Large Scale Central

Easy - Peasy trail car battery R/C for the Bachmann K27

Electronics Power and Sound
#1

The K 27 looks like being a pretty straightforward battery R/C install using RCS.

The TRACK - BATTERY switch on the K 27 Super Socket is not wired the same as the AristoCraft socket. Unlike the AristoCraft switch, the Bachmann TRACK - BATTERY switch completely isolates the on board BATTERY terminals from the track in TRACK position. This is an effective battery supply ON - OFF switch. We used an RCS # ILC-2.

These provide enough parts for four locos. The cost is about US$ 4 per loco plus the trail car and battery R/C. Many operators will already have their trail cars set up so installation will be a snip!!! Anyway, simply feed an RCS ILC-2 connector lead through the rear of the tender and connect it to the BATTERY terminals on the socket pcb. Set the switch to BATTERY and you are all set to go. If the loco runs backwards simply reverse the two wires at the BATTERY terminal on the socket pcb. Or, simply flip the NMRA - LARGE SCALE switch. We found 14.4 volts gives an ideal top speed. If you want to go faster use more volts.

#2

Crimeny!
Couldn’t be any easier!
I wish all the manufactures would do this, instead of fighting each other with all the different systems.
jb

#3

John.
I will shortly put up ideas for the next level of install.

Basically it is the same as the above except is on board the tender.

More later.

#4
TonyWalsham said:
John. I will shortly put up ideas for the next level of install.

Basically it is the same as the above except is on board the tender.

More later.


Looking Good, not that we expect anything less than greatness from the RCS peeps!

thanks for posting!

cale

#5

Here is an update on the details above.

Since I wrote the above comments I have had a chance to study exactly what Bachmann is actually offering the LS community with the K27.
I have decided not to detail how to modify the existing socket pcb in the tender. There will be no need to.
Rather I will offer two ways of installing battery R/C. Neither of which will involve any changes to the existing Bachmann wiring.

Firstly, no matter what brand of battery R/C you will be installing, the Bachmann socket pcb provides an input terminal to access the pcb.
A. If you are installing a PNP controller with a built in, or plug in R/C, such as the QSI + Airwire system, you can use the BATTERY - TRACK switch as an effective battery supply ON - OFF switch. It will be up to you how you actually install the batteries and access them to keep them charged.
B. If you will be installing an non PNP R/C system such as Airwire, Locolinc, RCS or EVO, that TRACK - BATTERY will not really suffice. You will have to still install the batteries plus an overall ON - OFF switch and method of on board charging if you don’t want to continually keep removing the tender shell to charge the batteries.
In this instance I will offer the BIK-U3 installation kit plus a Y-CABLE harness for those want to use twin stick Ni-Cd or NiMH batteries that have Tamiya connectors.
These two items will greatly simplify the installation for either A or B methods no matter which brand of R/C you choose to use.

Assuming you are choosing method B, RCS will detail two ways of going about the battery R/C install.
I won’t get into specialist sound systems but rest assured whichever RCS system you use it will be sound compatible.

1). This will be a very simple method of installing battery R/C.
The dummy plug is left in place and the output of the onboard R/C controller is simply hooked up to the BATTERY terminals and the TRACK - BATTERY switch is set to BATTERY. The track voltage is positively isolated so only the output of the R/C controller is fed into the Bachmann electronics.
Performance is just the same as it would be on track power but with a big improvement when compared to running on dirty track.
Because the lights on the K 27 will come on an instant before the loco starts to move, there is no real reason to go to a higher level of installation unless you want to have all the lights on even when stationary.

2). Now that RCS is confidant that Bachmann have got the basic socket design right, RCS will be offering a totally new Plug’N’Play R/C controller designed especially for the K 27. The PNP-1.

Simply remove the dummy plug and plug in the PNP-1.
Plug in the suitably mounted RCS RX-8 receiver module.
Then hook up the fused battery supply, via BIK-U3 if you choose to, and switch the TRACK - BATTERY switch to BATTERY. (The PNP-1 is designed only for battery power. You cannot use constant track voltage as the power source).
Then switch the BIK-U3 switch to ON.
Link the PNP-1 to the RCS TX-24.
You will be set to go.

The PNP-1 will be capable of a genuine 3 amps continuous and be plug compatible with the Phoenix P5 + P5T sound systems.
It will also have options for use with other brands of sound systems. Because of the way the Phoenix will be wired to the PNP-1, I see no problems using the built in K 27 chuff timer, as it comes from Bachmann.
The RCS PNP-1 controller will have built in motor “noise” suppression so that long range is assured when the system is correctly installed.
Subject to successful testing of PNP-1 prototypes, the PNP-1 will hopefully be available at the end of Feb or early March.

RCS is not in the habit of announcing vapour ware.

Rest assured, it will happen.

BTW. This new PNP controller will also fit most AristoCraft PNP locos.

#6

As long as you realize that the “polarity” switch will change battery polarity.
I have been running one radio/battery for a while just as described.
Personally, I do not like absolutely no lights when stopped, so the trail-car use will terminate shortly.
I see no need for a 6" X 2-1/4" terminal block, so I’ll figure something else out.
I also don’t like yellow LED’s nor blue ones, so the headlight gets swapped for a 14V GOW bulb.
The “amber” class lights get yanked for white 12V GOR in series.
But, hey, along with an oil bunker and oxided cab roof, that’s just the CCRy practice.

#7

Hi Dave,
As you know, all RCS on board controllers have diode protection. If the polarity is wrong they just won’t work.

I have never come across an on-board battery R/C systems that DID NOT have either diode or bridge rectifier protection. Although I understand one does exist.
Seems like protecting your product from reverse polarity input would be a pretty fundamental thing to do.

As to the socket pcb.
I don’t particularly like it either. It is BIG!!! Fortunately the K 27 tender is big enough to carry adequate batteries anyway.
Such a large socket pcb will definitely diminish the available space in a smaller loco.
My aim is to show LS’ers how to install battery R/C in the K 27 without any modifications to the stock pcb at all.

Sure the orangey glows that are the lights suck, so by all means feel free to update the lighting of the K 27 to what you regard as the best way of doing it.

#8

Another installation update.

This refers to using the simplest method of installing/operating the K-27 with battery R/C.
That is, just connecting the output of the R/C controller to the BATTERY terminal on the socket pcb.

Be advised that if you are using a battery back up sound such as Sierra or Phoenix 2K2, you will have to use auto chuff, as the factory fitted chuff triggers on the K-27 do not work until there is about 5 volts going into the Bachmann electronics. The loco will start at 1.5 volts and will be moving before the chuff triggers can start working.

This will not be a problem if the Bachmann electonics receive full voltage from the traction batteries all the time.

Contact RCS for advice if you are unsure how the wiring should be done for an RCS - EVO installation.