CREST Train Engineer throttle system

[CNW-400]

Does anyone have any experience with the Aristo-Craft/CREST Train Engineer wireless walkaround throttle system? I’m considering getting the basic set as the 100’ range is plenty for my needs.

[oleirish]

No but would like to no about it myself
JIM

[jwar]

The Crest train engineer system works great for larger scales, however my experience with the HO system was one head ache after another. In the advertisments it looks and sounds like a great idea, however the HO HOTE type system is a flop, and somehow its not engenereed other then in my personal openion as a great advertisment.

You will get other replies the same as mine and great offers at greatley reduced prices so the owner can off load them on you. There are other threads on this forum you could search, the replys are the same as mine

My friend is an excellent electrician and is extreamly savy, if he cant get it up and running with his expertiese, excelent test equipment, with numerious calls to Crest, two returns of thier compleat system so they could test it, it still did not function, and still fryed the decoders.

As I said before, if your into larger scales then HO its a great system,
and they have an excellent service department, however if Your thinking HO, My personal openion is to save your hard earned money, if your still want to try the HO, send me an email, my friend will gladly send it to you after he dusts it off, as it has been shelved for some time.

Sorry ...no good reports from me....Take care...John

[CNW-400]

Well I'm considering it for N scale, so it sounds like maybe my experience would be even worse!
The ads do make it sound great, but my concern was since it's been around for a few years now why don't I see anyone using it?

Thanks for the input!
Mark

[howmus]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNW-400

Well I'm considering it for N scale, so it sounds like maybe my experience would be even worse!
The ads do make it sound great, but my concern was since it's been around for a few years now why don't I see anyone using it?

Thanks for the input!
Mark

First off, the receiver would never fit in an "N" scale loco of any kind. I made the misteak of buying the HOTE system a couple of years ago for HO. The receiver wouldn't fit most of my locos without major work. The radio unit has a long antenna on it that catches on everything around the layout (Do you have an 8" ceiling in you layout room?). IMHO Don't waste your money! It is a piece of junk. Period! After wasting several hundred dollars trying to save money over switching to DCC as it was so expensive, I figured out that I was out the money I had already spent and still had to fork over the money and get DCC. DCC is way cool!!!!! Go for it!

My very strong advise to you is - forget the train engineer stuff unless you are running large scale. DCC is really the way to go and is much cheaper in the long run!

[Anonymous]

I have been using the standard Train Engineer since 1999 or 2000 without any problems whatsoever. I have a medium-sized modular HO layout and do a lot of switching and moving about the layout. For someone who just wants to run one train at a time and doesn't care that much about sound effects and other features, etc. that DCC offers, I recommend it. I have no experience with the HOTE system mentioned earlier.

John Timm

[howmus]

QUOTE: Originally posted by archie2

I have been using the standard Train Engineer since 1999 or 2000 without any problems whatsoever. I have a medium-sized modular HO layout and do a lot of switching and moving about the layout. For someone who just wants to run one train at a time and doesn't care that much about sound effects and other features, etc. that DCC offers, I recommend it. I have no experience with the HOTE system mentioned earlier.

John Timm

If you are using the standard train engineer, you are talking about the non-radio unit. The HOTE system is a radio throttle and receiver and is supposed to be like DCC only using DC. We are talking about two entirely different things. There have been threads in the past about the two. What you have apears to work. What CNW-400 is asking about doesn't!

[jwar]

Thanks John T. I forgot about Crests other system. Crest has two systems and this is where a lot of people get a bit confused. The HOTE is a radio control system, a tranducers in each locomotive, of which is only one size that doesnt fit smaller HO engines, and requires a good transformer with a clean DC wave. WE tested ours of which was clean and bought the transformer recomended by Crest,of which was dirtier then our original (tested with an oscilloscope) transformer, then making sure no stray RF signals interfeared (light ballast ) with it, we gave up on it. This was not a one time quick solution, it was over many calls and Emails to Crest, of which as I said before, the service dept was great. I believe Crest has a great larger scale system, but not in HO (HOTE). This is my personal openion and would be very interested of any one has ever got this system up and running, esp how they did it, we followed the manual to a T and then some.

Howmus beat me to the subject matter, sorry if this was re-dun-dent...LOL John

[IRONROOSTER]

Actually, Train Engineer comes in three flavors. The Train Engineer for large scale and the HO Train Engineer for HO trains - these both use a receiver in each engine and a radio transmitter to send control signals to them. The Basic Train Engineer does not have a receiver in the engine, it has a control box with receiver between the power supply and the the track, it controls the amount of power to the track based on the radio signals from the transmitter. I believe the HO Train Engineer is the system that the above complaints pertain to. archie2's system from his description appears to be the Basic Train Engineer (at least that is what it is currently called on the Aristocraft web site http://www.aristocraft.com/)
Enjoy
Paul

[dragenrider]

I use the basic system for my medium size layout. I'm very pleased with it and I have rigged it so the accessory buttons blow the horn and ring the bell on my sound system. (There's a thread of mine for each of those things here somewhere)

I'm very please with the walkaround control. It works great for a block control DC system.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by howmus

QUOTE: Originally posted by archie2

I have been using the standard Train Engineer since 1999 or 2000 without any problems whatsoever. I have a medium-sized modular HO layout and do a lot of switching and moving about the layout. For someone who just wants to run one train at a time and doesn't care that much about sound effects and other features, etc. that DCC offers, I recommend it. I have no experience with the HOTE system mentioned earlier.

John Timm

If you are using the standard train engineer, you are talking about the non-radio unit. The HOTE system is a radio throttle and receiver and is supposed to be like DCC only using DC. We are talking about two entirely different things. There have been threads in the past about the two. What you have apears to work. What CNW-400 is asking about doesn't!

Yes, it certainly is a radio controlled unit with a handheld transmitter and a receiver. It is the model 5470. There's pix and a description at the Aristo site. It does not require onboard decoders, hence it is not DCC. It simply regulates power and direction at a distance.

John Timm

[Anonymous]

Hello,

NCE is a Excellent way to enjoy DCC Trains, Accessory Decoders and various other wireless or wired accessories. Burke's Trains sells a lot of NCE equipment for beginner's and pro alike and they ship worldwide. Check out the website:

http://stores.ebay.com/Burkes-Trains-plus-NCE-DCC

Hope this helps,
Greg