# power for $400 take 2



## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

I decided to start another more to the point topic here regarding the aristo TE. I sure was "schooled" with all the responses and opinions I received from my other question of what I could get for $400. Thanks to all that replied and helped. I still have not decided yet with which way to go but I am much closer to making an educated decision. From what I understand let me make a list of what I need and please tell me if I'm wrong. 
For power I'm looking at the Aristo elite #55465. Question: will this be too much "amp juice" for either the 27 mhz or 75hz TE systems. They seem to have a cut off?? I wouldn't want to plug it in and have something get fried. 
Please correct me if I'm wrong. In order to use the Aristo TE 27mhz I need to get a transmitter,a trackside receiver #55470 and link the elite to it and I can run one engine. For 2 the tracks need to be isolated and a second receiver brought in. I noticed on the Aristo website that for the 27mhz system they offer #55490 and #55495 to be installed inside the engine. Question: with that installed in one engine can I then run one by the track and one over the air from the same transmitter? Or would they both still be using the rails to pick up power and the signals they need. 
Now to use the 75mhz system I would need the elite #55465 and the transmitter #55492 as well as #55491 installed into each engine I want to run. With the 75mhz system the signal for the engine is over the air and not through the rails so any engine I want to run needs to have #55491 installed to work I cannot just put a friends engine on the track that doesn't have the receiver installed and expect it to go. 
Once again I would like to be able to run more than one engine from a walk around control for a minimum of money. If someone knows the aristo # that I need to make it all work plus a cooling fan if needed let me know. I have sent an email to aristo technical support asking the same questions without a response so far. Any input is greatly appreciated. Set me straight!! 
Thank you 
Todd


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

"For power I'm looking at the Aristo elite #55465. Question: will this be too much "amp juice" for either the 27 mhz or 75hz TE systems. They seem to have a cut off?? I wouldn't want to plug it in and have something get fried." 
No, there is no such thing as too many amps. The trains draw as many amps as they draw and if the system doesn't have enough amps, you have a problem because the voltage will sag and the trains slow or the system will shut down (if properly designed). There is such a thing as too much voltage, but at 22 volts, the Elite 55465 will be fine. Plus, you can adjust this voltage internally to some degree if desired. 
"Please correct me if I'm wrong. In order to use the Aristo TE 27mhz I need to get a transmitter,a trackside receiver #55470 and link the elite to it and I can run one engine." 
Correct, the 55470 includes both the transmitter and receiver. 
"For 2 the tracks need to be isolated and a second receiver brought in." 
Not necessarily. It depends how you intend to run your trains. The 55465 and 55470 will easily run three engines and I run as many as 5 on a single TE. However, all engines share the voltage and current and when you control one, you control them all simultaneously. Also, if you run several, removing some may let the others speed up some. 
Now, if you want these trains to be controlled individually, yes, you will need multiple TEs and you will need to separate your track into blocks. (I use three TEs and have my track in 23 separate blocks.) If these trains NEVER!!!! are able to span between two TEs you can run them from one Elite. If they can/will span between two different TEs, you will need more Elites (or some other power source). 
"I noticed on the Aristo website that for the 27mhz system they offer #55490 and #55495 to be installed inside the engine. Question: with that installed in one engine can I then run one by the track and one over the air from the same transmitter? Or would they both still be using the rails to pick up power and the signals they need." 
Assuming they are from the same generation and frequency, yes you can use the same transmitter but will need to change the frequency or channel to get to the other engine. But, the 55490 would be run off batteries included onboard in the train. A 55490 (or even multiple 55490s) could be run from a continuous track power supply of ~14+ volts, but when you slow your track powered train you would also be cutting power to the 55490(s). Also, you may need to install a bridge rectifier in the engine to ensure proper polarity to the 55490 if you reverse the track power, so this is not really a viable option if the trains are to share the tracks. 
Now, if the trains were on separate loops that could NEVER!!! be spanned, an Elite could be "plumbed" to a trackside TE to control a track powered train and the full voltage of the Elite could be "plumbed" to the other loop that serves the on-board 55490s. 
"Now to use the 75mhz system I would need the elite #55465 and the transmitter #55492 as well as #55491 installed into each engine I want to run." 
Correct, but you really only NEED the receiver and the accessory drive is optional. 
"With the 75mhz system the signal for the engine is over the air and not through the rails so any engine I want to run needs to have #55491 installed to work I cannot just put a friends engine on the track that doesn't have the receiver installed and expect it to go." 
Correct. 
Personally, If I were going with an onboard TE (and I do have one), I would try to find an older unit without the DCC stuff. I like to know where my electrons are flowing to and from. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/satisfied.gif" border=0>


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks for taking the time to reply Toddalin and answer my questions. It sounds like you have a rather complicated layout to run with 23 blocks but it must be great when eveyrthing is running smoothly. . I used to run my HO setup with over 40 blocks and sometimes it got confusing on which switch to throw and when but it was fun. I have a large continous loop of about 300' with a small yard in the garden now. The yard iand maybe a siding or 2 are the only things that I would consider isolating. 
I'm still back and forth between the 27 and the 75 mhz systems. The 27 is less expensive and simple to use but limited whereas the 75 is more mula but can also do more than I will actually ever need. What I'm nervous about is getting the wrong one of course and regretting it. 
Good to know that the elite can be used with either one and thanks for clarifying the #'s of these things for me. 
Todd


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Todd, I think you will find Crest no longer supports the 75 Mhz system. 
You may be able to get some left over Crest 75 systems for a little while. 
The Crest 2.4 Ghz system proposed as the replacement for the 75 Mhz system is not yet available.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I run the 27mhz trackside on my RR and I have 2 engines with the 75mhz on-board system. These can run at the same time as the 75 mhz is only in my fastest running engines. 

