Large Scale Central

Cheep remote control

Electronics
#1

I purchased a set of remote control cars from Boscov"s last Christmas for $10.00. Now that is my kind of remote controll cost. The package included two cars with two separate controllers. Each one uses a different frequency for controll so you can run both at the same time without interfering with each other. The cars have start/stop, forward/backward and right/left turnning. I plan to take out the electronics and use them to control a small 0-4-0 minning engine and a trolly. Does anyone have information on how to convert and install this type of transmitter and receiver package to control a battery powered large scale model? What I would like is to be able to start/stop the engine, move forward or backward and ring a bell or blow a whistle. I don’t want to invest a lot of money on high quality sound like Phoenix. I saw someone selling simple sound systems at the last ECLSTS show for around $30.00 but lost the information. I am a complete novice to electronics so I need a lot of guidance on converting my LGB 0-4-0 loco and Bachmann trolly to battery power and installing the controls and sound.

Thanks in advance for any help.

John

#2

Sorry, maybe I should have posted this under the “Power and Sound” section?

#3

Seems like it fits in either, John.
I’m interested in how this turns out.
I’m no help, but have thought about trying something like this myself.
Ralph

#4

The question is… Will the amperage of the throttle be able to handle the demands of the locomotive, without releasing the “magic smoke?”

#5

Take a car completely apart with out removing any wires from anything.
The wires running from the battery is your source. Do not exceed the voltage at first.
The wires running from the board to the motor is your speed and direction.
Don’t worry about the steering.
If the whole system is set up without wires, as in contacts, I’d forget it, unless you want to solder wires to the board.

#6

Some of the more advanced (translation:expensive) remote control cars have a speed controller that is a very large potentiometer, and a servo simply connects to an arm that actuates the ‘wiper’ portion of the potentiometer. This seems like it would be an easy one, except the directional control, which would require a double position, double throw switch, which would require a second servo and channel… Then there is the issue of the correct voltage of the receiver (typically 4.8 volts if my memory serves me correctly). Unless already wired properly, a second potentiometer should be used to control the source power from the battery down to an acceptable level.
Any of the radio controls built for cars will have a radio, receiver, and servos for this, but the inner workings of the locomotive and space to mount these would be the real chore it would seem.
I can see the benefit of such a modification being done at home vs. the cost of a locomotive so equipped. Cost vs. the amount of work for such a mod would be a soul searching experience unless you get a good grip on the electronics side of this. Testing the output of the potentiometer for the receiver before connecting could save a very costly error. One very good thing about a system like this would be the availability of crystals for a very paltry fee. It would be very not cool to show up to an event and have the same channel as someone else. A wreck in progress. Just ask anyone who has experience in radio control planes what an ‘electronic shoot-down’ is.
Then there is the possibility of completely destroying a perfectly good locomotive to deal with.
I personally work way too hard to risk such a thing. If I got it in my head (which is pretty hard according to my wife) that I wanted to try something like this. I wold buya cheap locomotive from ebay with no real intention of it being pretty in the end, and experiment with something that wouldn’t break the bank (or my head from behind for commiting such a hanious crime against a perfectly innocent locomotive).

#7

Hey Don

When I got into LS Trains some 5+ years ago, I too looked for inexpensive RC solutions…and after all the energy expended I decided to use a system that was designed from the ground up for Trains. I began with the EVO series from RCS-Tony Washman, and converted my first loco for under $120, including the Radio gear and batteries.

The main reason I decided to give up my quest for “cheep” was the inherent glitching when using a RC Car ESC and the potential drive damage. The cheep RC may be of use for a small speeder, but even then I’d consider just battery with no RC.

It’s up to you, just my $0.02

good luck!

cale

#8

Hello Cale.

The 2.4 GHz Park Flyer radios have eliminated ALL glitching entirely.
They have fantastic range with very small RX’s you can place virtually anywhere in aloco.
Best of all you can obtain a 6 channel TX and RX combination for around US$60 delivered in the USA.
You will only need one TX to control all your locos and extra RX’s will be less than US$20.

To the R/C you will need to add a suitable ESC designed for Large Scale trains.
These start at around US$65 - 70 for a 3 amp ESC.
So, for an intial investment of about US$120 - 130 Plus batteries etc, you can equip one loco and get started in battery R/C.
To equip extra locos will cost you about US$80 - 90 plus batteries etc.

#9

My point was, you get what you pay for in the end. The systems designed for trains will always be the way to go becu=ause they will work, and they will fit. I will admittedly leave that sort of thing to the experts (and there are some here n these boards.
I’ve flown radio control planes for 20-odd years and have some radio equipment to mbe sure, but the air vs. ground channels are an issue to the ‘radio police’.

#10

Hi Don.

Certainly there were conflicts of frequencies but not any more.

The 2.4 Ghz systems are legal for both air [b]and[b] ground use.
The 2.4 Ghz RX’s are so small they will fit scales smaller than our Large Scale locos.
My new BELTROL systems have been designed specifically for locomotive use.
The Digital Proportional stick radios have a number of attractions when compared to pushbutton radio systems.