily by the CS3. Remember, even though Märklin is AC, they also run Trix, which is DC. The CS3 will read DCC decoders easily.
@@ModelTrainOutsider Ah, thank you very much!
@@TonVerkleijT3 You are most welcome.
Hi there, I use the Uhlenbrock Intellibox 2 but it has a basic mono display but it also is multi-protocol and will also read selectrix decoders. It will run Motorola marklin but wont read the data like the cs2 will.
There are indeed many others out there. Uhlenbrock makes excellent electronics. I didn't include the Intellibox for the reasons you mentioned, and my unfamiliarity with it in person. This was sort of looking at the 3 top level all-encompassing control systems (outside computer software integration), but also based on previous videos and discussions. I have to learn to not treat these as serials.
Thank you for these videos. Now in 2024, is it a good time to upgrade from MS2 to CS3? Is CS4 about to come out? Anything special about to happen with the technology?
Hello Dr. Michler,
Upgrading to the CS3 is more about how many trains you have and run, and what you want to do with them. If you have a single or double track layout and only run one or two trains at a time, then Mobile Station 2 (MS2) is good enough. If you have a lot of trains and many lines you run, then it is definitely worth upgrading to the CS3. The CS3 does give capabilities and ease of operation beyond the MS2. Of course, you pay for that advantage. The difference between an MS@ and a CS# is the same as an old 13" black-and-white TV and a 4K high definition widescreen smart TV. They both do the same basic things, but one just does so much more on top of it.
I do not have an inside source at Märklin, but there is no word of a CS4 coming down the line the next couple of years. That said, they could suddenly announce one next month or next year. As they have just upgraded the CS3 this Winter, I do not see a complete overhaul coming for a few years. While the ESU ECoS is as good as the CS#, I find the CS3 a little sharper in graphics and slightly more intuitive to use. You can also do much of the same with a Roco/Fleishmann Z21, except it eschews the built-in monitor for an App for use on tablets and smartphones, but it is half the price of a CS3 or ECoS.
I have never regretted going to the CS3 (I paid about $520 for mine in 2018) and I still use only a small percentage of its potential, but when linked to my computer and my tablets and phone, it is an amazing system for running my trains.
Thank you very much for your rapid and helpful response.
I, like you, began with a single Marklin Starter Set only a few years ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and love to share it with my 2 young grandchildren.
I built by hand a fairly large layout (14' x 7') resembling a mountain village landscape including a hand-made mountain top restaurant, train station and a rendition of the Matterhorn. I use C-track AC. with MS2.
I have lampposts, and a few signals as well as 11 turnouts connected through a Distribution Box (72090) to a manual Control Box (72720) - all of these are powered by a Transformer 6646. I have approximately 20 Steam Locomotives from Era I and Era II, which I power and control with my MS2. I separated these power functions when I upgraded to MS2. I also find it a bit expensive to consider buying 11 decoders for my 11 turnouts to connect to an MS2 or CS3!
I would like to run 2 or 3 locos simultaneously and maybe, in different directions, but I find it challenging to manage this with the MS2 because you have to be pretty quick scrolling through the dial on the MS2!
Does this give you a little more insight into my usage? Happy to get more of your thoughts!
Best,
Bob
@@ModelTrainOutsider
@@Drrmichler Well, that sounds like quite a beautiful layout. It also sounds like an epic collection of classic trains, too.
With 20 locos, running 2-3 would definitely be easier with the CS3. I would also be easier to switch between train controls, rather than dialing, as on an MS2. I am just always nervous to encourage someone to spend $550-$750. ANother noteworthy mention is that you can still use the MS2 in conjunction with the CS3. It has to ports for adding 2 MS2s.
I have two MS2s attached to my CS3. I run 6 trains at a time on my layout (which forms a giant "U" or "C" (depending on perspective), with the straight run being 23 feet. I am slowly building the city of Delmenhorst, Germany as the primary scenic, but I just have a few dozen stereotypical German homes and shops scattered around, along with a 100% scale and scratch-built version of the Train station and Bus depot. My scenics really are non existent, however. If you have not looked, my "layout" is on my channel, and I do livestreams ever Friday at 3PM-6PM Eastern Time.