The 27mhz on board 55490 isout of production and very difficult to find. 

The Elite is a regulated supply and trains do not change speed with the loads changing. The Ultima supply had this problem. 

BUT a short can cause the elite to stop outputting power and all trains would stop that are connected to this power supply.


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

I still don't know who made this G scale hobby so confusing with the various scales and codes on track and now power remote systems. A manufacturer shouldn't advertise an item unless it is available and who wants to invest in a product that is already abandoned??? It seems like the 27mhz system is now the sure way to go since the 75 is going away and the replacement isn't here yet. 
I do like that elite power source. A friend came over yesterday with his twice as powerful as what I'm using now LGB power pack and we ran some trains around and they went so much better. The elite will have even more power.  
Thanks again for the great responses guys and clearing up my confusion. 
Todd


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## Robbie Hanson (Jan 4, 2008)

According to Aristo's site, they have a 27mhz onboard TE coming soon...price is TBA.


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Robbie Hanson on 07/31/2008 4:09 PM
According to Aristo's site, they have a 27mhz onboard TE coming soon...price is TBA.




Robbie, 
Could you please provide a link to the page that references this item.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Aristo has had a 27 mhz receiver replacement for the 75 mhz on board listed for many years but never seemed to be produced. 

Aristo has many good ideas that make it to their catalog, but never seem to get finalized.


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## Dougald (Jan 2, 2008)

Dan 

I agree with you that Aristo sometimes has trouble delivering on their announced products. 

Weren't the 27 MHz onboard and the 27 MHz Trackside the original products? And when Aristo could no longer obtain the proper chipset for the onboard, they introduced the 75 MHz product. They had difficulty in the introduction of the 75 and there was at least an 18 month gap when no product was available. 

Now Aristo has discontinued the 75 MHz onboard in favour of the newly announced but yet to be delivered 2.4 GHz ... with supposedly wonderful features. But I fear another big gap when no product is available. This time, RCS and Airwire are both shipping fine products - I do not know if Aristo can afford that kind of haphazard marketing. 

Regards ... Doug


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Todd, I'm a bit confused about your new thread, but the only choice you really have is a 27 MHz trackside unit, either running as originally intended, powering an entire loop of track and one loco, or taken out of it's case, put into a trailing car, and running from either battery or constant track power. 

I understand you want multiple trains on one track, so you either run the TE on batteries and put it in a trailing car (too big to fit most locos), or run constant track power and again use a trailing car in most cases. 

The 75 and 27 MHz onboard systems are history. 

That should trim down your choices if you want to go TE. 

Regards, Greg


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Todd 
It is confusing, really confusing. Aristo's documentation is a huge mess. 

One complication is track vs battery. When you talk about remote control, a lot of people assume you are talking about batteries. Batteries have a lot of advantages though they don't make sense for the way we do it here. You can also do as toddalin does and divide the track into isolated blocks. That was beyond me 


If you want to run multiple trains independently on track power, the cheapest/easiest way is the aristo 75 mhz system. That's what I've been using, on track power. It works well--you get independent control of speed and direction for each train. 


It's pretty cheap. I bought a mean-well power supply on ebay (an "s320-24," I think, I can't remember the exact model number). It has 10 amps and puts out 24 volts. I run the power from the mean-well into an aristo 10 amp controller, which I set to put 21 volts on the track, about 3/4 of the way to full. It serves as a fuse/circuit protector; I can use it to run conventional trains as well. I got the meanwell, the aristo controller, and a 75 mhz receiver/transmitter for under $400, but not that much under. I could have skipped the aristo controller, probably, and just put a fuse in the line. I have had four locos running at once, all on 75mhz receivers, and the mean-well didn't bat an eye. 10 amps is plenty. Aristo's power supply is overpriced, I think 


The 27 mhz system lets you control power to the track from a remote throttle. It's not good for running multiple trains independently, UNLESS you use it as an onboard system with battery-powered trains. You put a 27 mhz receiver and batteries in a trailing car, and you can run a train remotely. If you do do the same thing to other trains, you can run them independently as well, on the same track. Lots of people do that. 

Aristo has discontinued the 75 mhz. system. Very irritating. I believe they have discontinued the 27 mhz. system as well. They have a new system coming out which will work miracles/slice bread/regrow hair etc etc. You can still find both the 75 mhz and the 27 mhz components around. I bought five used 75 mhz receivers from a member of another forum, and I now have six locos running on 6 separate 75hz receivers and one transmitter. Fun! 


For a bunch of reasons, including being irritated at Aristo for dropping the 75 mhz system. I'm gradually switching over to QSI/Airwire. I just installed it in an aristo engine and I'm VERY impressed. It's more expensive than the 75mhz system but includes sound and can do a bunch of other stuff. 

If I were running on batteries, I would probably choose the RCS system 

And yes, the scale thing is confusing/irritating as well!!


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