Electronics and DCC

Other than MRC which I am familiar with, what other companies make or market a good walk-around DC throttle?

 If you are willing to build your own, there are plenty of good circuits and parts lists for DC throttes on the Internet.  See http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/Throttles.html and http://www.awrr.com/throttle.html.  These are just the first 2 listings for a Google search for "DC throttles".

From the various circuits, you can select the features you want - momentum, utra-slow speed, and memory (the ability of the train to keep running while you unplug the throttle and plug back in at a different location).

I built a very simple hand-held throttle that became my primary throttle.

Fred W

Before going DCC, I used Innovator 3000 throttles.  The members of a round robin group I was in all purchased them.  Most had 4 cab control.  IMO these are some ofthe best DC walkaround throttles out there.  Small, compact, they feature knob or push button throttle control, braking and adjustable momentum and what's a walk around throttle without memory.  The other feature I like was that with the flick of a switch you went from full voltage to basically half voltage control which limited the top speed of the loco and gave finer low speed control. (If interested there might be some used ones available). 

http://www.alpinemodels.com/catalog/item/2874814/2371548.htm

Before converting to DCC I had two MRC20 power packs with walk around throttles.  The throttle bus was a simple four wire phone cord.  I used common ground block control with DPDT switches to selct one of the two throttles for control of the power district.  The problem was a sharp increase in cost to move beyond two throttles.  I would have to change over to rotary switches for block selection and run additional throttle bus.  I added up the cost of wire and switches and converted to DCC.  One throttle bus (soon to be none as I am moving to duplex radio) and only a two wire buss for layout power.  If you are going to want to run more than two or thre locomotives at the same time, DCC would be a better move.

When i run DC I use one of these

http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/851.HTM

Best DC throttle i've ever used

Super smooth at all speeds

It will get a little warm when running a pair of Older Athearn locos

because of thier high current draw 

You Can still find Rix and Troller throttles on Ebay but the one above out performs them all

I use the Aristo Craft Train Engineer DC Wireless throttles. They are radio throttles and have a pulse width modulated output that provides superior performance.

You can find out more at Aristo's site - www.aristocraft.com

These are marketed mainly to large scale, but many of us use them for HO. The range is great, the slow speed is great. The full voltage pulse width modulation provides full brighness constant lighting on most locos and lighted cars. They can handle 10 amps, but for HO most fuse them down to 3-5 amps.

The antenna can be shortened for indoor use and range is still 100'+. They require a seperate power source such as your old power pack or a regulated DC supply.

Sheldon

ATLANTIC CENTRAL:

I use the Aristo Craft Train Engineer DC Wireless throttles. They are radio throttles and have a pulse width modulated output that provides superior performance.

Any recommendations for wired walkaround throttles that I can add to a couple of my four MRC Tech II Locomotion 2500 transformers?  I used to have one of the AC Train Engineer Basic wireless throttles, but it started causing the overload lights to come on at the transformer, and I couldn't get it resolved.  I also didn't like having to keep changing the 9V battery all the time, which costs money.  Granted, if I had rechargable batteries, that would probably be okay,

Kevin

chatanuga:

Any recommendations for wired walkaround throttles that I can add to a couple of my four MRC Tech II Locomotion 2500 transformers?  I used to have one of the AC Train Engineer Basic wireless throttles, but it started causing the overload lights to come on at the transformer, and I couldn't get it resolved.  I also didn't like having to keep changing the 9V battery all the time, which costs money.  Granted, if I had rechargable batteries, that would probably be okay,

No, I can't recommend any. I have eight of the 10 channel/10 amp train engineers and that's all I use. With good alkaline batteries I get 6 months of steady use, most outdoor guys I know only change batteries once a season.

I use regulated/filtered 13.8 volt power supplies for my Train Engineer throttles. The kind you use to power CB radios indoors. I bought my 4 amp power supplies for about $24.00 ea. They work great never had a problem.

The basic Train Engineer is very limited, I knew from the start I would need more channels and more power.

Sheldon