# 27Mhz, 75Mhz, 2.4Ghz HELP!!!!



## Ladder72 (Jan 5, 2011)

Hello everyone -
After a 7 yr hiatus from Large Scale (amazing how little time you have for hobbies when kids come..) I am ready to jump back in with both feet. 
While on break I managed to paint every car and custom letter every consist, collect over 800' of SS track and thirty+ 10' and #6 switches. I have an Aristo Elite power source and currently have a TE 27Mhz with 1 trackside and 1 onboard receiver along with some of the swich accessory controls. I plan on setting up with track power and possibly switching to battery a while down the road. I realize I will have to make multiple connection points due to SS not being as conductive as brass.
Here is my dilemma:
1) Since I can no longer locate any of the onboard receivers or the 75Mhz receivers and the 27Mhz chip for them, should I abandon the 27Mhz, sell it on eBay and go get the 2.4Ghz?
2) Will my power pack still be sufficient with the Revo?
3) As I understand it, I will need a TX/RX #57000, an onboard RX #57002 for each loco (or use in trailing cars..), a smoke control board #57073 for each loco, and #57074 accessory control boards for all of my switches?...?
4) Are there any advantages to sticking with the 27Mhz and trying to locate onboard RX for my other loco's? Range of use, reliability, ???
5) I have read throughout the Forum that there are some updates / possible changes coming for the Revo...should I wait for these to happen or will it be a matter of a "download" to get the newest software?
6) 2 of my loco's (American and Mogul - Bachmann's) have Sierra's installed...I understand they are no longer in business. Will I have problems with the Revo and these sound cards?

I greatly appreciate any and all help you can give me. I have been allowed by the war dept. (my loving wife), to get moving and make this a project for the whole family (Thomas the Tank and a Annie for the boys...) I just want to make the most informed purchases I can and I realize that most of you have "Been there, Done that, Bought the T-shirt".

P.S. I just got an email from RidgeRoad Station. After I returned the call it was confirmed....THEY ARE CLOSING THE DOORS! What is on the website is the last of it....Soooo long my friends. (I thought I had spent enough money there to keep the doors open for a couple months myself ?!)

Thanks again, Trent


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

1) Sure. The Revolution's a good system. You may also want to look at Airwire and QSI control systems. The Airwire and QSI are DCC-protocol systems, the Revolution is Aristo's proprietary system. I use all three systems. There's no clear winner. 
2) Yes. 
3) You only need one transmitter, then a receiver for each individual locomotive. I don't recall the numbers exactly, but in terms of components, that sounds about right. If you're using track power, you may want to consider a "super cap" board to smooth out glitches in track power that tend to freak the Revolution out a bit. 
4) Not really, not for everything you want to control (sounds, switches, etc.) 
5) The only "upgrade" to the Reloution that I know of involves Aristo's new "Symphony" sound stuff. I'm not exactly sure how that's going to shake out, but if you've got sound systems already, then go with the current stuff and be happy. 
6) No, you won't, but you'll need to get an "Interface board" to go between the Revolution and the Sierra in order for the idle sounds to function. You can get one from Aristo, or from Tony Walsham's RCS. You'll also need to add a few diodes and resistors to the board to get things working fully. It's pretty simple to add, just drop me a note when you get to that point. I've got a diagram. 

Later, 

K


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Kevin. 
A slight correction, if I may. 
Mr Polk had indeed announce his "Symphony of Sound". Then he realised the name was already being used by another Company in our business. 
Without hesitation Mr Polk sensibly changed the name to "Philharmonic", and did so without any of the palaver other business name copiers have been carrying on with. 
Good on Mr Polk.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

27 mhz trackside is still being made. 

75 mhz for G with the 27 mhz adapter never showed, but onboards had a 3 amp peak current load anyway. 

So, if you want Aristo onboard, revo is the current answer. Range with 2.4 ghz is good, the 75 mhz was very poor. And with the revo you get 5 amps and light control. 

Personally I prefer track power and have started to switch from TE 27mhz to wireless Zimo DCC.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Stainless steel conducts just fine--I use it, I can't tell any difference in terms of conductivity. That is, it oxidizes less, but I don't need any more jumpers to energize the track. There are a number of people here running DCC on stainless track, including me. 


If you want to use track power--and this is just my opinion, others may disagree--then I would avoid the new REVO. It was pretty clearly designed with batteries in mind. Running it on track power seems to require a really large capacitor board add-on, and by the time you have the batteries, the revo receiver, the cab board, the sound card, and the trigger board for the sound card, you've got a real mess of wiring and space issues.


After using the 75 mhz system for several years I switched to DCC and have been very happy with the results.

You might want to look around more before you make your decision about ho to power the thing. The DCC based sound and motor decoders are really fun--a single card has motor control, lights and sound, no extra wiring issues. You aren't tied t one manufacturer who might suddenly discontinue a line--I have a bunch of aristo 75 mhz stuff sitting idle. You can run DCC cards on batteries and wireless as well as by DCC signals through the rails


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## Ladder72 (Jan 5, 2011)

Thank you all. I have decided to go ahead and mortgage the home for the 2.4Ghz Revolution...it gets expensive when you add up all of the RX and stuff. 
For anyone interested...I have listed my 27Mhz stuff on eBay. There is the Tx/Rx # 5470, switch controller # 5475 and a brand new on board receiver # 5490. Please bid quick and often....I have to fund the new Revo toys. Thanks again, Trent


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