Battery Powered Radio Control Tips


Posted on Feb 5, 2014

The main reason to go to the trouble and expense of running trains on battery power is to avoid cleaning or even wiring the track. The issues of track cleaning really can be a big deal. Adding radio control to a battery power system adds the capability of command control, a highly desirable feature. In some environments, any kind of track power is


Battery Powered Radio Control Tips
Click here to download the full size of the above Circuit.

flatly impractical due to a number of conditions. In other environments, track power works quite well and is certainly less expensive than implementing battery power. If track power works and the added flexibility of command control is desired, then consider adding Digital Command Control (DCC) to an existing track powered system. Both battery R/C and DCC allow command control at something like the same total expense depending on the number of locomotives converted. DCC tends to be more costly up front and less costly incrementally. If a large number of locos are converted, DCC becomes less expensive than battery power. If you go that far, the money probably doesn`t mean that much to you anyway. If track power works in your current setup, DCC will work too for all but the smallest locos and it will add all the advantages of command control in a flexible and expandable fashion. Walk around radio control with DCC is also highly effective if not a little costly up front. Due to the limited number of power pickups on small locos, they will require fairly clean track to run and might best be converted to battery power anyway. A battery powered loco will run fine along with DCC locos. MU operation with battery and DCC in the same consist would have the same problems as MU control of two independently controlled battery powered locos. There are few economies of scale for fully self contained battery power. If you are just...




Leave Comment

characters left:

Related Circuits

  • New Circuits

    .

     


    Popular Circuits

    Tin Can Waveguide WiFi Antenna
    Timed Beeper
    PC-ECAP
    Laser beam Sensor
    HF reciever with MC3362
    Digital Volt and Amp Meter
    signal Can someone break down how this receiver works
    DIY siren project
    calibration
    power failure alarm circuit
    PIR Sensor Circuits



    Top