Anything else that will do what the DRC300 promised....?

[PaulRhB]

Full google translation here, sounds a bit too sophisticated for me at present as too many bits left for you to work out. It would be impressive though if they offered a full step by step set of instructions and recommended some battery types too.

Train Line-Fi locomotive decoder 5A for G Scale
The Train Line-Fi locomotive decoder has 5A and a SUSI interface. A battery operation is possible with this decoder. To operate the
[76051001]

Train Control WLAN is a decoder that uses radio transmission network as the 2.4Ghz WiFi and on the mobile phone software that controls this radio decoder.

The software is a free app for any mobile phone and was originally developed for home automation (as eg light at home on and off, remote control for the TV or the blinds) are offered. This software in our model and a surface graph designed to fit control a locomotive. This graphic is stored in a JSON file.

With the software NetIO (in Appel goals and to find in play goals) and our JSON file, you can control our Train-Control-Fi decoder.


How? Read here: Step I - installation and connection to the APP decoder

download the APP NetIO to your phone and install it. Then copy the JSON file to the folder on your mobile phone: NetIO / config /

You have prepared this step your phone for the control of the decoder.

Now place the decoder is energized, the included SD card is inserted, the decoder is booting up (one red and one green LED on the decoder is lit or flashing).

After about 30 seconds, you can view the available networks on the mobile phone. Depending on which mobile phone is used, this indicator can vary. In order to quickly and easily see all the networks, there is a free app WiFi Manager. It TLWLAN_140615 the network is displayed. Confirm the connection, the password is TOPSECRET.

At this point you have all the conditions for the controller! Now start the app NetIO (used as the "controller" is displayed). In the first call of the program start in the delivery surface ("default"). You can display a menu window from the left, here all Oberflächendateine ​​be displayed from the "Config" folder, the above JSON file, TL140615 calls. These select and see a surface with slider. Press this drives off the engine!


Step II - connections on the decoder

At the decoder, you have various connection options (see below): - motors, light, sound, evaporators, etc.

First we connect to the power supply: the importance of the correct polarity at the decoder input. For this is a rectifier, which ensures that always the positive terminal + and - to arrive at the ground pole. If you use the battery, connect it easy to terminal "battery" with the correct polarity (this is marked on the decoder).

Now connect the motor to the terminal "motor" to, and also two or three motors can be connected in parallel.

The locomotive can now drive!

NOTE: should the current draw of the loco be bad, can be used to support, and so the decoder does not crash, a Strompufferung (gold caps) are connected (more details in the connection diagram, see below)

The running lights front and rear, the cab light, the evaporator and further lighting functions can now be connected to terminals 1-7. The common positive pole with 5V or 24V is the connection diagram (see below) located.

SUSI sound modules are simply plugged into the SUSI socket.


Step III - Adapting the interface file on the mobile phone

You can customize the JSON file its own ideas. For this, the free software is available on http://netio.davideickhoff.de. Download the existing JSON file high (upload) and create YOUR desired surface. Then save this file as a download either only on the PC as a backup or directly from the folders on the phone NetIO / config /.

 

[Tony Walsham]

All very well, very clever and probably very reliable.
The biggest problem will be convincing potential users not to worry about not being able to see the phone screen outdoors in bright sunshine. The phones can be used for trains just fine indoors, less well outdoors. Sure you can turn the screen brightness up a bit but that costs in battery consumption.
Next problem for many is that there is zero feel to a telephone handpiece. There are NO knobs and switches to feel and touch.

However, someone will offer them commercially fairly soon and I for one will be really interested in how well they are accepted by the mainstream Garden Railroader.

 

[PaulRhB]

The screen brightness is a valid issue but the lack of zero point doesn't really matter as they just scroll down, even those who hated the idea on my layouts soon found it dead easy using smartphones. One thing I wonder is if one of the conductive stylus could be mounted on a mini rack connected to a knob to give both options.

 

[Zerogee]

Just had a VERY interesting reply from Massoth to the email I sent them recently.... I've started a new thread about it here:
http://www.gscalecentral.net/digital-%28dcc%29/an-answer-from-massoth-!/



Jon.

 

[beavercreek]

This reply has also been used for another thread about the DCS300

Although I have Massoth gear for when running DCC I have decided, that the wait for the mythical DCS300, could see me into my 70's!
So I elected to go with Aristocraft/Crest's Revolution system for the R/C winter running. It gives very much the same sort of operation as with DCC (many possible functions, sound either on board or with added soundcard etc) and has a handset that operates similar to the Massoth navigator and lets you chose between up to 99 locos (as if..).

In the locos that I have Revo-ed, I am also putting a couple of DPDT switches which will switch it from Revo board to DCC board for when running from track. There will also be a switch to take out both the Revo and DCC board circuitry, so that the locos can run on old analogue DC as well.

