CHARLES STEINMETZ I've run the BlueRail System at train shows. No problem with distance. This is Bluetooth LE. There will be no interferance. Scenery is not a problem. i am running the BlueRail board with battery power. I ran close to 5 hours on the smallest battery I have. Pete
I've run the BlueRail System at train shows. No problem with distance. This is Bluetooth LE. There will be no interferance. Scenery is not a problem.
i am running the BlueRail board with battery power. I ran close to 5 hours on the smallest battery I have.
Pete
Can you tell what battery you are using ? I installed a Lipo 11.1v 450 ma in a E6 dummy B unit, this thing is huge but it does the job.
Jack W.
CHARLES STEINMETZ You are comparing the cost of DCS vs DCC. We are actually talking about a $70.00 blue tooth board. Pay $70.00, plug it in, and you are running your train with sound. Pete
You are comparing the cost of DCS vs DCC. We are actually talking about a $70.00 blue tooth board. Pay $70.00, plug it in, and you are running your train with sound.
With DCC, I can equip a non-sound loco for $20 - $30(I do have a few sound locos, but the vast majority of mine are not). At a $40 - $50 cost difference, it doesn't take many locos to pay for a DCC system, and once it's paid for you'll save that money for every new loco you buy.
CHARLES STEINMETZ Bluerail has sound. It always has. Pete
Bluerail has sound. It always has.
Sort of. The last I checked, BlueRail has sound coming from the app, not the loco itself.
Pete Steinmetz
Dead Rail Society
www.deadrailsociety.com
On30 Modeler
Encinitas, CA
There are a lot of us that are running Dead Rail. The high quality batteries work just fine.
I run DCC and Dead Rail at the same time. I have not converted all my locos to Dead Rail. Our club CSC On30 runs both NCE DCC and ll varieties of Dead Rail (CVP, Tam Valley, and Blue Rail) at the same time as guys running DCC. There is no peoblems or interfearance.
I look on Blue Rail as a compliment to DCC not a substitute for DCC.
Blue Rail Supports sound now. I ran last weekend at Fullerton Railroad Days with a Blue Rail equipped 4-4-0 with steam sound. I was running with battery power.
Is Blue Rail for everyone? No. It does have a lot of features for a low price. One of the best features is it will be expandable and upgradable without much extra expense.
Check out their web site. There are many videos explaining the system and it's features. www.bluerailtrains.com
There should be no issues with the number of people or running through tunnels or even in the next room.
tloc52 rrebell--thanks I have thought of that. No decision is needed today as we will be looking at a few different cell providers. I am not locked into any IOS phones but whichever one I can get "free" for a new contract is the way we will go. I am looking forward to trying a couple of these boards out. Thanks TomO
rrebell--thanks I have thought of that. No decision is needed today as we will be looking at a few different cell providers. I am not locked into any IOS phones but whichever one I can get "free" for a new contract is the way we will go.
I am looking forward to trying a couple of these boards out.
Thanks
TomO
tloc52maxman--here is the entire email. Its not the boards that are the issue it is the phone. Remember the BlueRAil system uses a newer type of Bluetooth.
Yup, I know it is the phone. I still would not purchase a product if it required me to make an (substantial) expenditure for another product to be used.
maxman--here is the entire email. Its not the boards that are the issue it is the phone. Remember the BlueRAil system uses a newer type of Bluetooth.
I am sorry to report that the iPhone 4s was the first Apple device to support Bluetooth Smart, so the iPhone4 does not work with any of these trains. That's a bummer, I know. Let me know if I can answer any other questions. Dave Rees
Am I disappointed, sort of. Is a new phone a huge new expense, not really. We've had the phones a few years so we got our use from them and they were of course "FREE" when we rolled into the new contract. I know nothing is free, that cost is some where. It will all work out good in the end.
One thing for sure--his customer service response time was exceptional and says alot for him and the new company.
rrebellAlso this talk about emergencys, more likely for the land line to die than the cell over the short term.
That wasn't the case when part of the Midwest and New England area grid went down in Aug '03. All electricity and cell phone coverage went out for 2-3 days but landlines stayed up.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
tloc52 I also am on the list for the 1st boards. About 2 weeks ago I tried to download to my I-phone 4s the Bachmann App, my phone is not worthy it said. I tried again during the Black Hawk game last night and it was still unworthy. I emailed Bluerail last evening and this morning the reply from Dave Rees was that the I phone 4 will not be surrported by the new IOS app. I appreciate the quick response from Bluerail and will look into upgrading our phones. IMO Blue Rail is not the answer to all the issues that some may have with DCC but its a start. My previous system was RAIL PRO and it was great, so easy to set up and use, but I thought expensive. Blue Rail at 75 or 85 dollars for the start up boards is a great deal. It will only get better and it will help in my FULL conversion to DEAD RAIL, which is my goal by the start of 2017. TomO
I also am on the list for the 1st boards. About 2 weeks ago I tried to download to my I-phone 4s the Bachmann App, my phone is not worthy it said. I tried again during the Black Hawk game last night and it was still unworthy. I emailed Bluerail last evening and this morning the reply from Dave Rees was that the I phone 4 will not be surrported by the new IOS app. I appreciate the quick response from Bluerail and will look into upgrading our phones.
