"Originally these two Trix H0 items T21333 SBB train set and T22337 loco class 59 SNCB should be equipped with a DCC/SX decoder. For technical reasons the locos can be supplied with DCC/mfx decoder only. This means the locos cannot be operated with Selectrix but the acceleration/braking delay can be switched off with this decoder version"

Noooooooooooo comments............ I wonder if this indicates a DCC/mfx Märklin and/or Trix CS..... What other sense would one make of a combined DCC/mfx decoder for the DCC world?

Luis

An email update that dealers got together with the price increase notice, so it's official and direct from Märklin.

Luis

Manfred, do you think that whole MFX thingy is a fluke ?

I agree, unless a DCC/mfx Central Station will be out and mfx decoders lower their prices down to DCC levels.

My dealers tells me that a smashing majority of people in the AC world prefer mfx to anything else, guess what, because it's easier to use, and are even willing to pay a premium. If Trix comes out with mfx/DCC decoders and a compatible Central Station, I believe mfx may have a BIG possibility of shoving DCC to the side in the bigger share of the market of the technically uninterested people.

From what I've seen in my dealer, we, the technically interested people, are a very small minority.

Luis

To: John and Luis,
What I`ve learnt here from PERZ and in other forums from technically
educated people, mfx most probably isn`t as powerful as touted by the Märklin marketing people. The feedback procedure seems to be limited to address registration and decoder parameter read back where time isn`t much of an issue.

I don`t think that these two features are justifying their extra cost.

Add the mfx non-proliferation treaties and the delays of the updates, such as routing capabilities, train control software, the interface, the feed back booster, the ESU/Märklin divorce, the new ownership
and the overall shape of Märklin and the German Economy.

Well yes, in my view a proprietary system of a monopolist is a fluke
under these circumstances.

The CS has certainly ignited the process of rethinking and improving the user interfaces and full text user guidance. This is a serious problem with DCC and it is going to be addressed with the ECoS and the Viessmann Commander.
Tran have released their command station/controller combo with a pretty large display in their handheld and ZIMO have increased their pace during the last couple of months.

Some undesired legacies and upcoming problems in the DCC world might be here to last, the short/long address conflict in connection with the advanced consist address range, the 8/12/20/28 function issues, the need of many different update devices for decoder firmware and sound file updating if you prefer to mix decoders of different brands.

Some of these problems are not purely technical related by nature but do reflect a more generic dwindling of acceptance of authorities like
the NMRA in favor of proprietary solutions, with lawsuits on the horizon like KAM versus Bob Jacobsen, QSI versus ESU, MTH versus QSI, and on another field, MTH versus Lionel, Märklin versus PIKO.

Don`t get me wrong, most of these DCC-problems *could* be solved by improving the user interfaces, so the customers won`t have to care about these underlying consequences of technical evolution, progress
and competition. Competition isn`t an Aspirin curing most every disease but it`s certainly helpful to bring down model train electronics prices.

Regards,
Manfred

Hi all,

Found this in the EK-Forum (in German):

heute war im Modellbahngeschäft "Gleis 11" am Holzkirchnerbahnhof "Märklin-Info-Tag". Vor dem Geschäft war in einem kleinen Party-Zelt eine Märklin-Demo-Anlage aufgebaut. Ein Mitarbeiter beantwortete Fragen und der Schienenbus drehte seine Runden. Ich bin zwar kein Märklinist - aber vielleicht interessiert manchen folgendes: Das update für die CS (Fahrstraßensteuerung usw.) kommt nicht vor Jahresende(welches Jahr hat der Mitarbeiter nicht gesagt :-))))) ). S 88: "Da muß auf jeden Fall etwas gemacht werden! (nur wann? .-))) ). In absehbarer Zeit gibt es keine Nachfolger für K 83 und K 84 (... die funktionieren ausgezeichnet, so die Aussage). Eine schlanke DKW für das C-Gleis kommt definitv nicht - rechnet sich nicht. Das C-Gleis ist vollständig - ein weiterer Ausbau ist nicht angedacht. Lediglich meine Frage zur Drehscheibe wurde positiv beantwortet: Die GFN-Drehscheibe ist über 20 Jahre alt - da muß wohl etwas geschehen - auch im Hinblick auf das C-Gleis. Am K-Gleis sind zur Zeit keine Änderungen vorgesehen. Die Mobile-Station für Trix (mit dem update) kommt nicht vor Jahresende - Probleme mit der Programmerstellung - die CS-Trix - momentan noch kein Liefertermin in Sicht - desgleichen für Trix-Weichendecoder.
Alles in allem wenig positive Aussagen - irgendwie war es dem Mitarbeiter unangenehm solche Fragen gestellt zu bekommen ....

After John`s question about the fluky mfx thingy, I thought this posting would match this thread quite nicely.

At a Märklin info event in a Munich based model train shop, the poster
asked the Märklin sales man some questions regarding mfx, C-and K-Track.

In short:
-No CS update this year (routing, etc.)

-S88-bus: Something`s got to be done about it (What?).

-No successors to the tried and proven k83,k84 stationary decoders
in the foreseeable future.

-Definitely no slim double slip turnout for C-Track, due to lack of demand.

-C-track, according to that sales person, ist regarded as complete.

-The turntable might undergo some revisions in respect to its usability in connection with C-Track and also due to its age.

-No changes planned for the K-track line.

-The Trix mobile station won`t be available before this year`s end
with an update due to software design problems.

-No release date for the Trix CS.

-No release date for Trix turnout decoders.

These news call for disaster.

Regards,
Manfred

- unbelievable ... Boy, am I glad I kept my CU

David,
At several occasions the Kingsbridge people stated that they are strongly committed to strengthen the Trix brand...



But why letting down their own customership if they are in control of ESU?
And, they didn`t say they would abandon the TRIX CS in favor
of the ECoS which would make sense in the case they actually were in control of ESU.

Regards,
Manfred

Luis. Info is from HAG where i have two locos waiting for decoders to be fitted before despatch. It only applies to Sound decoders.

David