Can any one offer advice on this, I would like to convert my G gauge Bachmann consolidations as this is the board they recomend. Question what controller would you use? it seens from the railway mags that the new T/E is the one to use. Your comments please.
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These two products are incompatible.
The Lenz decoder is for DCC operation; the AristoCraft Train Engineer is NOT a DCC system, but a radio control transmitter.
If you want to use the TE, you need a TE receiver in the locomotive, not a DCC decoder.
Ok Thanks for that, can you point me in the right direction as to what I need to do the job?
You will want to decide what kind of control system you want, and there's all kinds of pro's and con's.
You will want to think about if you want sound, and what sound features.
There's lots of options, so there's no one "right" answer.
You might start by determining if you want to run track power or battery power.
WAIT! Is this Alan Lott from the UK, ex Aristo lover? Huh?
Greg
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No its not Greg all I want to do is run 2 locos on the same track at the same speed my locos are as above but run at differant speeds At this time I run them with the T/E not the new one my sound is in the tender of each (phoenix) ind want to use track power Bachmann recomend the Lenz 230 boars to go with the locos. But what controller will do the job?
If you would like to use the new "Revolution" TE then that will work fine.
It will also interface to your Phoenix boards.
The Revolution has a facility to "consist" locomotives to run from a single "cab", and to be able to do some basic speed matching between the two.
It's not nearly as adjustable and sophisticated as DCC (which the Lenz would give you) but with 2 locos, you probably do not want to go DCC (although a 5 amp DCC system with one cab can be had for about $255)
If you go the Revolution way, you need a "decoder" for each loco, and they will interface to the Phoenix to control some of the sounds (I'm assuming you have the 2k2 or the PB9). The "system" of one cab and one decoder and one smoke board is about $200, and then another decoder is about $75.
Be sure to get the extra "capacitor boards" since the Revo system is flaky without them on track power. These are about $20 each.
If you went DCC, in addition to the system above, you would get an inexpensive motor decoder for each loco, about $50 each, and hook them to the motor and track and lights. The Phoenix only needs to be connected to the rails, since it will already pick up commands from the rails, no interconnection to the "motor decoder" is necessary.
Whichever way you go, I would put the decoders in the loco boiler if possible to save space and keep the high amperage wires short.
Oops! The addition of the capacitor board makes the Revolution stuff too large to all fit in the boiler, better put it in the tender.
Hope this helps.
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