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Offline LongHairedDavid  
#1 Posted : 04 March 2019 23:13:04(UTC)
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LongHairedDavid


Joined: 04/01/2019(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: England, Ipswich

I am thinking of getting an ECOS but have been told that it won't manage MFX+.

Can anyone tell me what I would be missing if I can't have the +?
Long Haired David
AKA David Pennington
A mystified Maerklin Newbie
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Offline xxup  
#2 Posted : 04 March 2019 23:18:16(UTC)
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xxup

Australia   
Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC)
Posts: 9,463
Location: Australia
Just the world of operation stuff.. Like running out of water or coal etc.. Otherwise, mfX+ locos work fine on an eCOS..
Adrian
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Offline David Dewar  
#3 Posted : 04 March 2019 23:35:08(UTC)
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David Dewar

Scotland   
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 7,340
Location: Scotland
Originally Posted by: LongHairedDavid Go to Quoted Post

I am thinking of getting an ECOS but have been told that it won't manage MFX+.

Can anyone tell me what I would be missing if I can't have the +?


Plus gives you a different operating screen and as said above you can load with coal and water and various things.
You have a choice as to which screen you use to run the loco.
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
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Offline H0  
#4 Posted : 05 March 2019 13:24:10(UTC)
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H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,262
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: David Dewar Go to Quoted Post
Plus gives you a different operating screen and as said above you can load with coal and water and various things.
You do not need mfx+ for the different operating screen, you do not even need mfx for that.

Regards
Tom
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"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
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Offline LongHairedDavid  
#5 Posted : 05 March 2019 13:35:55(UTC)
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LongHairedDavid


Joined: 04/01/2019(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: England, Ipswich
Originally Posted by: David Dewar Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: LongHairedDavid Go to Quoted Post

I am thinking of getting an ECOS but have been told that it won't manage MFX+.

Can anyone tell me what I would be missing if I can't have the +?


Plus gives you a different operating screen and as said above you can load with coal and water and various things.
You have a choice as to which screen you use to run the loco.


So, by buying safely from my local supplier - with immediate access if any problems - I lose consumables? I have been using DCC since 2006 and never used anything other than - turn sound on and off - lights - bell/whistle!

By buying in Germany - with a risk if anything goes wrong of having weeks without the controller - I get the ability to run out of coal? My layout is purposely a "train set" on a 2.2 x 0.9m board. I guess I can safely go with my local supplier (always a good thing in this internet age) and buy an ECOS?

BTW, I note that the ECOS comes with a transformer but with CS3 I have to pay £80 something extra for the privilege of getting mains power!
Long Haired David
AKA David Pennington
A mystified Maerklin Newbie
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Offline Rwill  
#6 Posted : 05 March 2019 14:52:26(UTC)
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Rwill

United Kingdom   
Joined: 04/05/2015(UTC)
Posts: 777
Location: England, London
Originally Posted by: LongHairedDavid Go to Quoted Post
My layout is purposely a "train set" on a 2.2 x 0.9m board.!



Then why do you wish to spend £630 of your precious savings adding to your MS2 controller?
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Offline LongHairedDavid  
#7 Posted : 05 March 2019 15:03:16(UTC)
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LongHairedDavid


Joined: 04/01/2019(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: England, Ipswich
Originally Posted by: Rwill Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: LongHairedDavid Go to Quoted Post
My layout is purposely a "train set" on a 2.2 x 0.9m board.!



Then why do you wish to spend £630 of your precious savings adding to your MS2 controller?



Ahh. Ask someone who has 200 loks why they have so many!

I like the display. I like the ability to run two trains at once - once on the loop and one shunting - I like the ability to build routes and to link into JMRI plus I fancy going to the ESU radio throttle sometime. Also, rule one applies - it's my railway so.... - grin.

Finally, I am retired but I do programming work for an insurance company in the US. They are due to pay me at least $6,000 for some work that will be completed next week. That's a good enough reason - chuckle.

David
Long Haired David
AKA David Pennington
A mystified Maerklin Newbie
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Offline David Dewar  
#8 Posted : 05 March 2019 15:27:23(UTC)
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David Dewar

Scotland   
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 7,340
Location: Scotland
Originally Posted by: H0 Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: David Dewar Go to Quoted Post
Plus gives you a different operating screen and as said above you can load with coal and water and various things.
You do not need mfx+ for the different operating screen, you do not even need mfx for that.




Did not know the ESU had a screen for world of operation. Next thing it will be making my cuppa when running the trains.
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
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Offline David Dewar  
#9 Posted : 05 March 2019 15:34:04(UTC)
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David Dewar

Scotland   
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 7,340
Location: Scotland
Originally Posted by: LongHairedDavid Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Rwill Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: LongHairedDavid Go to Quoted Post
My layout is purposely a "train set" on a 2.2 x 0.9m board.!



Then why do you wish to spend £630 of your precious savings adding to your MS2 controller?



Ahh. Ask someone who has 200 loks why they have so many!

