HO R/C control?

[ondrek]

With the development of the min R/C cars all over the place, I was wondering if anyone has tried to take the reciever out of one of those cars and put it in an HO train. I have to admit, its an interesting idea and one that i want to try myself sometime.

Kevin

[Anonymous]

It's been done, on a OO scale model. I recall reading about it in a magazine over here a few years ago - they tested a Lima diesel loco fitted out to run from onboard batteries, there was a charging socket fitted to allow recharging without having to remove the bodyshell.

The major problems I can see with building such a model are space inside the shell and the nature of the transmitter unit for the R/C system. The loco I saw converted was fitted with Lima's horrible single-truck "pancake" motor drive - hence plenty of room for batteries and recievers. You would also need a transmitter with a slider-type throttle control, as holding a standard R/C control stick in a steady position for any length of time quickly becomes uncomfortable!

I've not heard any more about these RTR conversions since the article - DCC equipment became widely available over here a few months after the review appeared, and considering the price for the converted loco was roughly double that of buying the loco and fitting a DCC chip, I can see why it would not have been popular. Having said that, as cheap, tiny recievers seem to be easier to find now, it might be possible to build a system that connects to a standard DCC socket (thus isolating the wheel pickups) and produces an R/C loco.

[ondrek]

I hear the point on the costs. but as you mention that was a few years ago and now with those tiny cars so cheap at say walmart, i can see it being cheap now. I was thinking of using a 9volt in the tender, the reciever in the tender and having it hoocked to the existing motor. for the transmiter, i was going to ba***he existing transmitter and add a pot to it so i could possibly add analog strength to the throttle signal. its worth a try i know my dad will be willing to help out, its been a long time since he has tinkered with electronics.

Kevin

[chutton01]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ondrek

I hear the point on the costs. but as you mention that was a few years ago and now with those tiny cars so cheap at say walmart, i can see it being cheap now. I was thinking of using a 9volt in the tender, the reciever in the tender and having it hoocked to the existing motor. for the transmiter, i was going to ba***he existing transmitter and add a pot to it so i could possibly add analog strength to the throttle signal. its worth a try i know my dad will be willing to help out, its been a long time since he has tinkered with electronics.
Kevin

I wouldn't recommend running off battery as your primary power source for a locomotive - indeed, take a tip from the hybrid autos out there: Have the locomotive running off of track power, which also continually charges a small battery (or more likely micro-fuel cell). The locomotive commands are received, as you said, from wireless DCC signals ('radio-controlled'), as opposed to the current track-carried DCC signals. When a locomotive travels over an electrically dead section of track, the fuel cells immediately kicks in to supply power in a uninterrupted fashion, until the locomotive reaches live-track again and resumes feeding off track power. Not only does this help with areas of dirty or uneven track, but can be used to solve the 'reversing curve short' problem - simply have the switch and a half-metre of the trackage before/after it electrically dead - no chance of a short then.

(Heh - for those modeling transit systems, the DCC might have to be programmed to prototypically flash interior lights off as each car crosses an switch or modeled gap, even though the model is receiving uninterrupted power from it's fuel cell)

Edit: Sorry, I just realised you are talking about adding R/C to your locomotives now, not the state of locomotive technology say 5 years from now. However, if you are successful perhaps you can get published in MR, and that will help create a move toward W-DCC.

[Anonymous]

Check out the Rail-Lynx web site. I think it's www.rail-lynx.com. That system is basically R/C control for trains. Except that it's Infared control not radio control. Virtually all the major DCC system offer wireless control. That's pretty much radio control.

