Large Scale Central

Airwire or RailPro

Electronics Power and Sound
#21

Don Sweet said:

Jon, years ago you posted to me and prefaced it you are getting crotchety in your old age. But we still love ya!

Three years ago I had to read the RailPro assistant manual to get started. It is very well written with step by step instructions and call outs for Tips. As of today I have installed over 600 engines with RailPro. I can offer you short cuts to enjoy using the entire system.

As an installer there could be always an easier way to do things. But it becomes routine.

The coolest RailPro Product is the Simulator. For $32 you can do anything the hand controller does on your PC. That is how I load sounds, photos, updates and set up engines. Then I load all the setting in the hand controller by pressing the find button. It takes about 1 minute.

Jon once you are comfortable with the software you can change the sounds based on what you desire. Not a programmed selection. I had a customer show me how to create a Trolley sound effect and load them into the RailPro. We are here to help each other.

Don

What’s Jon’s excuse for being crotchety earlier? It’s not like he’s old now (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)

#22

Bruce Chandler said:

Don Sweet said:

Jon, years ago you posted to me and prefaced it you are getting crotchety in your old age. But we still love ya!

What’s Jon’s excuse for being crotchety earlier? It’s not like he’s old now (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)

Earlier - not sure. Sometimes I’m just crabby by nature! Lately it’s COVID Cabin Fever! Werkin’ on fixing that - bringing the camper on-line for a few quick trips.

#23

Jon Radder said:

Bruce Chandler said:

Don Sweet said:

Jon, years ago you posted to me and prefaced it you are getting crotchety in your old age. But we still love ya!

What’s Jon’s excuse for being crotchety earlier? It’s not like he’s old now (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)

Earlier - not sure. Sometimes I’m just crabby by nature! Lately it’s COVID Cabin Fever! Werkin’ on fixing that - bringing the camper on-line for a few quick trips.

Just remember you are among friends! After all, there is THIS:

A favorite of mine!

#24

What was this thread about again?

#25

Michael Kirrene said:

What was this thread about again?

Can’t remember (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

#26

Jon no one else has said anything about size of the railpro I have one and found it hard to load but the size of the hand held got to me it just to big for me to hold for to long.

Richard

#27

Richard said:

Jon no one else has said anything about size of the railpro I have one and found it hard to load but the size of the hand held got to me it just to big for me to hold for to long.

Richard

So 6.1 long x 3.4 wide x 1.5 inches thick is too big for you? I know it’s a little bigger than a Revo or Airwire transmitter, but you must have small hands. Using a laptop or iPad as an alternate would probably be out of the question for you.

#28

I’ve recently got a lanyard for one of my controllers and I really like it. Do you think something like that might help?

#29

Michael Kirrene said:

Richard said:

Jon no one else has said anything about size of the railpro I have one and found it hard to load but the size of the hand held got to me it just to big for me to hold for to long.

Richard

So 6.1 long x 3.4 wide x 1.5 inches thick is too big for you? I know it’s a little bigger than a Revo or Airwire transmitter, but you must have small hands. Using a laptop or iPad as an alternate would probably be out of the question I don’t have gorilla hands but I do have arthritis in my lt. that size is the size of a 2x4 and I don’t like walking around with a 2x4

Richard

#30

From the Ring Engineering website (of course they’re not going to state any negatives):

Is the Handheld Controller comfortable to hold?

“YES. The handheld controller has a rounded back and corners to feel comfortable in your hand. Since the handheld controller only weighs about 4 ounces more than the typical cell phone, it is heavy enough that you know it is built well, yet light enough and easy to hold for all day fun.”

To be fair, the controller has to accommodate a radio, an easy-to-view color graphics touchscreen, a large control knob, rechargeable batteries, and USB port There are up to 10+ pages to navigate through, and I’m sure the intention was to have the graphics (locomotives/settings/buttons) easy enough to view on the display at a +/- arms length distance.

But I think if one has arthritis or other affliction that affects holding the controller for a long period of time, then all bets may be off with this one…

#31

#32

Another fun day of running trains on the Rio Grande Southern RR.

Thanks, Ken.

#33

So you like the Railpro, Ken? Any down-sides at all?

I understand that the Railpro Assistant download transfer speed is very slow depending on the file, otherwise the interface works fine.

I will be considering battery power, but I understand that the PWR-56 Power Supply (with radio) used to run track power isn’t hefty enough to run more than two G-scale engines at one time.

Meanwhile, here’s a Railpro throttle holder for those who don’t want to carry it around:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RailPro-Throttle-Holder-By-Wrought-iron-Express-/274129264384

#34

The download speed takes about 30 minutes on the on new ULT engine files. The bell, whistles & photos anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes for the ULT files.

To make this easier get the USB Simulator for $32. No need to use the hand controller. Just your PC. You can do all the programming then operate the engine.

I use a Husky 25’ Tape holder as an holster for the RailPro controller. $8 at Home Depot.

#35

After having successfully installed RailPro in Ric’s Evil Twins, I got the bug for converting one of my AirWire installs to RailPro. However, I’ve got Kadee RC couplers on all of my engines and I’m curious if there is a way to control the couplers with RailPro?

#36

Jim Agnew said:

After having successfully installed RailPro in Ric’s Evil Twins, I got the bug for converting one of my AirWire installs to RailPro. However, I’ve got Kadee RC couplers on all of my engines and I’m curious if there is a way to control the couplers with RailPro?

I few years back I made a clone of the Kadee coupler and used a Sparkfun servo trigger https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13118 to actuate it with RailPro. Ring Engineering helped me with the wiring.

#37

Hi Jim, I am not familiar with the Kadee servo control. However, RailPro does not offer servos start and stop settings. It is a linear output to run small motors.

I can tell you that you can use the Phoenix solenoid couplers without any driver board. Just wire one brown wires to the output and the other brown to +5v. or +V. If +V is to much voltage the RailPro gives a output error. I use diodes to get down to 12-14v for a quick fix.

#38

I have just used the standard Kadee couplers and off the shelf servo and tie a jewelery chain between these. The g Guage Kadee coupler can have a screw drilled into the knuckle to hold the chain. This allows any Kadee off the shelf to be remote controlled, you do not need to stay with Kadees one type of uncoupler.

#39

Just a question on the RailPro systems, since I want to install the RailPro into an LGB #50 switcher and RailPro has no sounds for that engine, but Tsunami does can I get that sound reordered online, or can I go elsewhere to get it. I’m new to RailPro or Airwire control and I have not purchases a system yet for my G scale engines. I do have DCC in my Blackstone HOn3 engines on my layout, so I have a little idea what is going on, but not much, so I’m asking these questions. It looks like I can purchase a module to plug into my computer from RailPro which will allow me to down load sounds from other sources, but still sorta vague on just exactly how this works. If you could point me in the right direction on this it would be very much appreciated.

trainman

#40

Don Sweet contacted me and answered my questions, thank again Don it’s nice to be on a forum that so many have the info you need.

trainman