Hi Bob, You're right, a lot of experimentation with radio control has been done using equipment from model aircraft and model cars, but the S-cab system is the first I have seen that actually brings R/C and DCC together. I plan to order my system next week, once I finalize whether I want to start with the Tsunami sound option or keep things simple (and quiet) at first, and add the sound option to the second loco I convert.
I not only remember the catnip throttle, I actually had one, but never got to use it, and ended up selling it when my plans for a layout changed waqy back when. Then along came Digitrax at the National Train Show at Valley Forge back in 1993. I bought one of their Challenger entry level systems at that show, and I've been hooked on DCC ever since, although I did move to a bigger Lenz system in 1995. I still have some DC engines waiting for decoders (in several different scales), so even after all these years, I'm still not yet 100% DCC, but I'm working on it! Bill in FL --- In [email protected], Bob Werre <bob@...> wrote: > > Bill, Sorry to add to the confusion but what I saw was indeed old > technology from 25 years ago. Mel used the system with PFM sound and I > think the controller was from Futoba or something like that. I hope I > didn't equate that with present day DCC, with radio control, sound and > anything else coming down the pike. This was only a way of controlling > analog engines with radio controls. Of course I also remember a product > called Catnip that used IR signals. A good friend installed it only to > find out that you constantly had to raise your arm with the remote in > the direction of the sensor. I always thought he looked like a minister > in some traveling revival meeting! All this being said the old system > worked very well and could again for anyone wanting DC control via radio. > > Bob Werre > > > > Hi Bob Werre, > > > > S-cab is not old technology, it's the most recent development combing > > radio control and DCC. If you saw a radio controlled loco on someone's > > layout several years a ago, I doubt that it was an S-cab system, > > because S-Cab has only been available for the past few months. The > > S-cab wireless radio hand-held throttle talks to it's radio receiver > > and then to a standard DCC decoder, both of which are wired together > > and installed in your loco, along with a small rechargeable lithium > > polymer battery. The decoder is only used for it's control functions, > > it doesn't see a DCC signal from the tracks, only the simulated DCC > > signal being transmitted from it's S-cab throttle. You can have > > several of these receiver/decoder equipped locos on your layout (DC or > > DCC) and they will operate off of the S-cab throttle without > > interfering with your layout's original control system (either DC or > > DCC). There is also an optional voltage regulator/charging board that > > connects to the on-board battery that can recharge the battery from > > track current (which is always full power with DCC). When running it > > on a DC layout, it will only recharge when sees more than about 5 > > volts of track power, but in any case, the loco is always running on > > the battery power, so there are no more dirty track issues. In fact, > > there's a video on YouTube of a guy te4sting his loco on a bare > > plywood workbench with no rails (see: > > <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNipamGMAos&NR=1 > > <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNipamGMAos&NR=1>>. > > > > Check it out, I think you'll agree think it's a system with great > > potential whether you already have DCC installed on your layout or not. > > > > Regards, > > Bill in FL > > > > --- In [email protected] <mailto:S-Scale%40yahoogroups.com>, Bob > > Werre <bob@> wrote: > > > > > > Yes Bob, by using RC control units you can run your typical DC > > > powerpack. I saw it being used on Mel Medhurst's Sn3 layout in San > > > Diego many years ago. Although pretty neat at the time, I think we gone > > > way beyond that now. > > > > > > Bob Werre > > > > > > > > > > > > On 11/9/11 7:52 AM, shabbona_rr wrote: > > > > > > > > I guess what I wonder about this, is the technology available to > > > > convert a tethered cab controller to wireless, with a transmitter and > > > > receiver substituting for the cord, similar to a cordless telephone? > > > > This, too me, at least, would be preferable junking an existing > > > > control system for something "new and improved" - well, - "new", > > anyway. > > > > > > > > Bob Nicholson __________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
