Radio control equipment

ge_rik

ge_rik

British narrow gauge (esp. Southwold and W&LLR)
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Is anyone considering selling off any radio control equipment for battery locos in the near future? I'm aiming to dabble in this area and want to experiment with something before I commit to it wholesale. At this stage I'm not too worried whether it's up to the minute top-notch stuff, so if you're thinking of upgrading from old gear to new gear I'd be interested in your old kit. I'm willing to pay the going rate (whatever your consider that might be) to save you eBay fees.

Rik
 
Just a thought, do you have any Massoth Kit IE Radio Hand Unit and Loco's with Massoth or other NMRA Chips? If so the Massoth DRC 300 may be for you. Costs around £69 squid some batteries a couple of switches and some wire and you are away.

This link should give you most of the info you need.

http://www.shourtline.swl4.com/DRC_300_Basics_en_Functional_Overview.pdf < Link To http://www.shourtline.swl...unctional_Overview.pdf

JonD
 
Thanks Jon. That looks like an interesting compromise. At present I am using MTS and I'm assuming it won't work with that set-up. It might be worth investing in a Massoth hand-held controller which I think can be used with the MTS Central Station???? Or will it require a complete change to Massoth?

Rik
 
Rik - if you have MTS 3 rather than MTS 2, then yes, you can use a Navigator with your MTS central station (though to use the Navi wirelessly, you'll need a Massoth receiver in place of your current LGB one I think) - and that will leave you perfectly set up to use the new Massoth DRC system when you want to - looks like a very good solution all round, in fact it might even tempt me to add battery power and a DRC to just a few chosen locos.....

Jon
 
I've been waiting for one of these radio interfaces for a while now,Massoth site still says available summer 2010!
Are they actually supplying them yet? Any one know?
 
I dont quite understand the use of something like this? If your already running DCC, then it would be cheaper to convert any new locos with a digital chip. I understand how battery R/C is great when your running analogue as we do, and it's helpful to have control over a loco, but when your running digital surely the compratively short running time you can get out of the batteries would be better spent giving the track a quick clean before a run?
 
I think the point of the Massoth DRC system, Matthew, is the versatility it gives you - if you have just one or two locos fitted with it, using a DPDT switch as suggested in the PDF that JonD linked to above to allow selecting either the battery power OR DCC track power, then you've pretty much got the best of both worlds - the ability to get full DCC control when running on battery (eg: when visiting someone else's analogue or live-steam line, or just when you can't be bothered to clean your track but still want to run something for a little while...) but to still use the same loco on DCC track power when available seems like a very attractive option.

As to whether the DRC units are actually available to buy yet, I'm not sure....as Colin said, Massoth's site still has them marked with "blue blobs" ("coming soon") rather the green "available" blobs, BUT it does say "Summer 2010", which is a while ago now - I can only assume that the production of them has been delayed for some reason; Massoth are still quite a small family firm, I believe, despite their high profile in the G scale world. Modell-Land's website, however, appears to list them as available to order, unless I'm reading it wrong, so maybe they are just on the verge of coming onto the market at last?

Jon.
 
I've just dropped a quick email over the Peter Ting at Massoth, asking if there is any update on the availability of the DRC 300 - he's been very helpful in answering questions in the past, maybe I will get a response on this one - if I hear anything useful back, I'll post it!

Jon.
 
ge_rik said:
Thanks Jon. That looks like an interesting compromise. At present I am using MTS and I'm assuming it won't work with that set-up. It might be worth investing in a Massoth hand-held controller which I think can be used with the MTS Central Station???? Or will it require a complete change to Massoth?
Rik
Click to expand...
The DRC 300 only needs a Massoth Handset plus the battery/chip etc. So you do not need a Massoth Base Station as well. You can use the Massoth Handset with LGB MTS too, but not sure if they have compatibility with all versions. With regard to availability, Garden Railway Centres at Cheltenham is listing the Beastie on his Webb Site:-
http://www.gardenrailwaycentres.info/shop/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=2532 < Link To http://www.gardenrailwayc...rod&productId=2532
Hope to get hold of one very soon.
JonD
 
Very interesting, Jon(D) - if you're going to order one from GRC, let us know if he really has them!
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Massoth Navi is compatible with MTS3, but not with MTS2 (or MTS1 of course) - and, obviously, you need to get a WIRELESS Navigator if you're going to use the DRC 300 - they also sell a cable-tethered Navi which is a bit cheaper, so make sure you buy the right one!

Jon (the other Jon).
 
matthew said:
I dont quite understand the use of something like this? If your already running DCC, then it would be cheaper to convert any new locos with a digital chip. I understand how battery R/C is great when your running analogue as we do, and it's helpful to have control over a loco, but when your running digital surely the compratively short running time you can get out of the batteries would be better spent giving the track a quick clean before a run?
Click to expand...
I think the attraction for me of this option is that I wouldn't have to buy one or more radio transmitters - I could use the Massoth for both DCC and r/c. However, I'd have to calculate whether the cost of changing from my present MTS universal controller to the Massoth would be cheaper than buying r/c equipment. If I understand it correctly I could control up to ten r/c locos with the one transmitter whereas I'd have to buy separate transmitters for each loco (or keep swapping over the crystals). In an operating session I usually have at least three locos on the go and sometimes run four - so I think I'd have to go for four transmitters if I wanted to run them at the same time?????

Maybe some of the r/c whizzkids could advise me as to whether I've got this right as r/c is still a bit of a Dark Art for me.