I like the display. I like the ability to run two trains at once - once on the loop and one shunting - I like the ability to build routes and to link into JMRI plus I fancy going to the ESU radio throttle sometime. Also, rule one applies - it's my railway so.... - grin.

Finally, I am retired but I do programming work for an insurance company in the US. They are due to pay me at least $6,000 for some work that will be completed next week. That's a good enough reason - chuckle.

David




There is a ESU forum who should be able to help you set it up although your dealer should also help.

Good luck and good running.

Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
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Offline LongHairedDavid  
#10 Posted : 05 March 2019 16:02:00(UTC)
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LongHairedDavid


Joined: 04/01/2019(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: England, Ipswich


There is a ESU forum who should be able to help you set it up although your dealer should also help.

Good luck and good running.



Kevin, of Coastal DCC is an old friend so there shouldn't be any issues.
Long Haired David
AKA David Pennington
A mystified Maerklin Newbie
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Offline TEEWolf  
#11 Posted : 05 March 2019 17:22:41(UTC)
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TEEWolf


Joined: 01/06/2016(UTC)
Posts: 2,465
Originally Posted by: David Dewar Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: LongHairedDavid Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Rwill Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: LongHairedDavid Go to Quoted Post
My layout is purposely a "train set" on a 2.2 x 0.9m board.!



Then why do you wish to spend £630 of your precious savings adding to your MS2 controller?



Ahh. Ask someone who has 200 loks why they have so many!

I like the display. I like the ability to run two trains at once - once on the loop and one shunting - I like the ability to build routes and to link into JMRI plus I fancy going to the ESU radio throttle sometime. Also, rule one applies - it's my railway so.... - grin.

Finally, I am retired but I do programming work for an insurance company in the US. They are due to pay me at least $6,000 for some work that will be completed next week. That's a good enough reason - chuckle.

David




There is a ESU forum who should be able to help you set it up although your dealer should also help.

Good luck and good running.



Indeed, meanwhile it is annoying people complain in a Märklin forum about Märklin and adulate the competitor. So they shall go to the competitors communities and solve there problems. I am not interested in ESU, etc. Even to complain about prices, although I have proofen in another topic (search yourself please, because it is an ESU matter) that a CS 3 bought in Germany is cheaper as the ESU one. OK if you consider the shipping costs, it reduces down to the half of the price difference. Anyway you can say an ECoS is not cheaper as a CS 3 even considering the power supply. But this is always a personal decision and has nothing to do in a Märklin forum.
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#12 Posted : 05 March 2019 18:56:54(UTC)
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kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,102
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: David Dewar Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: H0 Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: David Dewar Go to Quoted Post
Plus gives you a different operating screen and as said above you can load with coal and water and various things.
You do not need mfx+ for the different operating screen, you do not even need mfx for that.




Did not know the ESU had a screen for world of operation. Next thing it will be making my cuppa when running the trains.


That is not what Tom (HO) is referring to.

The latest update for the cs2 and cs3 allows you to use the world of Operation with any loco, doesn't matter if it has mfx+, mfx, MM, or DCC. You just don't get the 'consumerables problem' with anything other than mfx+.
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Offline Ove Malmström  
#13 Posted : 05 March 2019 18:58:45(UTC)
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Ove Malmström

Sweden   
Joined: 18/02/2019(UTC)
Posts: 34
Location: Åkersberga
If you want the ECoS, go for it.
I have heard that it is a relay good control station.
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Offline Minok  
#14 Posted : 05 March 2019 21:49:14(UTC)
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Minok

United States   
Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,311
Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
The loco (decoder) keeping track of run-time to enforce consumable rules to make you operate a bit more complexly by considering and doing service (like pitstops on a race track) is part of the + in the mfx+ bit. If you want that feature, you need locos with an mfx+ decoder, and a control station that understands the mfx+ protocol to be able to properly interact with the loco (as far as I know).

From the above comments it appears the 'cab view of the world' way of controlling the train is beyond the MFX+ and possible with any recently updated Central Station (and as such could also be implemented by the maker of any command station with a screen) as it appears to be protocol/decoder independent.
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Offline kgsjoqvist  
#15 Posted : 07 March 2019 20:50:43(UTC)
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kgsjoqvist

Sweden   
Joined: 04/06/2002(UTC)
Posts: 754
Location: Täby
Originally Posted by: Minok Go to Quoted Post
The loco (decoder) keeping track of run-time to enforce consumable rules to make you operate a bit more complexly by considering and doing service (like pitstops on a race track) is part of the + in the mfx+ bit. If you want that feature, you need locos with an mfx+ decoder, and a control station that understands the mfx+ protocol to be able to properly interact with the loco (as far as I know).

From the above comments it appears the 'cab view of the world' way of controlling the train is beyond the MFX+ and possible with any recently updated Central Station (and as such could also be implemented by the maker of any command station with a screen) as it appears to be protocol/decoder independent.


With an mfx+ decoder the cab view is available automatically on a CS3 (or updated CS2). With the latest CS2/CS3 software you can select a cab view for each loco if you wish. But this is a feature in CS, not in ECoS.
K-G / H0 and Z model train user
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