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

muns said:
Today I received a shipment form Tam Valley so the Dead Rail System components are now available from my web store....

http://www.gardenrailoutlet.co.uk/dead-rail-system
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Well Muns have taken the plunge and ordered a set today. Hopefully my Piko Kamel will be receiving it. At the price you are charging it is a marginal upcost to new Bogies, which are not available yet. Just need to factor in Batteries a Switch, Charging Socket and some wire. I do have all that in stock except for the Batteries.
JonD
 
Well done to Mark for getting these in stock.

whatlep said:
Interesting Mark. Is the transmitter distance really 50 feet? I was hoping for rather more.
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I did some fairly unscientific tests and with the original receiver (not the Hi Power one Mark has) 50feet was about right for the range. In my garden I couldn't get full coverage without having the transmitter in a non convenient place in the middle.

The spec for the Hi Power Receiver claims a bigger max range, with the same transmitter. I havn't tried out this claim yet, I'll put it on my list of things to do. I'm not entirely sure why the range would be more given that the RF chips are the same.

There are a couple of things to note with regard to the range. Firstly it is possible to increase the max range with the use of additional transmitters as long as the phasing is kept the same (i.e. make sure the same terminal on each transmitter is connected to the same side of the track output from the DCC system). Secondly if a receiver/train does go out of range it just keeps on going at the same speed it was before, when it comes back in range it can be controlled again.
 
The 'cruise' feature is nice..
Personally, I think I would want control though.. Ability to 'kill' the system when something goes wrong.
 
Am I correct that the Tam Valley dead-rail-system is not the same as the Massoth DiMAX DRC300 battery drive as they need a central station. I understand the DiMAX DRC 300 controls your digital decoder and only needs a battery plus your wireless DiMAX Navigator. No central station is necessary.
 
Thanks Cliff I think I will have to wait for the Massoth DCR 300 as I want not to have to power up my central station.
 
Railway42 said:
Thanks Cliff I think I will have to wait for the Massoth DCR 300 as I want not to have to power up my central station.
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Unfortunately, you may be waiting some time!
They eventually admitted they had dropped the original design, and were starting again.. No idea how 'son of DCR 300' is progressing.. :(
 
Railway42 said:
Thanks Cliff I think I will have to wait for the Massoth DCR 300 as I want not to have to power up my central station.
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Well you could achieve not having to power up your central station by using an S-CAB, or modified NCE Power Cab. In both of these cases the central station is part of the handheld device.

Where points are controlled via DCC it seems to me that power to an existing central station is probably essential.

With the Massoth DRC300 solution I think they would have had to have still allowed the Navi to connect to their central station as well as directly to the receiver in the engine.
 
Railway42 said:
Thanks Cliff I think I will have to wait for the Massoth DCR 300 as I want not to have to power up my central station.
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As PhilP mentioned, although Massoth have admitted (in a reply to a direct email question from me, I don't think they've ever said this in a public statement) that they have abandoned the original DRC300 project and started again from scratch, there is no official word on the new project at all.

Jon.
 
whatlep said:
Is the transmitter distance really 50 feet? I was hoping for rather more.
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Been out side today and I've done some more tests, and its f-f-freezing 8). I have to say I would never have been outside running a train if I had to have cleaned the track.

I tried to see if I could detect any difference in range of control between the older lower powered receiver and the newer higher powered receiver. I couldn't detect any obvious difference.

I was more scientific and was careful to measure the distance with my long builders tape measure.

I tried using my standard Lenz system, the S-CAB, and PowerCab. Possibly using the Lenz system, which I run at 18V, the others are about 12V, was slightly better for reliable range but it was very marginal. Possibly track voltage into the transmitter is a factor, but I couldn't say for sure.

There was never a point where control dropped out altogether anywhere in my garden, but control because less reliable as distance increased. It was as if complete blocks of DCC messages got lost, since the messages get repeated they usually got there in the end but response from the engine could seem very sluggish.

I'd say that 50ft was pushing it a bit for reliable operation, 30ft was certainly reliable.

Mine is a ground level line, maybe that is a factor.
 
Hi Cliff, when you did that very unscientific little indoor test at the Winter Meet at Tolleshunt before Christmas, I recall you could get ALMOST the length of the hall away before you lost a reliable signal to the loco - can you remember how long that chap told us the hall was? Certainly I think it was a lot more than 30 feet....

Jon.
 
I think he said then hall was about 60ft.

I'm not saying it doesn't work at the longer distances, just that it seemed much more sluggish in responding. I guess that is because the longer the distance the greater the chance of DCC messages getting lost, however they are successfully received eventually due to messages being repeated.
 
I'm thinking that this is where either a Stanton Cab or something like Cliff's modified Powercab may win out over the DRS transmitter tethered to the fixed central station....?
At least with a handheld, if you start to lose signal you can move nearer to the loco till you re-establish good control.

Of course, if you have a small to moderate sized layout and can place the transmitter in a suitably central position (thinks.... model electricity pylon or cell tower with Tx on top...), it shouldn't be too much of an issue anyway.

Jon.
 
No, i dont have any info on the availability of the DRC300, its stil listed in the very recent price list of Champex-Linden thow! @ 79€.

The well know German Manufactor Uhlenbrock have a DRS system for G scale. http://www.uhlenbrock.de/intern/newitems/I003F734-001.htm!ArcEntryInfo=0007.3.I003F734 The receiver http://www.uhlenbrock.de/intern/newitems/I003F73B-001.htm!ArcEntryInfo=0007.6.I003F73B is rated at 3A and can also drive pointmoters of LGB and Piko.

The transmitter can be hooked up to any CS which uses the Loconet bus.

I am restarting in G scale but now with battery-power, sold all my DCC equipment in the past. DCC is the best for controlling your loco and sound etc. so need some sort of DCC equipment.
 
Yes, the Uhlenbrock is based on the Danisch GT GamesOnTrack system, which sells direct to customers.

The transmitter from GT needs DCC input wheras the Uhlenbrock branded is Loconet (LN) and DCC compatible as Uhlenbrock uses LN to hook up their modules.

Again a CS is needed for DCC, whereas the DRC300 doesn't. initialy???
 
palmerston said:
Yes, the Uhlenbrock is based on the Danisch GT GamesOnTrack system, which sells direct to customers.

The transmitter from GT needs DCC input wheras the Uhlenbrock branded is Loconet (LN) and DCC compatible as Uhlenbrock uses LN to hook up their modules.

Again a CS is needed for DCC, whereas the DRC300 doesn't. initialy???
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This looks very similar to the Tam Valley System in scope, but there appears to be no specific mention of Battery Operation other than "Pure DC Input" that could be taken for Battery Input. Will be interesting to see if anyone gives it a try.

But we still appear to be a long way from DRC300 which is what many of us with Massoth and other Chips would like.

I searched the Massoth sites in vain for the 2016 Cat, but found it here:-

http://www.gscalenews.com/pdf/massoth/massoth-catalogue-2016.pdf

I rather liked the Emotion Melody on P17 of the new cat. Will be rather nice to have tailored StationAnnouncements to match a specific Timetable. But a comprehensive Line might need more than 1 at each busy Station as only 12 Announcements appear possible.

JonD
 
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