[wpsteve]

Yes and we have experimented with it here on the WP.. So far pretty cool.. I use the Chubb system for my throttle control and it is limited to 7 mainline throttles. So to get an additional throttle, we took an RDC car and a Tyco RC race car and made it work. Had to design a small circuit controling the speed ,as the race car is on or off. We use a 9 volt battery as motor power. I have 800' of mainline, battery lasts for out and back and out again 1/2. This is with a led headlight also !
We call it pour mans DCC BLOCKED SCRIPTinsertsmilie('[:)]')
Smile [:)]

So far so good. We use a rechargable battery. Been told a regular battery would be better, have not tried that yet. We put detection on wheels so Dispatcher knows where he is and the signals still work. Only problem with signas is I have two block signals that look at direction of travel. This is not reported with this set up, so they get reds ! We use as a stop and go ...
One of the guys is trying out the Aristo Craft ( new name ) system and it works on his Backman 2-8-0 Uses more power , once out only.
This is a cheap way to introduce another throttle and dirty wheels and track have no effect !
For use on regular locos , size will be a factor. Unless you did the perminate car behind thingee.
We see this as the future, no wheel contact ! Have yet to check with the Airplane RC guys but have been told they use batteries for prop power now !

WP Steve web site http://members.bigvalley.net/norma













[:)][:)]

[ondrek]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ebriley

Check out the Rail-Lynx web site. I think it's www.rail-lynx.com. That system is basically R/C control for trains. Except that it's Infared control not radio control. Virtually all the major DCC system offer wireless control. That's pretty much radio control.

yikes! Rail-Lynx is expensive, might as well get DCC in that case. Also it still uses track power. I was kinda hoping to eliminate that all together.

thanks though.

Kevin

[ondrek]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wpsteve

Yes and we have experimented with it here on the WP.. So far pretty cool.. I use the Chubb system for my throttle control and it is limited to 7 mainline throttles. So to get an additional throttle, we took an RDC car and a Tyco RC race car and made it work. Had to design a small circuit controling the speed ,as the race car is on or off. We use a 9 volt battery as motor power. I have 800' of mainline, battery lasts for out and back and out again 1/2. This is with a led headlight also !
We call it pour mans DCC BLOCKED SCRIPTinsertsmilie('[:)]')
Smile [:)]

WP Steve web site http://members.bigvalley.net/norma

Nice to hear someone has achieved this!
I took a look at your site, nice layout. way too complicated for me. I dont have the space, money, or time to own such a nice empire. Also its a bit too complex for me. I am going simple and small on my layout. 4'x6' HO. yeah, not much for design space. but i would like to make one train R/C so i can have it run out on the line while another is on the same line and in the opposite direction, i was thinking that having a RC engine would make running it easier. plus it gives me the excuse to tinker. [:p]

The infered is exactly what i was thinking of doing. I was going to get one of those Digi-q cars and rip it apart. take out the reciever and then hook it up to a 9volt in the tender and test that out. then i was going to take the transmiter and have it so the power is always on, but put in a pot resistor that has an analog dial to it. the exact same pot that gets used on volume controls for stereo's. then i would control the speed by reducing the resistance of the electricity in the transmiter, hoping that it would create an adjustable throttle for the train. I am going to hunt for a digi-q this weekend and chat with my dad, hes an electronic whiz.

Thanks for the info.

Kevin

[Anonymous]

Try checking out the Crest HO Train Engineer. Track is for power, but true R/C, from what I understand. Not any more expensive than most DCC sets. Of course, you will get the argument that you shouldn't use something like this because anything you use that isn't DCC compatible won't work on other people's layouts.

[darth9x9]

The biggest problem I see is that you can't consist the RC units. That would be a must!

[ondrek]

I had a great talk with my dad. he and i came to the conclusion that since all these micro rc cars are not speed controled, it wouldnt be a great thing to have in the trains. We did agree that if i was to bash a digi1-F1, it would. the digi1-F1's are a 1/43 scale IR controled car that has proportional control over speed.
The only problem is that i think the digiq-F1's use a battery much lower than a 9volt and if i was to use a battery stronger than the reciever is used to, i could burn it up.

So, looks like i will skip the $40 purchase of a digi1-F1 to getting that Bachmann EZ controler instead. this way, i get the same results with less work.

thanks for all your thoughts on this though.

Kevin