# Aristo TE 2.4GHZ (CRE 57000)...



## Idraw4u (Aug 19, 2008)

I set up a layout each holiday season in the front yard. Basically 3 separate loops that I run direct DC to the individual tracks and they all run off the same power supply and controller.
My wife announced that she wants me to add sound to the layout and be able to run the trains individually so she went on line (St. Aubins) and ordered me the new TE from Aristo as a Birthday gift.
Of course she did not realize that I would have to purchase two more receivers to run all 3 trains separately, 3 sound cards and 3 smoke controllers. What an awesome wife )
My questions are does anyone have this system and is it any good and can I control turnouts and other things with this system or pretty much just locos and their systems.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

My wife did a similar thing for me, which is how I got started with this system.

There has been a lot of info about this system, nicknamed "REVO". You don't mention what kind of trains (brand) you are running. However, each locomotive will be controlled individually. If you want more people to run the trains, you will need more controllers. Otherwise, you can do it all with just one, and add recievers.

Things that worked for me: Adding capacitor boards (CRE 57076). The single capacitor board that comes with the set is not recommended. 

I have had a lot of positive experiences with this system. Over the past 14 months, I have installed it successfully in:
aristo mikado, mallet, FA-FB, FA (newer), RS-3, LGB Mikado, Bachmann 4-4-0, Aristo RDC-3. 

There is a reciever board coming out that will control switch tracks. 

The board will send signals to sound cards (third party) to blow whistles, ring bells, etc.. I am using Phoenix 2k2 boards in 3 locomotives and the stock LGB board in the mikado. The LGB board is not hooked to the REVO outputs. I plan to pull all the electronics from the LGB locomotive and replace with Phoenix sound and aristo smoke. 

Good luck, it is a fairly easy system to master.

Mark


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## Idraw4u (Aug 19, 2008)

I think my wife is just rired of my all talk & no action, so she is pusing me off the edge. Sink or swim.... lol 

I am running: 
An Aristo U25B. It is older so I am not sure how that will factor in to the pulg and play aspect. 
A USA SD70 - I think this should be pretty straight forward. Not sure about the smoke aspect though 
and an Aristo Mikado. Again pretty easy from what I understand. 

Can you tell me a bit more about the capacitor board you added? What is does and why it is needed. 
Were the capacitor and the Phoenix pulg and play or did you have to do any soldering? 

I read one review that said I would need a smoke board as well. Is that true? 

Thanks, 

Todd


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Todd: The locos other than your AC mike will need to be hard wired as they are not plug and play. The Mike should be just a drop install. The capacitor board is required to get you by any track voltage interruption due to dirty wheels or track. The smoke boards are use to trigger other functions. Later RJD


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

Todd, I believe that the smoke board comes with the "set" (transmitter and receiver), but I believe you have to order a separate smoke board for the additional receivers that you buy - if you want to have smoke on your engines.

Ed


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

OK,

That helps.

The Mikado should be an easy install. The smoke unit is driven off a separate small board and is triggered by the user. It was really easy, and will be simple when you have the unit. I would suggest the capacitor board for track power. Like RJ said, it helps cover when there are slight losses in power. My mikado wouldn't run without it, but then, its wheels were really dirty, too. Are you planning to add sound? I ended up putting the sound card and speaker in the boiler shell. I have to replace the 2k2 battery, so maybe I'll try and take a picture of the rat's nest for you to see how it goes in there. 5 screws takes the shell off the mikado. There's a small one behind the smoke stack and four under the boiler that need to come out. 

The older U-boat: when you have the shell off, if it is not a plug and play board, my recommendation is to pull all the boards and wires off. Get a small terminal strip and wire everything up that way. The non-plug and play board comes with the receivers, so not to worry on that one. On my older FA, there is a short between the incoming power and one of the motor leads, so you cannot use the boards as they exist. I'm making an assumption that Aristo made the board for the FA similar to the U25B. Get a voltmeter and check for dead shorts. 

The SD-70 will be pretty easy too. Simply grab the incoming power, run it to the non PNP board. Then, use the motor outputs from the board to drive the USA circuitry. That'll keep your headlights and stuff running the way they do now. I tried to do that with the LGB mikado, but the LGB board does not like pulse width power. Others with more experience wiring up the USAT equipment should chime in here. 

One more thing: if you have a large enough power supply, you can run all three of your layouts with that one power supply. This will allow you to have another two layouts that run with those other power supplies. I'm using a meanwell 24v 10amp supply and have had no problems with power. I have run the REVO using aristo Ultima supplies and Elite supplies, too with good results. There is nothing wrong with running the layouts with individual power supplies, either.


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## Idraw4u (Aug 19, 2008)

Ed do you know if I can leave the stock smoke unit and wiring in as they are and run the smoke units like do now (manual on or off) or after I install the recieve will they be disabled? 
I am thinking they may still run stock, I just would not have remote control... 

The nice thing about the wife when she gives the okay or wants something she does it right - she bought the TE "set" and the 6 pack of receivers (just so I have enough...) so I want to tell her I need the smoke boards for the other loco/receivers - if that is the case ) 

Next is sound )


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Of course you can run the smoke units the way you do now, from the switch, or even just rip them out. You only need the smoke board if you want to turn it on and off with the remote.


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## jgallaway81 (Jan 5, 2009)

Mark, I don't have the REVO (yet.. still debating system after I got burned with the 75mhz TE) but, if memory serves, Lewis said there was a board in production to convert the Aristo REVO PWM to straight DC for other engines.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Jason,

Could be. They did release some board that turns the power in to linear power for the sierra sound systems.


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

You can and should leave the smoke unit in the engine. The "adapter" smoke unit board is just an interface for the Revolution receiver that provides the current capability that is required by the smoke unit. In other words, if you want to use smoke with the Revolution you have to use that board. Now if you install the Revolution receiver so that it interfaces with the track input leads of the engine, then the engine doesn't know the difference between straight track power or through the Receiver (eg. lights go off when you stop, etc.). Then you wouldn't need the smoke board.

Regarding the PWM and Linear power. It is my understanding that the new adapter board which I believe is due out around the end of August, it is only intended for allowing one to use the Sierra sound board which needs linear power to operate correctly. I do not believe it has the current capability to run a locomotive with it.

Ed


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