IMO Blue Rail is not the answer to all the issues that some may have with DCC but its a start. My previous system was RAIL PRO and it was great, so easy to set up and use, but I thought expensive. Blue Rail at 75 or 85 dollars for the start up boards is a great deal. It will only get better and it will help in my FULL conversion to DEAD RAIL, which is my goal by the start of 2017.
My landline went as they kept raising fees, ended up being $35 a month for local, pay $25 for unlimited everything now and can take with if expecting something important, yes we have one cell dedicated to home. It also acts as a backup if one of our private phones malfunctions (never happened but you never know). Also this talk about emergencys, more likely for the land line to die than the cell over the short term.
joe323 We are getting rid of the landline as the only calls we seem to get on it are annoying telemarketers and such. The advantage of having a landline in an emergecy pretty much went out the window when they switched from copper lines to FIOS. But I digress.
We are getting rid of the landline as the only calls we seem to get on it are annoying telemarketers and such. The advantage of having a landline in an emergecy pretty much went out the window when they switched from copper lines to FIOS. But I digress.
I'll call your digression and raise you one.
I acquired a cell phone in late 2008 so when I moved to the DC area the following year I cancelled my FIOS internet + phone service since there was no reason for me to pay for two separate phone services. Having a cell phone and a landline basically is a redundant cost; and with other high expenses, it was a no brainer for me. I haven't had a land line since 2009.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Anyway I have 15 locomotives a mix of DC and DCC and I am wondering if given that the Bachmann locos work on both system if this plug in might be a way to upgrade some of my DC locos to operate in a DCC environment. I suppose I could just hardwire DCC decorders too.
Joe Staten Island West
Another thing, i saw people complaining about installs though in the email then mention it has an 8 pin llug easy install
tloc52 I emailed Bluerail last evening and this morning the reply from Dave Rees was that the I phone 4 will not be surrported by the new IOS app. I appreciate the quick response from Bluerail and will look into upgrading our phones.
Hmmm, purchasing a control system that requires that I upgrade my cell phone? Something seems wrong with that, but I'm not completely certain what that might be.
Even the batteries we have now will get you two hours run time.
Even the battery that enables my micro quadcopter to work (it sits in the palm of your hand) is too big for HO diesels. It MIGHT fit in some larger steam tenders. It runs the 4 motors of the quadcopter for 10-15 minutes, so it might run a loco pulling a train for 20-25 minutes on a charge. That's not nearly enough. On the roll recharging is definitely needed until somepone makes the magic battery. Like small speakers, we are pushing the laws of physics here, trying to get a battery super tiny yet have lots of energy storage.
And sure this BT thing works great in demos. What about a club setting where 30 people all are trying to run trains with BT cell phones in close proximity? Whar about trains running under scenery made the old way with screening and chicken wire? Tunnels were always the bane of that hokey IR system some seemed to love (they might still be around), runnels with metal involved will cause issues with any form of radio signal, which is a non-issue with DCC since the control signals come through the rails.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Funny, I have been wireless from the get go with DC Train Engineer, only problem I have ever had was the batteries went dead in one of the controlers and this is all second hand stuff. As far as batteries go we are not talking batteries for model trains but lots of other things need batteries like phones. Since new battery tecnoligy is here, they just need to manufacture in bulk to bring the cost down, the only questiion is which of the dozen or so new designs turned out to have all the right mojo and be easy to manufacture.
rrebell I was hopping it would evolve and it has but the new batterys are not here yet, they should have been and are just starting to appear.
In the meantime, folks in the bay area have been wirelessly operating multiple trains independently on many layouts with DCC. And will continue to do so while you continue to wait. Different goals, different choices.
rrebellI never liked DCC because of lost signals
Dozens and dozens of layouts in the bay area operate without this being a problem.
