I know it might been ask before but which would you use and why?
Revo
or
Airwire
Thanks
Daniel Peck
I’ve had them both; I finally settled on Revolution and got rid of the Airwire.
The Airwire can trigger a lot more sounds on the Phoenix, but the Revo can do enough for me. I use horn/whistle, bell, crossing whistle, and brake squeal. I had sounds like tank fill on the Airwire, but never really used it.
The Airwire uses a knob to control speed, but it doesn’t have any stops - to you just keep turning and turning either way with no feedback as to how many volts are being delivered to the locomotive. The Revo uses push buttons to control speed and has a readout on the display to show you the percentage of volts you are sending to the train; this allows me to run at the same speed each time.
I also didn’t like the way Airwire controlled the locomotive - it would really run away down hill. I don’t have that problem with the Revo.
I like that the Revo does not use the CV values to set things; instead, it has a menu of options to go thru to set things like momentum, start and stop voltage, and others. It displays these settings on the screen. Using the Airwire, you must first enter the variable number, then the variable value. I don’t remember if it displayed at all.
With the Airwire, I would lose sound control quite frequently; in other words, I might not be able to blow the whistle when the locomotive was further away. I have not had that experience with the Revo.
But, those are my preferences. Best bet is to visit someone who uses one and find out what the like and don’t like about the one they are using.
I have found that some people praise a system on line, but are reluctant to point out any weaknesses of their system unless it is in person.
Note that I have NOT used the very latest Airwire; I had the two earlier systems, one with a display, one without. I was turned off on the Airwire by experiencing a system board failure that SEEMED to occur when I powered on my motor car. That cost me $50. So, I may be a bit prejudiced. 
There’s a lot of information that Paul Norton has provided over at http://ovgrs.org/ - check the Battery Power and Radio Control Index Page.
I was quite heavily invested in AW when Revo came along. I bought a Revo started kit and tried it out in a “plug n play” Aristo E8 I had.
However, I rarely ran it. To be honest, I had to dig out the instruction book every time to use it.
With at least 10 AW boards installed, I eventually sold the Revo.
However, having said that, most of our club runs Revo. If I hadn’t invested the family fortune in AW, I probably would have switched to Revo completely.
I am going to purchase the new AW controller soon and try that out.
I agree with everything Bruce said, but I put up with it for now.
Airwire all the way. What Bruce said about Airwire is no longer true. The G2 does have feedback to control speed on hills and the T5000, the new TX, displays everything. The Airwire will do plug in play with many USA trains engines. The REVO is the same with Aristo engines. I think the easier setup is the Phoenix and Airwire…IMHO 
Although the CV thing is still there it’s not that hard to work with.
Here’s my take, as someone who uses–and likes–both systems…
Where things (in my opinion) are a wash:
Motor control - Both systems give you very good slow speed control, and the momentum on both is fun to play with. (Although easier to adjust “on the fly” with the Revolution.) I do like the “cruise control” feature on the Airwire G-2 (and USA plug-in boards), but I rarely engage it for my operations. None of my locos are problematic “runaway” locos on the mild grades I have on my railroad. It’s more of a consideration on railroads with steeper grades. If you’ve got issues with noticeable speed differences based on grades on your railroad, then the “cruise control” will help to smooth things out.
Range - I’ve found the range to be adequate on both, though occasionally the Airwire gets flaky when the transmitter is near or on the ground. But that’s only an issue if you routinely try to control your trains with the transmitter lying on the ground. I’ve heard the latest Airwire throttle has improved range, but I’ve not had one to try personally. I know the older Airwire throttles work well enough on my dad’s railroad, which is fairly expansive. I really doubt you’ll have much issue with either system.
Advantage Revolution:
User interface - Programming the Revolution is very “plain English.” (Note: Again, I’ve not used Airwire’s new throttle, which I’ve heard is a bit more intuitive than past versions.) Still, not having to regurgitate CV values off the top of my head to get the loco to do what I want it to do is in my opinion a good thing. There’s a reason I’ve got the Airwire “cheat sheets” stored on my iPhone… I don’t need such sheets with the Revolution.
Size - The Revolution receiver is much smaller than the Airwire board, even if you split it. For small locos, this is a decided advantage.
Price - You’re saving somewhere on the order of $60 per loco with the Revolution vs. the Airwire. That pays for the batteries in most cases.
The “stop NOW, dammit!” button. It’s clearly marked and easy to press. Yes, you can get the Airwire throttle to do this, but it’s a series of keystrokes. When I need to stop NOW, I want to push ONE button ONCE and stop NOW. I don’t even want to have to look at the transmitter in an emergency. I want to feel where the button is quickly, and push it for immediate results. (Update: Per the discussion below, this deficiency has been addressed with the new T-5000 throttle.)
Advantage Airwire:
Sound/function controls - The Airwire connects to the Phoenix board via the DCC interface, so you have as many sound/function controls as your throttle allows. (The latest throttle allows 28?) The Revolution is limited to 6. If all you want to do is blow the whistle and ring the bell, this is a moot consideration, but for those who like to milk sound systems for all they’re worth, the advantage goes to Airwire. In terms of how the sound system reacts to changes in throttle settings on both systems, there’s no perceptible difference that I’ve been able to discern.
Amperage capacity - The Airwire is rated at about twice that of the Revolution (I forget what the exact numbers are–they’re online). Both have proven adequate for most 2-motor locomotives in “typical” situations, but if you know your locos draw 4 amps, it’s probably a bit more prudent to go with the Airwire.
