newbe!!


J

J.R.-K.C.N.-Hogger

Member
Howdy! been exploring the site and I'm glad I found it, got some question's , any one use battery power, RC, outside O gauge, I know the G gagers are useing this type of control, my question's are, is the G stuff small enough to use in O gauge? if so what and where do I start with? one other question if the RC gear is used inside will it interfer with TV rec.( if I use it inside I would'nt want to messup one life to live or god forbid Opra!!) JR
 
J.R., I have zero experience in using this type of thing in O scale and actually have never heard of battery powered O scale trains that are anything but toys. One thing that is possible is using DCC with radio control and that would easily fit in an O scale engine. You just need a command center and decoders with enough amperage to handle O scale engines. The radio control systems I've seen are either 49 MHz or 433 MHz. 49 MHz transmitters are actualy close enough to channels 2 and 3 in freqency to cause some inteference if you're using an off the air antenna to pick them up. If you're using cable, satellite, or a 433 MHz system, you shouldn't have any issues with TV reception.
 
thanks UP2CSX, I've given that a thougt, ownly trouble with that control is dirty rail, I know that G gauger's are useing this also!but I don't know if their useing in or outside went to the garden section and ask the same questions' whoa, thats where we are, oops been poasting all day kinda forgot where I was, senior moment,HA! thanks agin! JR
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There are people who run O scale outside using the weather resistant track produced by Atlas. One of the big advantages of using DCC is that you're putting a constant 16 volts AC in the track at all times rather than a variable 12 volts like a normal DC engine. Along with the nickel silver rail, this higher constant voltage makes track cleaning much less of a problem since it takes more oxidation to disrupt the signal. The G scale people have adapted R/C car parts and rechargeable batteries so the engines are powered by batteries alone but O scale is sufficently smaller that I think this could be a real chore. Assuming that you ran trains frequently enough and polished the rails with something Mother's Mag Wheel Polish once or twice a season, I'll bet that O scale DCC would run as reliably as battery powered locomotives without all the grief. You can also get radio control for DCC locomotives if that's important.
 
I know this going to sound like I'm whining, but all that cost money, and I have little of it for my hobby, thats why going cheap with used eguipment was the idea, as far as rail, I was going to try flat stock with groved ties, sounds crude but what the heack!, get it up and runing, and I can replace things as I can, thanks UP2CSX for your time JR
Buy the way you are no dougt wondering what's the big deal with outside I live in a moble home, no room inside, I already have the O scale, from my other life,just thought you'd like to know.
 
Those battery powered conversions will cost way more than DCC so that's not an option for you either if money is a prime concern. I think trying to make your own rail perfectly acceptable but at least get actual rail stock instead of flat stock. It's not that much more expensive and your trains will also run better since the rail will have right profile for the tire and flange. Using grooved ties is really a silly idea. You just buy a bag of rail spikes for something like $5 per 300 spikes and spike down the rail to the ties.
Something has to hold the rails in a grove besides friction if you want to actually run trains instead of spend most of your time rerailing trains so you might as well do the job right the first time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top