Bluetooth propagation directly to the tiny antennas changing orientation in moving engines with people in the aisles of a larger layout may result in problems of its own. (This is a little worse at Blue Rail's 2.4 GHz than at other systems' 900 MHz)
Edit: Blue Rail's strategy for true consisting has yet to be revealed, so that may also be an issue for larger layouts with multiple trains and operators active at once. The whole pairing (and then unpairing) issue for multiple engines and multiple controllers is a challenge in Bluetooth. (Not a problem for DCC since it is solved by the addressing built-in to the DCC specification)
rrebellOn a side note, do you really think Tesla is building a mega battery factory just to produce old style batterys, I don't think so.
Actually, that's exactly their plan -- to build the same type of batteries that go into their cars today for quite some time. In any case, I don't think miniature batteries for toy trains are high on the agenda at Tesla.
For now, batteries of sufficient capacity won't fit in most HO or smaller trains with Blue Rail's current overly large receivers (and certainly not with on-board sound -- if Blue Rail ever delivers this).
Because Blue Rail thus far is an app developer, their hardware is based on off-the-shelf general-purpose Bluetooth radio modules. These are more expensive than purpose-built decoders or receivers because they include capabilities unneeded for model railroading. And they are larger and more power-hungry than the custom integrated hardware delivered by DCC decoder manufacturers and true Dead Rail suppliers like RailPro.
Efficient on-the-rails recharging remains to be addressed by a number of Dead Rail suppliers. This seems like a marketing error to me, especially since DCC or DC on the rails would be a great way to do this (even if reverse loops and frogs remained unpowered). This would also be a fine transition strategy for a mix of systems. And the non-standard approaches taken by Dead Rail suppliers are not helping market acceptance.
Perhaps Blue Rail will build or contract for more hardware design capabilities. Batteries will eventually become smaller, someday. Perhaps Elon Musk will take up model railroading. Many things are possible, not all things are worth waiting for (for many of us, at least).
Blue Rail's products are a niche solution today that may grow into something more. But there are lots of competitive alternatives.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
is Bluerail or any other type of direct wireless locomotive control bluetooth/wifi, by itself, a solution looking for a problem. (Dead-rail requires more than just wireless).
of course some people will like the "coolness" of it and are willing to pay more. In time, the marketplace will make its judgement.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
rrebellHey, new stuff is not for everybody and some things depend on where you live and budget.
There are legimate reasons to dislike this stuff other than the fact that it's new and/or expensive. I've been a smartphone user since day 1 - I even have a couple Droids and iPhones in a drawer that I could dedicate to this function but I see no reason to jump to bluetooth to control trains.
Do you really believe bluetooth is going to fix this issue?
Remember also that with the DCC systems, if wireless is having a bad hair day, you can always plug in and run. What's your backup plan when wireless is all you have?
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Hey, new stuff is not for everybody and some things depend on where you live and budget. I never liked DCC because of lost signals so was putting off dead rail till I had a finished layout (finished so to speak, most track in and basic scenery). I was hopping it would evolve and it has but the new batterys are not here yet, they should have been and are just starting to appear. On a side note, do you really think Tesla is building a mega battery factory just to produce old style batterys, I don't think so.
tstage rrebell Almost all landlines are gone now and most companys make you go 4G, thats why I have a smart phone but they are cheap to run, unlimited everything for 4 phones, $100 a month, no extras. Not really. I still have a landline and the sound quality is MUCH better than a cell phone will ever be. My wife and I both do have cell phones but only basic service. The cost per month for my wife's phone is $15 for 300 min. The cost for me is even cheaper with a $100 pay-as-you-go plan good for one year. That fits our budget much better than $100/mon. And, while smart phones are great, I still don't care to use one for operating my locomotives. I do have a tablet with bluetooth and could use that, if I wanted. I much prefer, however, to use my handheld Power Cab throttle. And I don't need to keep looking at a screen to do that. Tom
rrebell Almost all landlines are gone now and most companys make you go 4G, thats why I have a smart phone but they are cheap to run, unlimited everything for 4 phones, $100 a month, no extras.
Not really. I still have a landline and the sound quality is MUCH better than a cell phone will ever be. My wife and I both do have cell phones but only basic service. The cost per month for my wife's phone is $15 for 300 min. The cost for me is even cheaper with a $100 pay-as-you-go plan good for one year. That fits our budget much better than $100/mon.
And, while smart phones are great, I still don't care to use one for operating my locomotives. I do have a tablet with bluetooth and could use that, if I wanted. I much prefer, however, to use my handheld Power Cab throttle. And I don't need to keep looking at a screen to do that.
I also have a cell phone and a land line. My cell phone is pay as you go and I spend about $100.00 a year. My wife spends about $200.00 a year for hers. Neither are smart phones.
I'll stick with my Power Pro throttle.