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radio control to tracks

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
radio control to tracks
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 2:38 PM
i have a question....
can i have a wireless controler that controls the power on the tracks
not therw battery power
cheers
the feed
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Sarasota, Fl.
  • 106 posts
Posted by BudSteinhoff on Sunday, September 25, 2005 6:46 PM
Aristo has a RC Train Engineer that controls track power through a remote.
Simple power supply to receiver to track.
Works just fine
Or Aristo has on-board receivers that install in each loco and are controlled through a remote that runs up tp 10 locos individually.
There are others.
Bud[8D]

Bud
  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: North Coastal San Diego
  • 947 posts
Posted by Greg Elmassian on Monday, September 26, 2005 9:56 PM
DCC sends control signals over the tracks. There are many manufacturers of the throttles. There are several wireless thottles, I would recommend NCE wireless. Their throttles are very nice.

Regards, Greg

Visit my site: http://www.elmassian.com - lots of tips on locos, rolling stock and more.

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  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: New Zealand
  • 14 posts
Posted by Gavin Sowry on Sunday, November 13, 2005 2:18 AM
Asking a question like this is going to bring lots of responses from people expressing their own preferences. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and so are you. Beware of 'top of the line' solutions if you are only just starting out, or experimenting with a 'new' form of control...you may end up spending too much for something you don't need. Each system has its advantages. If you think track power is for you (and I certainly still use it) and you want radio control, probably the cheapest way to try this out is with the Aristocraft Basic Train Engineer system. If you are already well set up with a railway and lots of locos, then their Train Engineer system is a better bet. Have look at Aristocrafts web site, go into their Forum and read my comments as a first time user of their Basic Train Engineer. I have only just gone to Radio Control Track Power because it was getting to be too much of a hassle bending over the old power pack and having to run up and down to switches etc. You do learn a few things after 40 years in this hobby !
  • Member since
    April 2003
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 13, 2005 6:50 AM
For R/C track power, DCC is a very widely used system. In the smaller scales, it has become predominate. It's not as widely used in Large Scale, but there is a growing number of people switching to it.

I personally use the Digitrax system. I had the system on my On30 layout indoors and was familiar with it. All it required was to install decoders in the locos, unhook the wires from the controller to the On30 layout, and hook them up to the large scale track. The Digitrax controller has a switch to change the outut voltage from N, or Ho, or O/G scales.

I've been really happy with the system. It allows me to control multiple trains at the same time, and the locos seem to be less sensitive to dirty track than with DC. I have normal ranges of over 100 feet with the controller in the house and the throttle out in the yard. The range may be farther. I just haven't tried it to see what the max. range is.

The reason I went to the Digitrax system to begin with, is the ready availability of people that really know the system that can help with problems and questions. It seems to the most common DCC system in the smaller scales.

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