# Wait until Lewis sees this!



## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

Massoth just introduced a new battery direct controller, for use with their wireless navigator hand controller!  It allows you to control your decoder directly via navigator without the need for a central station when using battery power--very cool!  I don't think the manual is online yet, but it should be a real step forward for all of us, whether track power or battery.  It should be excellent for controlling live steamers, trackside operating features or trains with the navigator.  Another very cool item shown at the Nurnberg toy fair is a wireless feedback module--this should also prove to be a big step forward for DCC.  All the new items are now posted on their website:


http://www.massoth.com/index.en.html


Keith


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Sounds like a neat add on. 

But it won't bother Lewis a bit, the Massoth market is WAY different than the Aristo market. There is a huge difference in price between the two. They are just not competition to each other at all. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Sound to me (with no investment yet in ANY sytem) that it would be more comeptetion for Airwire? 

Chas


----------



## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

It is definitely direct competition for Airwire, and given that Massoth is 100% NMRA compatible, should be stiff competition for them. 
It seems to me it should be stiff competition for any of the battery r/c guys, including RCS and the new Aristo system, at least for those who want to use all the functions that DCC is capable of. No matter how you slice it, it's opened up a whole new set of possibilities for functionality, which is good for the hobby. 

Keith


----------



## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

As for competition, it depends on what features are available and what the final cost is. Massoth seems to be one of the most expensive DCC systems out there. Time, pricing and features will tell the story.

I keep seeing comments about AirWire not being exactly NMRA compatible. Since the DCC is only intended to to run sound systems, lighting decoders and other onboard function decoders and it seems to do that very well, who cares about minor timing errors.


----------



## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Lewis and company are at Nuremberg so I'm sure he's got a good look at it. 

-Brian


----------



## Road Foreman (Jan 2, 2008)

Guys, 

I do not know about the timing error.. A friend runs a USA Trains NW-2, has a Digitrax decoder with a Booster 10 that is driven by the DCC output from the AirWire receiver.. Every thing works fine.. He also has a Aristo-Craft Dash 9 with a QSI decoder & it works too.. 

BulletBob


----------



## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Not for nothing but, who gives a rats butt what Lewis thinks!!!!!







just my opionion of course.


----------



## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Nicholas Savatgy on 02/06/2009 7:18 PM
Not for nothing but, who gives a rats butt what Lewis thinks!!!!!





Obviously, you do!










-Brian


----------



## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

This new item from Massoth controls any NMRA decoder. It does not have decoder functions its self. You use a Navigator, wire this device between your onboard battery and a decoder of your choice. I has two wires in and two wires out. Retail will be around $165 I have a picture loaded in my MLS web space but don't know how to post it here.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I think that's because it is a pdf file... 








*[url]http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/Treeman/scan0025%5B1%5D.pdf* [/url]


Greg


----------



## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks Greg. This will be great for some one that is now using the Navigator and would like to add a battery operated train.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I agree, now that it's clear that it's not a specialized cab, but a wireless receiver. As an add on, it's inexpensive and easy. 

Did you see the new NCE wireless cab? Same idea, works a wireless cab on an NCE system and also directly controls a QSI ($130) or AirWire receiver. 

That's an even cheaper solution, since the NCE throttle is around $200, and the Massoth is what, $400? 

Anyway, nice to see new options for lots of people. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## Road Foreman (Jan 2, 2008)

Guys, 

Looks like it is priced way to high.. Should be about $50!! It would then be competive.. 

BulletBob


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, just went to the site to check prices, the Navigator cab is $363. The Gwire receiver from QSI is about $80 street price, and this Massoth unit seems about the same function, so it's pretty pricey at double the price, but nothing from Massoth is inexpensive. 

Alll that said, these ideas are pretty cool, opens up more upgrade avenues for people getting started. Many people balk at a DCC system, but not at a single handheld cab. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The competiotion here, as mentioned, is to Airwire, not to Aristo's new TE. It's a wireless reciever intended for use with a DCC decoder. But if it's priced as descrbed, it's WAY more expensive than QSI/Airwire


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Uhhh.... huh? 

the title of the thread is "Wait until Lewis sees this!" ....... 

Lewis is the president of Aristo.... 

That is the competition that was mentioned as the topic of the thread. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By altterrain on 02/06/2009 8:18 PM
Posted By Nicholas Savatgy on 02/06/2009 7:18 PM
Not for nothing but, who gives a rats butt what Lewis thinks!!!!!





Obviously, you do!










-Brian 







NOT!!!!!!


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

Greg, I think lownote was agreeing with you - the competition is betwix airwire and massoth not massoth and aristo "as mentioned" (by your good self) despite the thread title...this is a radio i/f for dcc as you and several others have pointed out. Lewis isn't going to give two hoots. Or maybe he will smile as someone else starts to build support for battery....this more choice of power options is great for everyone. in fact any more LS is good. massoth users aren't going to worry about price - they haven't before!!


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Agreed on all points. 

Yep, Massoth is too rich for my blood, nice stuff, although I still prefer my NCE throttle, more one touch buttons. I think lots of menus (like on the new TE) belong in restaurants, not garden railroads! 

Regards, Greg


----------



## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Back last year when I planted the bug in Kluass's ear about LGB having a battery power option...I stated to him that they were missing out on a fast growing market of battery users..re-inforced by Louis Polk at the Illinois show last year.

I thought they would have made it backward compatable with the existing Loco, and Univerasl remotes..guess that was not to be the case, anyway he listened and took my suggestion back to the Massoth people and this is what they came out with.

Is it price compatable..no but I have always stated you get what you pay for. LGB has always been the BMW of the train world.

Airwire has a good platform, but if you use 18 volt batteries or larger you have all that additional wiring to do OR else you may get "magic smoke"! And Al is dragging his feet with bringing out his new board that has those wiring issues taken care of, OR so he would like us to think, that being said I hope he has gotten all the bugs worked out of it...as I use Airwire on most of my engines. 

As for the new battery option from Maassoth, I have learned through trial and error, that the LGB decoder 2s' that are installed inside any of the LGB engines will not work properly when you leave them inside of the LGB engine and THEN use the Airwire board to try to control that same engine that has the decoder 2s' left inside...BUT if you remove the decoder 2 from inside the LGB engine the engine will work fine under Airwire control...found this out by accident...so again I am waiting to try out this new platform from Maassoth, as I have multiple LGB engines with decoder 2s' inside, and I stil want to have total sound control over my LGB engines.

I have used the central stations with battery power for 4-5 years, but the dependability of the sound triggering was not always as it should be....BUT I have always had super distance and sure fire triggered sound of button #1, and the other buttons at various times...BUT fitting the central stations inside cars was a nightmare..but can be done!

You can't compare the Maassoth decoder to the Airwire or the Aristo, or any of the other syetems out there...that would be comparing a BMW to a Taurus or a Bonneville..if ya want quality and dependability..you have to go German every time!!!! Again you always get what you pay for! 

This hobby is not cheep..nor is getting quality from ANY thing you buy, from trains to cars, computers etc.......

I can't wait to get the new battery board from Klauss to test it out!!!!

I'll let you know how it comes out









Bubba


----------