Rik
 
Rik - I think there is no doubt that going the Massoth route would be more expensive that using (comparatively cheap) "normal" RC gear in each loco - these days you can buy a complete Tx/Rx/servos RC setup for less than one of the new DRC300 chips would cost you - BUT I also think you're quite right in that you'd need a separate RC transmitter for each loco you wanted to run, which would be quite cumbersome to operate (I can see you festooned with multiple RC transmitters on various straps, walking round like a porcupine of antennae.....) ;)
For me, the Massoth way would be well worth the cost for the sake of its apparent versatility and ease of use, but YMMV of course.

Jon.
 
Hi Rik, I am about to change my analog locos to battery and have been looking at RC kit. Cheapest is Hobby King for 4 channels - 23 USD plus postage.
I think by doing something to 1 of the transmitter control sticks you could run 2 locs from a single controler. You would need as second reciever ( 8 USD ). Channel 1 & 2 for loco 1 with channels 3 & 4 for loco 2.
Alex
 
ge_rik said:
I think the attraction for me of this option is that I wouldn't have to buy one or more radio transmitters - I could use the Massoth for both DCC and r/c. However, I'd have to calculate whether the cost of changing from my present MTS universal controller to the Massoth would be cheaper than buying r/c equipment. If I understand it correctly I could control up to ten r/c locos with the one transmitter whereas I'd have to buy separate transmitters for each loco (or keep swapping over the crystals). In an operating session I usually have at least three locos on the go and sometimes run four - so I think I'd have to go for four transmitters if I wanted to run them at the same time?????

Maybe some of the r/c whizzkids could advise me as to whether I've got this right as r/c is still a bit of a Dark Art for me.

Rik
Click to expand...
That's a good point about the controllers, to be running 3 at the same time WITH individual control then you would need a controller for each, although R/C systems don't use crystals anymore, and you can bind as many R/C receivers to one controller as you wish, although this would control all locos that are turned on at the same time (suitable if your wanting to double head though)

I know more about the Hobby King R/C stuff as Alex mentions, of which everything (including postage of a large box from China) came to about £50. Then Mel among others uses the Cliff Barker R/C stuff, which i think he mentioned his first instalation costing around £160 but that included the controller cost which you only purchase once.

I guess if you were only wanting to do 1 or 2 loco's then using traditional R/C equipment would work out cheaper than a new Massoth handheld unit, but if you went for the Massoth it's not only giving you the R/C stuff but also an upgrade for your DCC system too. Swings and roundabouts and all that :rolf:
 
Just another thought on this subject - doesn't Trainline45's new control system work in a similar manner to Massoth's, ie: using a handheld control in direct radio contact with an onboard receiver in the loco, bypassing the need for the central station and control signals via the track - with the loco power coming either from onboard batteries or from constant track power? I don't know if theirs is any further along in the availability stakes than Massoth's but it may be a contender in the future and worth considering for long term plans?

Jon.
 
Thanks Zerogee, yes I am already kitted out with Massoth Hand Units and also loco's with Massoth Chips so to me only cost is the Batteries and the DRC 300. Whereas with my Aristo Battery set up that was all new cost. I have also been thinking about the Timpdn Electronics Kit as that can be used by ( off thread) live steam (back on thread). Looks like you pays your money etc. I personally do not like the big RC hand units that are mainly for Boatts,Cars and Planes. When running to a Timetable with switch lists, simplifiers etc then a unit the size of the Massoth Hand Held Radio is much more manageable. Plus unless you invest in the Brian Jones Control Systems from what I see Controllers made for Cars and Bats just do not give the level of Control. And here I mean the ability to move up to a train and just "kiss" the couplings together. Shunt with due care etc.

Will report if I manage to get my Hands on a DRC 300.
JonD
 
matthew said:
" surely the compratively short running time you can get out of the batteries would be better spent giving the track a quick clean before a run?"
Click to expand...

Mathew i have 3 or 4 Battery locos (controled by Revo) and the biggest problem is the batteries not running out ...i like to run them down completly before i charge them up and the dam things keep going so if you have a big day coming up you never know weather you should charge it or not.... i did run a little Bachmann Porter the other day fully charged and set it off with 10 mini skips at 8 am it was still going at dinner time and i totally forgot about it after 2pm it had stopped at 5 but i cant praise moddern batteries enough and i have big Mikados. Shay as well as little locos they all out perform
The other thing you mention is track cleaning......What is that.....Oh it must be that 3 hours i spent the other day that id forgotten you have to do when i thought id better rig up some track power in case someone brings a loco
:rolf::thumbup: Tony
 
dunnyrail said:
Thanks Zerogee, yes I am already kitted out with Massoth Hand Units and also loco's with Massoth Chips so to me only cost is the Batteries and the DRC 300. Whereas with my Aristo Battery set up that was all new cost. I have also been thinking about the Timpdn Electronics Kit as that can be used by ( off thread) live steam (back on thread). Looks like you pays your money etc. I personally do not like the big RC hand units that are mainly for Boatts,Cars and Planes. When running to a Timetable with switch lists, simplifiers etc then a unit the size of the Massoth Hand Held Radio is much more manageable. Plus unless you invest in the Brian Jones Control Systems from what I see Controllers made for Cars and Bats just do not give the level of Control. And here I mean the ability to move up to a train and just "kiss" the couplings together. Shunt with due care etc.

Will report if I manage to get my Hands on a DRC 300.
JonD
Click to expand...

JonD (and others): just to avoid TOO many people bombarding them with calls today, I thought I'd post this - I just rang Garden Railway Centres - very pleasant and helpful chap there, but as expected they have NOT got the DRC 300 in yet - nor, at the moment, have they any more info that we've been collectively able to glean so far. He did promise to let me know if he can find out anything more direct from Massoth, if I hear anything useful then I'll post it here. I guess we just have to wait...... :impatient: :impatient: :impatient:

Jon.
 
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