# Your opinion needed. Hardware questions.



## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

The time has come to start thinking about power and I have a few ideas that I would like either affirmed or corrected by those out there with much more experience than I. 

The Basics.
1) My railroad has one diesel, a brand new Aristo RS3 I bought at ECLSTS last weekend.
2) I am wedded to battery power and track power is not an option
3) I would like the ability to run at least a maximum of 3 locos with the initial RCC system I buy
4) I want to be able to operate 2 or more locos on the front of a train without difficulty. 
5) I want the batteries inside the loco because I think dedicated cars are inconvenient.
6) Operations are outdoors and the layout is no more than 60'x30' in size.
7) Basic diesel sounds would be nice . Alco sounds would be a bonus.
8) I don't want to spend $1billion dollars. No more than $300 for this first loco would be nice.
9) Radio control is not my strength.

The Questions
1) From my all but clueless research on this topic it seems the Aristo Train Engineer Revolution does what I want. Would this buy be a mistake?
2) Aristo seems to only have NiMH batteries, I assume I what I really want is LiIo. Is this correct and who sells decent ones?
3) Is it possible to charge batteries without removing them from the loco with/without slight modifications?

Thanks for any replies, hopefully I can get a few insights before I buy. I want the power worked out before paint and decals happen.

Tom


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## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Aristo Revolution will do what you want for the price you want. You can get a starter set with sound for under $300.00. The on board sound of the Revolution is in my opinion not very good but Aristo says that the sound units will be programable soon so that may not be a big deal. If your RS-3 is a brand new unit you SHOULD be able to just plug the receiver into the onboard plug and go from there. Lithium Ion batteries are available in several sizes and you should be able to find one that will fit into the fuel tank on the RS-3 making it easier to change when needed although you can wire it so that you recharge it in the fuel tank and remove it only when necessary. The RS-3 is a nice choice as the speaker is not in the fuel tank. You should consider changing the headlights from light bulbs to LEDs as they will draw a lot less current and extend battery life and run time. You should also be able to set things up so you have a choice between battery and track power so if you visit someones layout with track power you can run on their track power. I have track power in the front yard and battery only in the back and run in between sometimes. When I reach the front yard I switch to track power to save battery life and switch back to battery when I go into the back yard.


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

For a minimum of effort and ease of installation, you can install the Revolution as described above. Then you can throw the switch on the engine from track to battery, and put the battery(s) in a trailing car. Then you can easily pull out the battery for recharging, and/or swap batteries when one goes dead. I have been having excellent results with the Cordless Renovations li-ion batteries. They come in all sizes and provide dependable service so far.

Ed


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

This is very good news. Thank you. 

It is correct, my RS3 has switches for battery/track power. I bought a brand new one in an attempt to make my life easier. It already has LEDs too. 

Thank you for the tip on cordless renovations batteries.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

A trailing battery car makes it easier to swap out batteries if one should die during a running session. I just lift off the roof of a boxcar and change the battery. I also like to remove my batteries from the car or engine when charging. If anything goes wrong you haven't damaged a piece of rolling stock. Chuck


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

It may be possible to put the batteries inside the fuel tank, and swap them out by removing the fuel tank cover. Without having the loco in front of me to see for certain, I'd look to velcro the battery pack to the underside of the locomotive, then use magnets and pegs/holes to keep the fuel tank in place. The rare earth magnets will do a good job of holding the tank in place. 

You should be able to fit a 21v Li-Ion battery pack (6 cells) inside the average fuel tank of a diesel. You may have to move the speaker; I'm not familiar enough with the RS-3 to know where the speaker is. 

If you're just looking for basic diesel sounds, then I would wholeheartedly agree with the Revolution recommendation above. If you decide you want a "real" Alco sound down the road, you can add a Phoenix sound system very easily. 

Later, 

K


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Be aware that the RS-3 is typically assembled backwards inside, and you most likely have to move things around on the chassis to allow clearance for the Revo in the socket. 

It's been assembled backwards for most of it's "life". The stock speaker is very good and you won't want to replace it. 

Also, "new" does not necessarily mean the latest version. 

It is one of the most complex locos to disassemble, but there's ample instructions on the web. When you get to pulling it apart, email me, and I'll point you to lots of information (mostly on my site). 

Greg 

p.s. The new QSI Titan has an Alco sound that makes the Phoenix seem like a 10 year old product (oh wait, it is over 10 years old), but I did not mention the QSI or the Phoenix since that puts you over your budget I believe.


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## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

Revolution is a good choice, but you might also want to look at Airwire. Check around on suppliers and I'm sure you'll find a good combination price for batteries, controller, sound board and receivers. The $300 might have to stretch a little (especially when you throw in shipping costs). I think (could be wrong) that the 6 cell Lithium battery pack is 18.5 volts and the 8 cell would be 22 volt...but just check the dimensions and supplier to make sure it will fit. I do like the velcro option and like to charge the battery pack outside the tender or trailing car (allows for a little more safety if you are concerned about either an explosive reaction or fire....less damage). I've never had an issue. I also like to keep all my battery packs the same size, thereby eliminating any errors in the right selection for the "smart charger". Good luck and have fun. 

Ed


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Tom, 
What kind of operator do you foresee yourself being; running every day, a couple times a week, just weekends or less? 
If you run fairly often you really won't need the Li-ions. The other batteries have a proven track record and are safer than the Dreamliner Litiums. Even Boeing has troubles with this chemistry, that's why folks are talking about easy removal for charging. 
If you don't plan on running often, the lithiums are prefered as they don't suffer self discharge as they sit. Their other positive is they are more compact which is a bonus as you add more boards, speakers, etc... 
There are other radio controls that use hobby R/C transmitters and ESCs, GScaleGraphics. com has some with the ability to activate the features I think you want and for less investment. Investigate before others sway you, myself included. 

Happy Rails 

John


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

That's good advice. For the near future I'll be a weekends or less type of operation. I shall look into gscalegraphics. I haven't bought anything yet. Sometimes the congressional approach is best.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

By the way, the RS-3 has the "old style" motors and trucks, which is good for you, they are more efficient (use less power) than the new style in the E8, SD45, Dash 9 and especially the problem-ridden GP40. 

There is not a lot of space inside, so I'd go Li-ion. 

Greg


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