Beginners question on garden railway DCC

[SteamySteve]

Hi,

Am looking at DCC control for my garden railway project. Would it be best to deliver the DCC via wireless modules rather than the track and can anyone recommend articles on achieving this, or manufacturers of suitable g gauge kit for wireless modules, decoders and controllers.

Many thanks,


Steve

 

[jacobsgrandad]

It would depend upon how large your layout is and how far you need to go from the base station. i.e if you can stay within the lengh of the tethering cable you dont need wireless. Othervpeople on this site will give you far more knowledge than I can but in my case I use a Massoth system with a wireless hand held navigator which I find excellent though expensive!!

 

[mike]

didto as above, started with a lgb mts 2 set up, went to a mts3 .. then added a navagatue hand set, then ,finally got the full massoth set up, 2 wireless handsets.. points are controled via switch drive unit, (controls up to 4 points each) the navagatures make point changes easy.. and fun.

 

[yb281]

Would it be best to deliver the DCC via wireless modules rather than the track

Just to clear up Steve, you do realise that, when it says wireless, that means that the handset has a wireless connection to the base station? The power from the base station is still usually wired to the track, unless you have a battery power DCC system such as the Aristocraft Revolution where the locos carry their own batteries?

 

[minimans]

I think he's talking about sending the DCC signals directly to the Loco's via radio signals and not using the rails as the transport medium? Is this an option even?

Beat me too it mate!!

 

[alecescolme]

Steve,

Sending the DCC signal to on-board receiver is quite popular in the US, the US manufacturers are Airwire and QSI G-Wire. These are 900mhz and are not licensed to use in the UK- 900mhz is the same band as mobile phone networks.

But, there is a Massoth alternative that can be used in the UK, using a Wireless Navigator, a on-board receiver and a decoder- Not sure that the on-board receiver is available yet.
There also is the Aristo Revolution (sold in the UK) that works on the same principle and people like it, but it is not DCC, but offers many of the advantages of DCC.

I presume you are indicating that you might want batteries on-board, as opposed to sending power down the track to the recievers. If you decide to send power down the track, you will probably will need to add a devices like a Bridge Rectifier.

I personally use battery and do not regret it, long enough run times and no big power supplies and complex track wiring.

Alec

 

[PaulRhB]

I think he's talking about sending the DCC signals directly to the Loco's via radio signals and not using the rails as the transport medium? Is this an option even?

I don't think so with DCC conforming systems but there is the Aristo Revolution or individual battery systems like Tony Walsham's, Cliff Barker or Brian Jones make.

 

[Cliff George]

I think sending the command station to booster DCC signals to a loco wirelessly is a good idea; unfortunately no one does it commercially. In my opinion an NMRA standard is needed for doing such a thing and then maybe some manufacturers would support it. Any power source could be used to power the loco i.e. battery, steam, track etc, any existing DCC decoder could potentially be used in the loco.
Massoth will be bringing out their DRC 300 sometime, this goes someway to doing what you are suggesting but I think Massoth?s concept is flawed because they are sending the throttle interface over the air, not the DCC signal. I?ll certainly be getting one to try when they are released.
http://www.shourtline.swl4.com/DRC_300_Basics_en_Functional_Overview.pdf < Link To http://www.shourtline.swl...unctional_Overview.pdf

 

[ntpntpntp]

Sending the DCC signal to on-board receiver is quite popular in the US, the US manufacturers are Airwire and QSI G-Wire. These are 900mhz and are not licensed to use in the UK- 900mhz is the same band as mobile phone networks.

I think I also read a bit recently on (MyLargeScale.com?) where they were discussing the new RailPro system and arguing whether or not it was true DCC as it is wireless.

demo video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk0WLpqwfO0

 

[alecescolme]

Sending the DCC signal to on-board receiver is quite popular in the US, the US manufacturers are Airwire and QSI G-Wire. These are 900mhz and are not licensed to use in the UK- 900mhz is the same band as mobile phone networks.

