Plan on doing one soon…I’m sure I can figure it out but if someone has already gone through the trouble it would save me some!
If not, I will be sure to take plenty of pictures!
Are you running track power or battery power?
Usually both…But in this case I’d probably go straight battery from a trailing car. Probably straight forward but looking to avoid any “gotcha’s”. Won’t be able to touch it for a couple of weeks.
If you are going to use a trailing battery car, why not make it a power car using the Revolution receiver? A power car is simply a battery car with a receiver added. I could be used to power and control any Plug and Play locomotive or any locomotive with an MU connector added and the track power pick-ups unplugged. It is far easier to build a power car than install a receiver in a non Plug and Play locomotive. Here are the links to a couple of articles on the OVGRS web site that show how it is done.
Adding an MU connector to a USA Trains diesel is easy. There are a number of articles on the OVGRS web site that show how it is done. The GP38-2 is the easiest one to read, but most USA Trains diesels are similar.
The article on the LGB Power Car may be of interest as well because it has a PWC to Linear DC Board (CRE 57091) added.
LGB Power Boxcar
(http://ovgrs.editme.com/files/LGB-PC/PWCBoard.jpg)
Some USA Trains diesels have a LM317 voltage regulator in them that does not like the PWC output of the Revolution receiver. As a result, the lights may not work. Adding this board eliminates that problem. The motors and lights will behave exactly as they did with DC track power. If you have trouble finding the board, I can sell you one from my new spares.
I had considered this, and may still do so.
There are a few advantages to a “battery only” car. The Revo has the advantage of custom throttle settings for each locomotive, something difficult to do if one receiver controls all locos (i.e. batt/receiver car or track-side receiver).
Of course the big advantage of your suggestion is the need for only one car to control multiple engines.
As I am using the Revo with sound I would still like to place the speaker in the engine, this would just require a second connector between the engine/batt/receiver car for sound.
Again, not dismissing the idea, reviewing all my options.
If the battery car has a remote linking button installed, any locomotive could be linked to the receiver. As the transmitter holds the ASSIGND FUNCTIONS for each locomotive, each locomotive could be programmed differently.
For the on-board speaker, all that is needed is an All Electronics 4-wire connector.
(http://www.allelectronics.com/mas_assets/cache/image/4/5/8/1112.Jpg)
Two wires for the receiver’s power output terminals, and the other two for the on-board speaker.
Paul Norton said:
For the on-board speaker, all that is needed is an All Electronics 4-wire connector.
(http://www.allelectronics.com/mas_assets/cache/image/4/5/8/1112.Jpg)
Two wires for the receiver’s power output terminals, and the other two for the on-board speaker.
Sweet!
I use the 4-wire connectors exclusively for sound in my trail cars to allow for series-parallel connection of speakers in multiple unit lash-ups. I also have a large speaker in the trail car for good bass response. A second two-wire connector is used for power.
The only draw back to having your control unit in the sound car is lighting. You are back to having the lighting tied into the motor circuit and can’t take advantage of any lighting outputs on your control board.
I have found some nice 8 pin connectors (rated 5 amps) from molex that really help situations like that, so you could feed:
2 - headlight
2 - motor
2 - speaker
2 - other lights or chuff cam contacts.
In my case, I use them in DCC when I want to run 2 units from one decoder:
2 - headlight or rear headlight
2 - speaker
2 - motor
2 - track pickups
Greg
Still not sure if I want to leave the receiver in the battery car but there is enough input here to make me think it’s worth a try (just have to ‘re-link’ when switching engines if I want the custom program for that engine). I have way too many engines to convert all to batt which is why I still have DC power too, this might be a possibility.
Got a part number by chance Greg?