# Traintek.llc



## dave2657 (Feb 25, 2008)

Hi all.

Just wanted to ask if anyone has been in communication with Gary at Traintek.llc within the past two weeks. I have been trying to get in touch with him concerning a "non-working" set of Light boards for a USAT GP38-2 but cannot get a response. I know that he was having some health problems but ,as I am over here in U.K. I don't get to hear of the latest news.If anyone has any info please let me know. Also, if you too have a non-working light board, also let me know.
Gary....if you read this please read your emails and get back to me as I am,at the moment, one very dissapointed customer.

Thanks.
dave


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't know him, or have any other way to contact him than email, but if there is a phone number I would call. 

I'm interested in the boards, they are very simple, LEDs with dropping resistors. Hard to believe they are not functioning... Are you using his "motherboard" and what decoder are you using? 

(the grounding of the LEDs is reversed from standard USAT wiring so they won't work with the stock wiring in a stock loco) 

Greg


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## Wesley Furman (Jan 2, 2008)

Google, traintek llc contacts. There are 3 names and phone numbers.


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## dave2657 (Feb 25, 2008)

Hi Greg 

I had already installed the Mother board/Adapta-board obtained from Traintek and waited for them to send me the Lighting boards, when ready.I have checked the connections and found no errors.I now await a reply from Gary on what to do next. 
Thanks Wesley but I have tried all of those addresses in the past with very little results. I am starting to think that,maybe,I should have gone to a different supplier in the first place...I hope I am wrong. 
Regards 
dave


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## dave2657 (Feb 25, 2008)

By the way Greg, I forgot to mention that I am using the latest Revolution Diesel Sound Receiver. 
Regards 
dave


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

There is something funny about the Revolution light outputs, if you look at the separate socket Aristo sells, you see 2 diodes, which do indeed connect to the two headlight outputs. 

Perhaps these diodes need to be added to the TrainTek board? 

Center board in the picture below:










Greg


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## grsman (Apr 24, 2012)

Greg

The headlight common is track plus. These diodes connect which ever track lead is positive to the common light output.
The light output common is not connected to the receiver. This is easier to see on the adapter with the screw terminals.

Tom


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Interesting, in many DCC decoders this would cause a problem, since the positive and negative rectified track power comes from the full wave bridge rectifier on the decoder. 

Even the Revolution has this. Wonder why this voltage is not pulled from the appropriate pin from the decoder? Maybe the Revolution does not follow the Aristo standard for the socket. 

Thanks, I remember that one end of each one was connected to the Revo... and clearly the other end needs positive... just plain weird that the Revo does not bring the positive unregulated power out to the interface pin. 

The diodes should be superfluous, see the diagram below... it almost appears that they use the diodes to supply power to the Revo, but because the Revo has positive already (from it's full wave bridge), I stand on my statement that something is weird...










Greg


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg. 
Have you checked to see if pin # J1-6 on the REVO pcb is actually outputting a plus voltage? 
If not, that would also explain why Mark V could not get the lights to work on his K-27. (LSC forum item).


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

This is exactly what I suspect Tony... it should be, but the implication from the aristo pinout above is that it must not be, otherwise why would they add those diodes? 

No Revos here... I got one early on, and reviewed it to see how it works... I have a video where I almost throw the transmitter at a wall... not a fan. 

Greg


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Far be it for me to criticise a competing product, but, apparently the non sound REVO's work OK in a K-27, just not the sound equipped ones. 

Although, come to think of it, I don't make sound so strictly speaking I am not competing.


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## dave2657 (Feb 25, 2008)

Thanks Greg and Tony for all of the Technical bits of info but my point is this...I have three ready-made pieces of equipment (Receiver,Adapta-board and Lighting boards) which are all supposed to be designed to "work together" and they do not. It would be nice if Gary at Traintek would even acknowledge my emails, let alone provide me with a solution.At least if I heard from him I would know that somebody gave a damn.This sort of thing does not do the hobby any good in these lean times and one should not need an electronics degree to run some (so called) Ready-to-run trains. I am sorry for the rant but it gets my goat. 
Regards 
dave


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Right, the TrainTek components work together, but looks like the Revo may be at fault. If Aristo changed the product (which it seems they have) then TrainTek will have to deal with the change. These boards took a long time to come out as compared to when they were advertised, so I am GUESSING that TrainTek had to revise the design a couple of times. 

Too bad, this should have been a simple plug and play. 

Greg


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

There has been a known problem with the Aristo socket vs the Bachman version for some time as Digitrax choose to omit one connection pin. It seems to all be related. As you all now know QSI is making a variation for each brand of loco. It seems to be a need for better corporation between manufactures.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave,

You still seem to be complaining about trying to contact Gary at Traintek. I never found any reference from you about contacting him OTHER than email.

