800360 wrote:I have a couple of questions on how any module meet might be organised:
How does the DCC system get specified - it's no use for folk all to turn up with different throttles akin to their own system.
If a meet is run on a specified DCC system who provides the central DCC command station? How is it ensured that it is capable of the load that might run?
Based on our experience of running a couple of these in the HO Freemo standard (you don't say what type/scale of module you were planning):
The DCC system would be specified by the team organising it - that would
probably be the system used by the group organising it, and in that case would be provided by (the members of) that group.
For practical reasons, the only exception to that I can see might be if a small group was organising it and knew they had larger numbers coming who used a different system, it's feasible that they could arrange for the second, larger group to provide the power equipment.
Ref power, we ensure we are adequately powered by using our experience of previous set-ups during planning, and arranging to have the required boosters there to supply enough, or more usually more than enough power.
If a module (or set of modules) is capable of switching moves if the owner is using a DCC system not running at the meet how do spare throttles get provided. Still that applies to just run his locomotive anyway.
Speaking from our own group, we are used to approaching things from an exhibition layout point of view, and the folks in our group tend to 'pool' our throttles, so there would be spares around. Other groups may not work the same way however, I would advise asking beforehand if you think there is likely to be a problem...
PS - From our operations point of view, we wouldn't envisage an operator standing next to his own module all day just switching that, if we all did that there wouldn't be much point in joining them together...
At the moment I have a passing interest in building a module but unless I can be certain that if I come along with my NCE throttle I can run, there is not a lot of point.

Just on a practical basis, obviously your NCE throttle will not work unless NCE is the system being used. (That system is used by some other groups involved in the HO Freemo however so there
are likely to be setups that will use NCE.)
If you are attending a meet where NCE is not the system then check with the organisers as to whether they have spare throttles that could be borrowed.
Something actively being researched at the moment is the use of available (and potentially extremely cheap) JMRi wifi-based throttles, they have the
potential to become a standard throttle that will work on any major DCC brand, which would eliminate the 'my DCC throttle doesn't work with your DCC system' challenge.
So far these have been used regularly at meets and they work quite well, but we have not yet relied on them to run the entire layout at a meet - we plan to test that at Weston-on-Trent in April.