The best part of 2.4GHz as far as I’m concerned is the antenna size. In this picture, the white arrow points to the exposed part of the AR500 antenna. There is about 1 inch exposed and a little more hidden in the wood load.
The 2.4 Ghz band is actually quite good at “penetrating” gaps in brass locos such as window frames. I have seen RX’s mounted inside cabs with the (very) short antennas close to the windows.
I recently did a battery R/C installation in an Accucraft Isle of Man diesel and got it to work very well by mounting the RX under the floor and stretching the antenna out underneath. Made absolutely no difference to the range where Brandbright had trouble getting to work with the RX buried inside the metal box.
Tony,
So is the yellow thing in the picture what you created or what you plan to create?
And Jon, do you already have one of these?
Thirdly, are you guys having beers with Lewis Polk? I drink beers with my friends, to hell with Beer Summits. If its on the Aristo website, sorry - I don’t go there much.
Ric Golding said:
[i][/i] And Jon, do you already have one of these?Thirdly, are you guys having beers with Lewis Polk? I drink beers with my friends, to hell with Beer Summits. If its on the Aristo website, sorry - I don’t go there much.
Ric - I have the 2.4 GHz radio system that Tony designed his throttle for. It was what you saw me running the Shay with.
I’d gladly have a beer with Lewis. As a person, I think he’s a good guy. I don’t always agree with his business decisions, but that’s why it’s his business, not mine 
Edit: Correct horrible typos. Must have been drinking :0
Hi Ric.
One step at a time.
At present I am taking advantage of the over the counter 2.4 GHz radios to control battery R/C locos with a new way of doing it. Digital Proportional speed control.
As the radio gubbins inside the current TX hardware is available as a spare part, the long term aim is to replicate that yellow thing that looks like a sausage and straps around an operators waist and insert one of those TX modules inside it.
For now the stock TX’s can be used with an over the counter cradle which can be strapped around your waste.
These new 2.4 GHz stick radios are much lighter than the older AM & FM types. Partly because they only use 4 x AA size batteries insetad of 8. Some of the 5 ch 2.4 GHz rigs are ridiculously low cost. From about US$40 for the TX and US$15 for each receiver.
No comment about Mr Polk.
This looks very cool. Great idea
I could ot help but notice this from Lewis:
"The above are all specific things done just for model trains, not kluged from another hobby. Our R/F designer was a former model airplane radio designer and we took all of the fine model plane control aspects and converted them to model train characteristics. "
Am I wrong to notice that these sentences contradict each other?
Mike, I don’t think so… Lewis was just stating a fact… He doesn’t say that they only used model airplane designed stuff, he only states, that the engineer took the best from the model airplane and converted it over to be exclusive for model trains…
Just my opinion…
mike omalley said:
This looks very cool. Great ideaI could ot help but notice this from Lewis:
"The above are all specific things done just for model trains, not kluged from another hobby. Our R/F designer was a former model airplane radio designer and we took all of the fine model plane control aspects and converted them to model train characteristics. "
Am I wrong to notice that these sentences contradict each other?
Lewis should have been a politician. The product wasn’t “kluged” from another hobby. The designer was
Ralph
Yes, it wasn’t"kludged" from another hobby. It was “adapted” from anther hobby. It’s an odd statement. He basically says it was all designed with trains in mind, not taken from other uses, then describes how it was–taken from other practices in other hobbies.
mike omalley said:no real surprise there, even if one is not the industry leader, he wants to appear to be, say something enough, you'll begin to believe it yourself.
Yes, it wasn't"kludged" from another hobby. It was "adapted" from anther hobby. It's an odd statement. He basically says it was all designed with trains in mind, not taken from other uses, then describes how it was--taken from other practices in other hobbies.
Mr Polk is so confident that the REVOLUTION is “way beyond anything DCC is” that he is going to take on DCC in H0.
As Sir Humphrey Appleby would say: “That is a courageous decision Minister”.
RCS is a pesky nuisance to the plans of all R/C manufacturers. Especially now it is possible to have proper Digital Proportional speed control without any “Glitching”.
I think it’s hilarious that he is so threatened by your product announcement Tony.
And yes Ralph, His two adjacent sentences conflict with each other…
There’s ton’s of “gems” in that forum to be found…
The only thing about the new TE that is “beyond DCC” is it is beyond DCC in overheating, and beyond DCC in glitches from track power, and beyond DCC in losing link… DCC has none of these problems for the last 20 years…
I don’t mind people being enthused about their new product, but putting down the competition with false statements to make youself look better is a poor method in my mind.
Regards, Greg
I am afraid Mr Polk just cannot accept that he was not the first to offer for sale a proprietary trackside R/C system for Large Scale model trains.
Not by a long shot.
Neither was he the first to offer on board battery R/C either.
I grant you Mr Polk has certainly “owned” the R/C market since he realised the marketing possibilities by my efforts in 1992. Much like he did with the Large Scale train line he started after LGB changed their distribution network in the USA. I really do look upon his efforts to popularise battery R/C as a positive for the hobby. It has certainly attracted newcomers to the form. In fact, battery R/C has become so popular there are now 4 major importers in the USA sourcing product out of China and little old me picking up the crumbs with my non Chinese made line of super reliable non complicated equipment.
Notwithstanding any of the above, I sincerely wish him well in his quest to take on DCC with the REVOLUTION.