I "Googled" contacts for Traintek. Here they are. Sorrt about the small print below. I don't know how that happened!!









*Contact Information 

**Phone

* 
Toll Free: 1-888-339-TRAIN (8724)


Local: 781-549-7355 

Fax: 781-577-9497


*Hours


*Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm ET 

Saturday 10:00am - 3pm ET
*

Email* 

Sales and Service 
1-888-339-8724 ext. 1
[email protected] 

Don Irace - NCE DCC Tech Support
1-888-339-8724 ext. 502 
[email protected] 

Phil Greenberg - MTH DCS, Lionel TMCC/Legacy
1-888-339-8724 ext. 501
[email protected] 

Gary Paulino - Special Projects & Installation 

Quite a few of these folks are running their nusinesses out of "garage" and sometimes urgent family matters come up un-expectedly. Maybe try a little harder to contact him before making remarks about a dealer. Helps with a lot of grief down the track. JMHO


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By dave2657 on 11 May 2013 03:36 AM 



Thanks Wesley but I have tried all of those addresses in the past with very little results. I am starting to think that,maybe,I should have gone to a different supplier in the first place...I hope I am wrong. 
Regards 
dave 


Gary, nice try....


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

"I have tried all of those addresses in the past with very little results." 
John,

There is a world of difference between VERY LITTLE RESULTS and NO results all all. Just sayin'.









Paul Burch put me onto Traintek's site regarding a 1.5 volt regulator they have. I'll try contacting them myself. See what kind of response I can get.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Just received a response from Gary refarding his 1.5 volt regulator. My email was sent at 9:19am PDT. His reply was sent at 9:37am PDT.

Below is a copy of his response. Seems pretty quick to me!
















Gary,

Which regulator are you referring to?

What type of information are you looking for?
Best regards,

Gary Paulino
TRAINTEK, LLC
Model Train Control Professionals

39 Emerson Road, Suite 203
Waltham, MA 02451

1-888-339-TRAIN (8724)
781-577-9497 FAX

www.TraintekLLC.com


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Gary, 
I thought he was just being polite... while angry.... 

Are you going to ask about max V input? Voltage reg....? 

http://www.traintekllc.com/TCS-Trai...15-Volt-Regulator-Board/productinfo/TCS-1032/ 

John


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Totalwrecker on 12 May 2013 11:34 AM 
Gary, 
I thought he was just being polite... while angry.... 

Are you going to ask about max V input? Voltage reg....? 

http://www.traintekllc.com/TCS-Trai...15-Volt-Regulator-Board/productinfo/TCS-1032/ 

John John,

I just sent him that very question about two minutes ago. I'll let you know what I hear from him. I'm using a 7.2v NiMH, 720mah battery now. The Hartford Products Chimney lamps are 1.5 volts, incandescent.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Mine are 14.8v Li-ons 
It said "any decoder" but they had mostly smaller scale products listed... 

Thanks, 
John


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Totalwrecker on 12 May 2013 11:47 AM 
Mine are 14.8v Li-ons 
It said "any decoder" but they had mostly smaller scale products listed... 

Thanks, 
John I am using a bridge rectifier now. Paul Burch thought this regulator might take its place.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The issue with the pin and digitrax were 2 pins that were not well defined in the Aristo spec, supposedly you jumper the 2 pins to turn on the smoke. 

But, in solid state, it's not easy to make the same thing as a set of isolated contacts.... so people noticed how Aristo wired it, there was power on one pin and not on the other... they ASSUMED this was the way it would stay... which it did not, and some versions of decoders had problems. If they had just made a short between those 2 pins and not tried to use those pins for anything else that would probably have been fine. 

But over the years Aristo has modified how they use the socket... and in this case it is a much more fundamental function, the front and back headlight "common"... in decoders there are only a few fundamental things: 
2 track pickups 
2 motor leads 
1 front headlight 
1 rear headlight 
1 common for the headlights... 

Violating any of these is really bad... and that is what apparently has happened. 

Anyway, enough of history... the current issue is not the same as the really old issue.... 

On the 1.5v regulator, a bridge rectifier just rectifies AC to DC, or ensures the polarity of DC... it does not regulate anything... the 1.5 regulator looks like it would be useful for people that have locos with 1.5v lights, but in my experience most bulbs are 5 volts or track voltage (which can mean anything from 12v to 24v)... for the cost of the regulator, I would swap the existing bulbs for LEDs. 

