The latest in R/C control and onboard battery.

[JennyPFan]

I am looking to start a garden railway but do not want to go down the path of track power.   I have not been able to make it to a local hobby shop, closest is 60 miles from me, to be able to peruse the G scale inventory and find out about R/C with on-board batteries.  I am looking to go with either USA Trains or Aristo-craft diesel power for my railway.   What are my options?

 

Thanks

Michael Osweiler

Waseca, MN

[Greg Elmassian]

There are a lot of options.

You can go with the popular Aristo Craft Revolution system, which has advanced functions, and can remotely control SOME sound systems, and is inexpensive. It also has plug and play receivers for Aristo locos.

Go can go with Airwire, more sophistication, and will control ANY DCC sound card (more options here) and more system functions, and more choices of throttles.

You can also go the other way with fewer functions with the RCS line of products. Now this might be confusing because there are 2 companies using this name. The line I am talking about comes from Australia, and is also sold by "G Scale Graphics".

These would be my top 3 recommendations for wireless battery control that can also remotely control sound systems.

Try googling the names I have given you to find the info.

Regards, Greg

[mgilger]

If you end up putting your batteries in a car behind the engine, the Aristo's come standard with a "MU" plug that makes it super simple to get the juice into the engine to mate up with what ever control system you decide to go with. There is a switch on top of the engine to choose either track or battery power.If choosing one of the others, you need to get into the engine and make some modifications to tie the control system and batteries into their internal electronics.

Regards,

Mark

[TonyWalsham]

Hi Greg.

Thanks for the plug.

One thing I should point out is, that whilst my Remote Control Systems (RCS) line of track/battery R/C systems uses an operating program written by Del Tapparo of G Scale Graphics, the line that Del sells under his own brand name is actually made by him and does not come from Australia.
Our systems are similar but have distinct installation differences.  For example I offer PnP installations for AristoCraft and Bachmann locos that are fitted with standard PnP sockets.

Unfortunately, because of the high value of Australian $, at present my well known Remote Control Systems (RCS) line is only available direct from me here in Australia.

[Greg Elmassian]

I did neglect one other facet of plug and play.

If you don't have a plug and play situation, look for a manufacturer who makes many cables and connection aids for making the job easy.

Even if you don't use Tony's stuff, be sure to visit his web site for all the special cables, connectors, connection boards/aids. These are used by many hobbiests, even if they are not using RCS controls.

Check out what is on this page: http://www.rcs-rc.com/pages/acc-install-kits

Greg

[kstrong]

If you're looking for simplicity with Aristo's locos (at least those made in the past 5 years or so) then go with Aristo's "Revolution" system. This is a true "plug-and-play" board which all  you need do is drop it in place, hook a battery up to the locomotive, link the receiver to the transmitter, and you're off and running. In terms of functionality, it's adequate for probably 90% of large scalers. While Greg states it works with "some" sound systems, it works with the most common ones, including Phoenix, which is arguably the gold standard in large scale sound. It does not work with DCC-only sound board, but they only work with DCC systems anyway, so they're not necessarily in the running for many battery R/C installations.

On the other hand, if you're looking for simplicity with USA Trains locos (at least a limited number of them) then look to Airwire's line of "drop-in" receivers. They essentially replace the on-board electronics in USA locos, and all you need to do is unplug the motor, track, and lighting leads from the stock PC board, then connect them to the Airwire board. The Airwire boards can control both non-DCC and DCC sound boards, so you do have a greater choice using the Airwire stuff. Know, however, that many DCC sound boards integrate motor and sound controls into one, and to get "the most" out of them, you'd have to use their motor control as opposed to Airwire's. So to use those boards with the Airwire, you're paying for functionality that you're not going to use. Your money, your choice. Most folks use Phoenix, Sierra (out of production but still available), or Dallee sound boards with their Airwire systems. They work very well.

Naturally, neither of these systems are compatible with each other, so if you're looking for overall simplicity across the board, then you're going to have two different control systems. Otherwise, you get to learn how to install the electronics into locomotives that aren't set up for "plug-and-play." Neither is really all that bad. I use both Airwire and Revolution on my railroad, and each has its particular strengths and weaknesses. I can tailor which system I choose based on which locomotive it's going into. Of course, learning how to install these systems in non-plug-and-play locos is also an important skill to develop.

Tony's stuff is certainly worth looking at as well. It's not quite as full-featured as either the Airwire or Revolution stuff is, but if you don't need it, why pay for it? I'm not a huge fan of carrying around a 2-stick R/C transmitter to run my trains, but that's personal preference. Your mileage will undoubtedly vary. There's also Tony's former "Elite" system, now sold by Cordless Renovations. I used his stuff up until a few years ago when I switched over to Airwire and the Revolution. Of all the options, I think it's probably my least favorable one. The level of control you have pales in comparison to the other systems, especially when it comes to motor control.

One other system that's also "plug-and-play" with Aristo's locos is QSI's upcoming "Titan" board. This, in conjunction with a "G-wire" R/C receiver, lets you control the QSI using either an Airwire throttle or NCE's "G-wire" throttle. The previous version of this--the QSI "Magnum" is a very good system, blending excellent motor control and very good sound.) Alas, the Magnum boards are rarer than hens' teeth at the moment, and the Titan is now four months past its original release date with no sense of when it will be available in sight. It's supposed to be light years ahead of the Magnum, but until it materializes, who knows... (They're also supposed to be working on an interface so you can control the Titan with Aristo's Revolution throttle. Again, I'll believe it when I see it.) But it's certainly an option that gives you "plug-and-play" in Aristo and "drop-in" with USA Trains from the same transmitter. (Note that Airwire is set to release a new throttle in very short order if it's not out already. Supposed to be a vast improvement over the previous two in terms of programming and a more intuitive user interface.)

The reality is that I don't think you're going to go terribly wrong with any of the systems available. Much depends on what--precisely--you want to control. If you're looking for the high-end level of sound and control, then either the Airwire/Phoenix combination or the QSI/G-wire combination will be your two best bets. The Revolution comes in a close second, but its biggest "limitation" compared to the other systems is that it only has 6 function triggers, so you're a bit limited in terms of the number of sounds you can trigger compared to QSI or running the Phoenix board through Airwire's DCC interface. If all you want to do is blow the horn and ring the bell, you'll never notice the lack of functionality. And if that's all you're looking to do, then consider Tony's or Del's stuff, too.

Later,

K