# Airwire-compatible installation in Gen 2 Aristo Pacific?



## therbert (Sep 18, 2008)

I have an older Generation 2 Aristo Pacific (black box) that I'd like to set up for battery power. I have a 3-truck Bachmann Shay running an Airwire decoder and Phoenix sound, so I already have the Airwire controller. Initially, I'd like to install just the receiver/decoder, no sound for now.

I appears that installing a QSI system is going to be more expensive than the Airwire, as it looks like the GWire receiver still has to be connected to a generic DCC decoder of some sort, where the Airwire unit is an all-in-one unit that's about the same price as the GWire receiver alone.

Am I reading this correctly, or am I missing something?

Thanks guys!

Tom


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The QSI card is a plug and play motor control and sound card--it plugs into the aristo socket on a 2nd generation pacific. It's a DCC decoder with built in sound


To make it play with airwire you need an additional "gwire" card, which picks up the siganls from the airwire throttle.


The QSI sound/motor card and the G wire card would be about 220-240. It's more expensive, but you get top-quality sound that you can trigger with the airwire receiver. The airwire card does not include sound


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## therbert (Sep 18, 2008)

OK, let's call it a Gen 1 Pacific then. The only electronics in the tender were a truly terrible sound unit, with a cam on one of the tender truck axles. It has long ago been removed and discarded, in my first attempt at battery power. It worked, using an ESC out of an electric powered R/C plane (the only reasonably priced ESCs available at the time that would handle more than 7.2v), but, of course, had no reverse. So, there's no socket for a QSI controller to plug into.


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