I think I also read a bit recently on (MyLargeScale.com?) where they were discussing the new RailPro system and arguing whether or not it was true DCC as it is wireless.

I am guessing that is the case, as the protocols though the air are not DCC, but the receivers are DCC compatible e.g. allow you to connect sound decoders, ect and you can control the trains in similar way as traditional DCC.

Alec

 

[ExeterGeek]

Hi,
Am looking at DCC control for my garden railway project. Would it be best to deliver the DCC via wireless modules rather than the track and can anyone recommend articles on achieving this, or manufacturers of suitable g gauge kit for wireless modules, decoders and controllers.
Many thanks,
Steve

Steve,
Happy to answer questions from my limited knowledge - see my blog at http://patiorails.blogspot.com/ A...ing of the question you are asking... Chris

 

[yb281]

Hi,
Am looking at DCC control for my garden railway project. Would it be best to deliver the DCC via wireless modules rather than the track and can anyone recommend articles on achieving this, or manufacturers of suitable g gauge kit for wireless modules, decoders and controllers.
Many thanks,
Steve

Steve,
Happy to answer questions from my limited knowledge - see my blog at http://patiorails.blogspot.com/
As the saying goes, in under a year I have learned much, started to realise what I don't know, and happy to share what I have learned. Feel free to PM me so you can you can come to the forum with at least a sense of understanding of the question you are asking...
Chris

The only thing is Chris, there may be others new to the hobby who have the same questions as Steve. If you limit the discussion to private messages, no-one else gets to find out the answers. Whereas, if it's discussed on the open forum, everyone gets to share other's experiences.

Don't be worried about having to come to the forum with a full sense of understanding - we have a saying here "there's no such thing as daft questions, just questions". We've all had to start somewhere.

 

[CoggesRailway]

Agreed Mel. And also don't rule out battery rc from the evaluation.

 

[ExeterGeek]

Apologies, I wasn't trying to take meaningful discussion away from the forum...
I have to say that this is one of the friendliest forums's I've been on - and you are quite right, I've seen lots of instances of people being helpful rather than the "should know better" attitude. I felt for the man at Christmas with his train set not working, and he was told about the LGB 2/3 way switch, and he was sorted within the hour of posting I think on Christmas day .. Been there, done that, except I didn't have a five year old who wanted a train set working on Christmas day and all the pressure that that means.
One of the very early comments i came across about Garden railways was "look and ask" - and I was fortunate enough with a member of the G scale society at my local show to touch as well... Discussing options and what you got for you money he flipped over some LGB / Bachmann / Aristocraft / Newqida stuff to show off differences in couplings and bearings, and also weight of build...
Likewise I had about at least a good hour of his time as he also explained about DC / what Bachmann wireless control meant (I'd been looking at their starter set), and other options, and this was without going near DCC..
Chris

Hi,
Am looking at DCC control for my garden railway project. Would it be best to deliver the DCC via wireless modules rather than the track and can anyone recommend articles on achieving this, or manufacturers of suitable g gauge kit for wireless modules, decoders and controllers.
Many thanks,
Steve

Steve,
Happy to answer questions from my limited knowledge - see my blog at http://patiorails.blogspot.com/
As the saying goes, in under a year I have learned much, started to realise what I don't know, and happy to share what I have learned. Feel free to PM me so you can you can come to the forum with at least a sense of understanding of the question you are asking...
Chris

The only thing is Chris, there may be others new to the hobby who have the same questions as Steve. If you limit the discussion to private messages, no-one else gets to find out the answers. Whereas, if it's discussed on the open forum, everyone gets to share other's experiences.

Don't be worried about having to come to the forum with a full sense of understanding - we have a saying here "there's no such thing as daft questions, just questions". We've all had to start somewhere.

 

[yb281]

Apologies, I wasn't trying to take meaningful discussion away from the forum...

No apology necessary Chris.