Anyhow, should you be decided, you can get the CS3 for @about $550 + $30 shipping from Modellbahnshop-Lippe's online shop, if you join their Premier Club, which is $50 a year, but very worth it). It takes less than a week to get it from Germany in most cases, sometimes in just 3-4 days. It is not the same as walking into a shop int he USA and buying it, which is good for the shop, but it is also @$150 cheaper direct from Germany from MSL.
The last decision before buying a CS3 is deciding between the CS3 and the CS3+. They are identical, except the CS3+ has an slot dedicated for an S88 cable, should you be looking to control many different modules and attachments via an s88. You can still attach an s88 cable to a standard CS3, you just have to get an adapter for one of the open slots on the CS3.
You offer terrific advice. Is there an email address for you that I can use for direct communication? I am interested in your live streams and I also have more questions for you. Thank you, Bob@@ModelTrainOutsider
@@Drrmichler It's on my channel, and I believe you have used it as I got an email from you earlier today.
Nice video and good overview of the different systems, and very good comparison.
However, you are incorrect regarding analogue operations:
- You cannot control any analog loco with any of the stations!!!! In a mixed operation scenario, you can only operate analogue locos on electrically isolated sections, and for this you will still need your traditional analog transformer to control the locomotives. There is nothing on the market that allows the control of analogue locos from a central station or ECOS.
- What you can definitely do is operate accessories (switches/signal) connected to decoders everywhere on your layout regardless of the mode of operation.
If you are new to Märklin, and only buying new or post year 2000 items, you do not have to worry about the analog vs digital question in the Märklin/AC world. Marklin pulled the plug on analogue in the mid 1990s, after which only a few models where available in the "Hobby" range until the mid 2000s, so all manufacturers followed soon after. If you have a collection of more vintage equipment and want to operate them, you will need to think about either converting the locos to digital or running them on electrically isolated sections.
I didn't think they could, but ECoS and Z21 claim they will operate analogue trains.
@@ModelTrainOutsider Z21 and ECOS both state their gear is only for digital operations. Have a look at their websites or download the user manuals.
I bought my CS3 because my dealer had a second hand CS2 but I had to wait so long to get the money I was eventually forced to by the CS3
I have after a lot of cussing managed to get the CS3 to work on my PC
Well, I am sorry it took so much bother. I hope now that you have it going, you'll enjoy the dual system. I don't know if you saw my video explaining how to do this? ua-cam.com/video/7rs4pcmz0PU/v-deo.html
@@ModelTrainOutsider No sorry I didn't see that video but after thinking for a long time I thought it won't be too hard but the problem was twofold
As part of the setting up you need to known the port number of your router - this number apparently allows you to communicate with your ISP providers server
So as the instructions tell you you have to put in xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:XX and this was the hard part :XX that is the port number and it took me while to find it because each ISP company uses a dedicated port number
After updating my CS3, finding and putting in the port number it went like a charm
I have enjoyed seeing your trains running
@@evangiles17 well, good in the long run then. I ran a direct line from my house internet/cable router box. Then, we got an upgraded signal set up with higher speeds on the wifi part. My CS3 is still on the old signal while the rest of the house now uses the new, because the hardline was not upgraded. Lol
This is a confusing video
My apologies. I hope you were not looking for an explanation of how these three work, as I had already discussed that in earlier videos. This was merely pointing out why one might want to buy one of these three, as all three basically do the same thing. The Roco Z21 is cheaper, but limits you to needing WiFi to use it's APP as it does not have a built-in display screen like the ECoS or CS3. You do not need WiFi to run your trains with the ECoS or CS3 (but you do need WiFi to update the systems). The ECoS and CS3 are more expensive, but come with their own display screens, so you can run your trains and digital switches, lights, etc. without WiFi. The CS3 and ECoS also allow more connection of boosters, digital expansions, and multiple unit control (in other words, linking two CS3 or two ECoS together at clubs and such).
This video was also meant for some Americans and UK fans of Euro trains who have digital controllers (like the Gaugemaster or Hornby Select) that are not nearly as good as the Z21, ECoS, or CS3. I am sorry it was not better put together. I wander off script and then have to edit it the best I can in post production.