Regards, Greg


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

"On the 1.5v regulator, a bridge rectifier just rectifies AC to DC, or ensures the polarity of DC... it does not regulate anything... the 1.5 regulator looks like it would be useful for people that have locos with 1.5v lights, but in my experience most bulbs are 5 volts or track voltage (which can mean anything from 12v to 24v)... for the cost of the regulator, I would swap the existing bulbs for LEDs." 
Thanks Greg for the tip. But maybe I have the terminology wrong. I'm NOT an electronics person as you know. What I have is some wires and four diodes facing in opposite directions. Paul Burch has seen the schematic for my caboose. He is the one that recommended this regulator. AND yes, the bulbs ARE 1.5 volts and Paul has already fitted them into my two chimney lamps. They give a real nice golden glow just like an old oil lamp.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Great Gary, I was a bit confused about the inclusion of the regulator in the thread, because very few locos have them. The old style GOW bulbs are still very cool although they are getting harder and harder to find it seems. 

The full wave bridge and the regulator must both be required in your install. 

I saw you were talking about the 1.5 regulator, and thought perhaps I missed something about it being needed for the OP's installation. 

Regards, Greg


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

No Greg, It was my fault in derailing the thread in a way. But because we were talking about trying to get contact with Gary at Traintek, I decided to contact him this morning and I got an answer from him in less than 20 minutes. This IS related to the OP's saying he can't get Gary to answer his questions. I received one in a very timely manner, I believe. Just sayin'. Others "mileage may vary".









As far as having to install BOTH the rectifier and the regulator together, that was one of my questions to Gary in my email to him. Still waiting for the answer. It IS Mother's Day, so I may hear tomorrow hopefully.


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## dave2657 (Feb 25, 2008)

Hi all. 
Just thought I had better let you all know that I have had a reply back from Gary at Traintek...he had been in hospital for the last two weeks as I had hinted at in my first part of this thread. He is going to consider my problem and come back to me in due course. I will let you all know when that happens and what the result is. 
Best wishes. 
Dave


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Good news Dave.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Good news Dave! 

Gary, are you running from track power? If so, the full wave bridge will convert whatever is on the rails to DC, and of a "fixed" polarity, i.e. you will always know which terminal has positive. 

Then you can connect the 1.5v regulator, it will have 3 terminals, input, output and ground. Ground will be connected to the minus pin on the FW bridge, input will be connected to the plus pin on the FW bridge. 

The output will provide 1.5 volts at up to 120 ma, and you use that wire on the regulator and the common ground/minus to power the bulbs. 

All the bulbs should be connected in parallel. 

Hope this helps. 

Greg


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 12 May 2013 07:18 PM 
Good news Dave! 

Gary, are you running from track power? If so, the full wave bridge will convert whatever is on the rails to DC, and of a "fixed" polarity, i.e. you will always know which terminal has positive. 

Then you can connect the 1.5v regulator, it will have 3 terminals, input, output and ground. Ground will be connected to the minus pin on the FW bridge, input will be connected to the plus pin on the FW bridge. 

The output will provide 1.5 volts at up to 120 ma, and you use that wire on the regulator and the common ground/minus to power the bulbs. 

All the bulbs should be connected in parallel. 

Hope this helps. 

Greg







Here's the schematic Greg. I'm one of "those" battery guys.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

OK, so the leds and the resistor are pretty much "normal".... 

Now he adds in the incandescent bulbs on one leg... the diodes have .7 volt drop each, so the voltage "across" them is always 1.4 volts... although the bottom 2 diodes in the group of 4 do not serve any purpose since the voltage polarity never changes. 

This circuit will work, but I would guess that the resistor would be chosen for 40 milliamps... this means that 40 milliamps is shared between the diodes at the top and the light bulbs. 

So even if no current flows through the diodes, the lamps only get a max of 40 milliamps.... I don't think this will work the way you want. The thing that is needed to validate this circuit is to measure the current in one of the lamps at 1.4 volts. 

What I would do is eliminate the group of 4 diodes... set the resistor for the current desired for the leds. 

Now attach the 1.5v regulator with the input to the plus, the ground to the minus (in addition to your existing connections) 

Then connect the output of the regulator to your bulbs (all in parallel) and the return side of the bulbs to the minus. 

basically 2 separate circuits connected to your DPDT switch, one circuit for the leds, and one circuit to power the regulator which in turn powers the lamps. 

Greg


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Actually I screwed up. The bulbs for the chimneys are 1.2 volts, NOT 1.5 volts! My bad!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Hmm... bulbs that small might not tolerate overvoltage well... unusual though, 1.2 volts? most are 1.5.... 

In that case you need to find out what they do on 1.5 if you use the regulator. 

By the way, who designed that other circuit? 

Greg


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Rechargable NiMH AA are 1.2v, might be the easiest way.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Probably easier, but there's many ways to make it work. If it was me, I'd strive to not have extra batteries that require charging... I'm sure we can come up with a solution... it's fun doing this stuff. 

Greg


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