Google Bluerail. They make some 5 amp (?) modules for O and S gauge Loco.'s that can be controlled from an iPhone or iPad. Don't be put off by the DCC marketing blurbs. They have a board that will control the motors and 2 (LED?) functions.
Easy way to revive old powered trains?
I have some 5 volt protosound trains in my collection that have bit the dust due to the capacitors failing (lights come on but no relay click and train does not move)
ive taken out all the internals but the motors, and wanted to use an arduino to power the train however i found it fairly difficult to get it running smoothly as they use H bridges that produces alot of noise at lower frequencies and it does not really work well with wireless 2.4GHz frequencies. im trying to figure out another way to revive this train.
Does anyone know of pre-built boards that can be controlled wirelessly and control the voltage coming into the motors? i can probably instead use the arduino to provide sounds while I have another board simply control the speed of the train via a wireless rotary tool but I dont know if such things exist. would love any insight into this, thank you
ive taken out all the internals but the motors, and wanted to use an arduino to power the train however i found it fairly difficult to get it running smoothly as they use H bridges that produces alot of noise at lower frequencies and it does not really work well with wireless 2.4GHz frequencies. im trying to figure out another way to revive this train.
Does anyone know of pre-built boards that can be controlled wirelessly and control the voltage coming into the motors? i can probably instead use the arduino to provide sounds while I have another board simply control the speed of the train via a wireless rotary tool but I dont know if such things exist. would love any insight into this, thank you
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Ah these would be perfect but at a price of $205, I wonder if there's other alternatives around $100.Google Bluerail. They make some 5 amp (?) modules for O and S gauge Loco.'s that can be controlled from an iPhone or iPad. Don't be put off by the DCC marketing blurbs. They have a board that will control the motors and 2 (LED?) functions.
I saw $166.00 shipped, a 20% discount on your $205 figure. All you need is the 5-amp board to control the motors. Perhaps you were adding a sound module, etc. Then again if you want things like smoke or coupler control, you'll need to move to DCC add-on modules and that will significantly drive up the cost.Ah these would be perfect but at a price of $205, I wonder if there's other alternatives around $100.
Blunami is the wireless version. They include sound (80 different whistles or horns) as well as motion. Besides headlight and rear light they offer 6 additional programable outputs that can control lighting directly or higher power devices like Smoke unit and couplers with a relay.
Pete
Pete
Refresh my memory, Plz. What did you use to power the Blunami with DC?Blunami is the wireless version. They include sound (80 different whistles or horns) as well as motion. Besides headlight and rear light they offer 6 additional programable outputs that can control lighting directly or higher power devices like Smoke unit and couplers with a relay.
Pete
I used a 5 amp buck convertor (4 bucks from Amazon) but if space is limited you could just use a full wave bridge and a cap to reduce the ripple. The Blunami has back emf for cruise but speed is also affected by the DC input voltage so a regulated supply will give better constant speed if thats important. I have since picked up a couple 2 amp Blunamis that will go in some small engines and will likely just use a Bridge to save space.Refresh my memory, Plz. What did you use to power the Blunami with DC?
Pete
That all makes sense. One comment: the buck converter's form factor may be better than a DIY bridge/cap unit. Though a solo bridge is obviously best.I used a 5 amp buck convertor (4 bucks from Amazon) but if space is limited you could just use a full wave bridge and a cap to reduce the ripple. The Blunami has back emf for cruise but speed is also affected by the DC input voltage so a regulated supply will give better constant speed if thats important. I have since picked up a couple 2 amp Blunamis that will go in some small engines and will likely just use a Bridge to save space.
View attachment 604904
Pete
To be clear the buck convertor requires a bridge on the input if you have AC on the rails. In the photo above its folded under the regulator. The other consideration if you only use a bridge is the Blunami is rated for 26v DC input max. 20VAC on the track equates to 28V DC max ((1.41 x 20) so you have to be careful of transformer setting. Not an issue with a regulator.
Pete
Pete
Thx, now I recall our previous discussion. I had offered up the AC-DC regulator with its built-in bridge capable of 1.5 A sustained.To be clear the buck convertor requires a bridge on the input if you have AC on the rails. In the photo above its folded under the regulator. The other consideration if you only use a bridge is the Blunami is rated for 26v DC input max. 20VAC on the track equates to 28V DC max ((1.41 x 20) so you have to be careful of transformer setting. Not an issue with a regulator.
Pete
1 - 10 of 10 Posts
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