The Revolution system is pretty cheap now (if purchased from US and that includes the shipping and VAT), each loco receiver/decoder (now with quite passable generic steam or diesel sound on board) is about $70 (£42...approx £55 landed)...handset is about $175 (£110 ...approx £145 landed)

http://www.crest-electronics.net/

 

[Cliff George]

Unfortunately only US legal at present
http://www.tamvalleydepot.com/products/deadrailsystem.html

Thanks for putting me onto this Paul. Jon reminded me about this thread when I saw him today.

They make a 869Mhz version which would be legal and licence exempt in the UK (I checked).

The Tam Valley Depot system seems to me to be what a wireless DCC system should be. Send the standardised DCC signal via radio, not the throttle bus protocol as Massoth seem to want to do. That way it will work with any DCC system.

I might give the Tam Valley system a try, and report on here if it works.

There is a Yahoo support group which I am joining, and an ebook for about £3.00.

Anyone fancy joining me with an order?

 

[beavercreek]

Anyone fancy joining me with an order?

I'll join you with one order Cliff........

 

[Zerogee]

I might be up for giving one a try too, Cliff - drop me a PM when you're ready to order?

Jon.

 

[Beddhist]

Uhlenbrock now make a wireless system, but it still needs a radio hub and a central station, even if you have dead rails. 868 MHz.

 

[Zerogee]

Uhlenbrock now make a wireless system, but it still needs a radio hub and a central station, even if you have dead rails. 868 MHz.

Very interesting news, Peter - do you have any links to info about it?

Jon.

 

[Cliff George]

Uhlenbrock now make a wireless system, but it still needs a radio hub and a central station, even if you have dead rails. 868 MHz.

Thanks for the information.

Do you have a link?

Still needing a central station is just as it should be. Put the standardised DCC in the air, not anything proprietary. Then the dead rail system will work with any DCC system. Only one DCC transmitter needed, control any battery loco from any handset.

I've currently got a Tam Valley system on order for testing. Will hopefully report findings on here.

 

[beavercreek]

I think it might be the 'Daisy'....?
here is a review/rant about it......compared with ESU

http://www.digitrainworld.com/2014/02/uhlenbrock-vs-esu-1990-vs-2014/

 

[Beddhist]

Here is a link to the radio receiver.

 

[beavercreek]

Here is a link to the radio receiver.

Aye,...and here is how it works with the 'Daisy' handset etc...

http://www.uhlenbrock.de/INTERN/newitems/I003F734-001.htm!ArcEntryInfo=0007.3.I003F734

 

[Tony Walsham]

This might explain why Massoth have seemingly forsaken the DC300.
http://www.bluerailtrains.com/index.cfm
Especially considering the Blue Rail system is supposed to have been shown back in 2010 and been on sale since 2013.
But again, the main problems are going to be the screen brightness outdoors and the lack of tactile feel in the handpiece.

 

[dunnyrail]

Tony, this looks like it may be the beast. Only down side so far as I can see is that whereas with the DRC all I needed was the DRC 300, Batteries and a DPDT Switch so that my Loco could be Battery or Track Powered. With this I will need to Junk my current Chip. Loosing the Correct Sounds that it has (I use German Harz Mostly), Whistles and Horns will be all wrong. But looks a good possibility with the definite option in the FAQ's of On board Battery Support.

Nice find.
JonD

 

[Zerogee]

Hmmm..... looks interesting in itself, Tony, but as JonD says it still doesn't really do the job we want it to.... the Tam Valley system that Cliff is experimenting with (with quite some success, apparently) is very much closer to the DRC300 concept that many of us are looking for. Given their response to my last enquiries, I still nurture a small hope that Massoth may finally do something with their promised redesign of the DRC300 project (they have now admitted that the original design has hit a dead end, whether for technical or price reasons I don't know) - maybe their "new start" will follow the Tam Valley approach of putting the standard DCC signal over the wireless link, rather than their proprietary control signals direct from the Navigator (which, as I think may have been previously mentioned, would be commercially bad for their continued sales of central stations).

As JonD said above, what we (as in those of us who already have a VERY large investment in DCC sound-equipped locos) need and want is something that will control said locos by feeding DCC control signals wirelessly to the existing sound decoders - the Tam Valley solution seems to be pretty much there, though I think their hardware still needs some refinement and I'd still like to see a Massoth-produced equivalent!

Jon.

 

[Cliff George]

As Jon says I’ve had the Tam Valley DRS system for a few months now to test play with. I have to say I am impressed. It works very well. I don’t know of anything the DRC300 claims to do that this system cannot do. I’ve no connection with Tam Valley other than as a customer.

A few pics:

 

[dunnyrail]

Cliff, that all looks very interesting. Does the system work with both Battery and Powered Locomotives at the same time? I assumed that the DRC300 would work that way.

My problem is that I do wish to use the odd Battery Locomotive (as well as LGB Track Powered Chipped Locomotives) on a DCC Chip, predominantly my Piko Harz Kamel that is so completely disabled by the slightest crud on the Track. Even when just cleaned, it finds all the crud.
JonD

 

[Cliff George]

Does the system work with both Battery and Powered Locomotives at the same time?

I haven't tried it yet but it should be possible to run track powered and battery powered DCC locos at the same time. I'll try this today for you.