TT-Man Posted November 22, 2022 Share Posted November 22, 2022 As Hornby don't currently offer a Next 18 Decoder, I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good one from another brand?I am interested in non-sound ones due to cost and personal preference. I don't need any fancy or sophisticated functions (except maybe an uncoupling shuffle), just smooth and precise running control.I was hoping to get some decoders ready before the stock arrives. But given that the size of the space available for the decoder has not been published yet, it is probably premature to buy anything now, as I don't think that all Next18s are the same size. I have also seen many advertised as being specifically for HO/OO, TT or N and some as being suitable for any, so there may be power considerations.It will be interesting to see if Hornby do both sound and non-sound when they move into DCC with TT:120 next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcr22 Posted November 22, 2022 Share Posted November 22, 2022 gauge master are a good bet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT-Man Posted November 22, 2022 Author Share Posted November 22, 2022 gauge master are a good bet I see they offer a 5 pack of their own brand for £105 (£21 each). And they offer PIKO sound ones at £130 each (more than the cost of a Hornby loco!).But I know from having used many decoders in HO and OO locos that all decoders are not created equal. Apart from sophisticated functions which or may not be required, some just give much smoother and precise control than others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted November 22, 2022 Share Posted November 22, 2022 In the N gauge world, Zimo generally come out on top as preferred by people who run a lot of DCC locos. They're not the cheapest but often actually work out good value for money. Some Bachmann N decoders are re-badged Zimo I believe.You do tend to "get what you pay for". Some of the cheap end brands are not held in high regard (rightly or wrongly). For example Lais (who I think are the source of some Dapol decoders?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_watts1 Posted November 22, 2022 Share Posted November 22, 2022 Rails of Sheffield have a home brand decoder for £19.95 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT-Man Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 Perhaps I should have said in the original post. I have already researched who makes Next18's, who sells them and their prices. But what is harder to find is reviews and people who have personal experience of specific decoders.In my own experience I have used several different brands of decoder in HO and OO. The ones I was most pleased with were from ESU and Lenz. Although not the cheapest brands, I will probably stick with these unless I find someone who has experience of something better.I think I will get an ESU one ready to try out when my first TT loco arrives. But ESU make several different models of Next18, 3 of which are listed as being suitable for TT. A bit more research required. Two of them have the benefit of being able to fit a 'stay alive', which I may want to do with smaller locos when they become available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 @TT-manI can give you the size of the Next-18 sound variant that is coming: 28.5mm long x 14mm wide x 4.9mm thick. So if that fits in the loco space envelope then a possibly smaller non-sound one will fit.I presume there will be a non-sound version too, but I don’t have any details (yet).More details should be available in the new year launch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB51 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 RoS Next 18 [not sound] decoders are 17x11x4 [including connection interface]. R- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT-Man Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 Thanks for that info @96RAF. If Hornby decoders are coming early in the new year I may hold off until then. The Hornby decoders should at least be a guaranteed fit and may well be competitively priced.Presumably they will be manufactured under sub-contract by another firm? Or do Hornby make their own designs?I have found in the past that sticking to one model of decoder has its advantages, especially if you have a large fleet. Mastering the ins and outs of decoder programming is made more difficult if you have several types in your fleet as they all seem to operate/program somewhat differently.If you go too far down the DCC rabbit hole it can become a hobby in its own right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 @TT-manHornby design but obviously sub-contracted out for bulk production. Watch this space in case I can get clearance to post more info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 Next 18 decoders seem to be a pretty standard size. I have used the LaisDCC and Zimo ones. Bachmann tend to use them in all their tank locos, I think Dapol do as well. I found the LaisDCC one was as good as any of the other brands. I don't know about the rest of the brands but YouChoos list the dimensions of their decoders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 Gaugemaster Next 18 DCC decoder seems to be a perfectly reliable but if kit, I am running one in a Piko DR130 through an adapter (Piko use Plu X16 sockets) until my Piko sound decoder arrives early next year….I have a few Gaugemaster Next18 decoders ready for my Hornby TT120 locos when they arrive hopefully this year 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now