Too subjective to categorize, but I’ll state my personal preferences:
I like the Revolution’s LCD display better than the Airwire, even the latest one. Being able to clearly see on the display which loco you’re controlling, its speed, direction, and indicators of signal strength is for me advantageous.
I like the direction buttons on the Revolution. There’s just something non-intuitive about having to push the throttle knob to get it to change directions. It’s also easy to bump when carrying around, or if kids are turning the knob, not knowing they’re actually pressing down on it, too.
I do like the knob speed control of the Airwire better than the pushbuttons on the Revolution, though. My preference is for the old (obsolete) RF-1300 knob that has definite start and stop points. The T-9000 and T-5000 knobs are digital knobs without stop points.
I don’t see you going wrong with either system. For me, the determining factor is that I like to milk my sound systems, so I’ve been gravitating recently towards the Airwire/Phoenix combination on new installs. (Or QSI, if it was actually available.) But if I’m doing an installation with a “limited” sound system (Sierra, Dallee, etc.) then I’ll use the Revolution. It’s every bit as capable in the motor control department, and Airwire’s added functionality control is wasted on a sound board that cannot take advantage of it.
Later,
K
Pretty sure the T5000 has a stop damit button now Kevin
larry mosher said:Yes, the T5000 has a "stop dammit" button on the upper left hand side, yellow button next to the menu screen. It is definitely a quick stop, but can be adjusted by setting the deceleration rate in the system
Pretty sure the T5000 has a stop damit button now Kevin :)
Fantastic!!!
Later,
K
I use and like the airwire system. Mostly because of how it connects with the phoenix sound. Also, unlike most people I like the 360 degree rotating knob. When you run multiple locos (like me) and switch from one to another loco on the fly the old A/W 1300 throttle could be quite tough to handle because wherever the throttle was set to was where the new loco would start at. So if you’re switching from a loco that’s highballing down the mainline to the loco the crawling in the yard, BAM!!! The loco in the yard is now at top speed. The A/W T9000 with the 360 knob doesn’t do that, it remembers the speed of the loco. I also like the size of the controller. But, if you don’t use the system alot the programming codes can easily be forgotten. I also get good range out of the system and have experienced little to no interfearence.
But, I have friends that like their revo system. So, it’s really more of what you want the system to do and what you like.
Terry
I went with the Revo because it can handle both DC and Battery whereas Airwire told me they are set-up for battery only. I want as many options as I can get.
I forgot to mention battery usage. The Airwire seems to go through the batteries more frequently. Or, it may be that I always left mine turned on, accidently. The Revo has an automatic turn off after a period of time that you set.
The Revo has a little battery compartment and takes 3 AA batteries. To access the batteries in the Airwire, you unscrew the antenna and pop the case off. The Airwire takes 2 AA batteries.
And, like the Airwire, the Revo does remember the speed setting of each locomotive that you are running, and will shift back to that speed when you switch to that loco.
Quote:Ever have one of those "duh" moments? That makes perfect sense. I'd only ever heard that the "reason" for going to the digital knobs was that people were always pushing the pot past the stops and breaking it, which always struck me as a dubious explanation since other throttles have been using similar pots for decades without failure. But yeah... maintaining speed from loco to loco as you switch back and forth can't be done with an analog pot. Thanks for the fresh perspective!
...So if you're switching from a loco that's highballing down the mainline to the loco the crawling in the yard, BAM!!! The loco in the yard is now at top speed. The A/W T9000 with the 360 knob doesn't do that...
Later,
K
My RailBoss controls have the same situation: The throttle stick is proportional from min to max speed, same as a pot. The solution (or perhaps compromise) is to provide the user with a time delay after switching to another loco. This gives you time to adjust the throttle for the next loco. This does require some thought prior to making the switch, but it works pretty well. Especially if you use momentum; if there is a speed difference between the trains running speed and the new throttle setting, it isn’t a rapid speed change.
The “pots without stops” are really rotary encoders. They perform the same function as pressing raise lower buttons to change speed. The advantage here, is it is simple to maintain the last running speed in memory, switch to the new loco and just continue raising or lowering the speed of it.
I am in favor of the pots with stops approach, even though it makes the transfers a little tricky. I like the instant feedback of knowing where the speed setting is. You don’t even have to look at the Tx.
I bought the Airwire 9000, and like it enough that I will keep it for my USA stuff. I plan to get the REVO for my Aristo stuff. I’m not sold on sound, though I have a couple of sound boards, somewhere… For my taste, they get annoying after a while.
Steve, I agree…I like good sound, but I love the off switch! 
This has become a nice thread, just opinions and experiences not flames. Thinkiing more on the subject, i do like to give the airwire 1300 throttle to my kids or to guests new to operating the trains. The rotary knob with stops make it easier for the kids and new folks to see whats going on and when the loco is stopped (i’m not comparing anyone to my kids, just saying) Mainly because they only run 1 loco so switching between the locos isn’t an issue and the knob doesn’t use the push button effect for changing directions, so no accidents.
Terry
Catching up on posts.
This is very interesting to me. People actually run more than one loco at the same time? I’ve been around a number of people that use both of these controllers, sometimes for roundy - round display purposes only. But I’ve never seen them trying to control more than one engine or a series of engines tagged together at one time.
I’ll bet this can get interesting, sometimes. I’m sure, it can be entertaining to watch.