Hi Del.
I don't think the negatives are actually all that negative. Not with BELTROL anyway.
1. Sure the TX is quite big. But is lightweight and the locos can be controlled by one hand anyway.
2. Actually you can run as many trains as you want. Either one at a time or ganged together in consists.
3. I really don't think you need all the mickey mouse info anyway.
4. BELTROL does have a PnP ESC available. This fits any standard PnP socket used by AristoCraft and Bachmann.

On the plus side.
1. The really big plus with either RailBoss and BELTROL, compared to any other battery R/C system, is the digital proportional speed control. Anyone that has used it raves about it.
No other control system offers such precise proportional control.
2. Speed matching is so simple because you don't have to worry about programming in values. All you need to do is note the stick position at the point the loco starts to move and place the stick in that position when setting the speed in the memory.
3. The BELTROL momentum control is continuously variable. At will. You can either have quick starts and stops or at any rate up to 30 seconds from full stop to running full speed and from running full speed to full stop. Depending on the stick position. It is really slick.
4. Just like the REVO the BELTROL also has default direction on start up so that back to back running is permitted.

One other plus. Something that I believe REVO cannot do.
The BELTROL ESC's are compatible with QSI sound. They can be programmed for an idle voltage to be sent to the QSI so that when stopped the sound stays alive. Direction change is achieved without the sound dying. Very soon the BELTROL will also be able to control the QSI Whistle/Horn and Bell.

Guys, can you make it so the starting voltage actually starts at zero? The Revo will let you INCREASE the starting voltage, but not reduce it. Some locos move at "zero" speed on the Revo.

Regards, GReg

Hi Greg.

The various brands of stick radios are all very slightly different in total stick movement. So, to take that into account, the program was written in such a way that it measures the exact total movement of the throttle stick and makes the bottom of the movement zero.
Provided the speed is calibrated properly during set up, the output at zero stick position is zero. There is no leakage of voltage.
Unless of course it is programmed to have a higher start (or "idle") voltage, such as for the QSI sound system idle.
Depending on whether the constantly variable momentum is engaged or not, the very first click on the throttle stick turns on an automatic notch 8 output function whilst the second click starts voltage ramping up.

RailBoss works the same way. Stick at min is zero volts, but it can be near maximum battery voltage if that is what you want.

Railboss also has a feature during throttle programming; you can either program the desired output using stick position as a reference while the loco sits in front of you, or you can have an active throttle mode, where you actually set the voltage/speed while observing the loco running. So to precisely set min starting voltage without any quess work or trial and error, use the active throttle mode: increase the throttle until the loco starts to move, then back it off slightly. A slight movement off of min throttle position will now start motion.

Thank you for the question Ed.
The answer for BELTROL is no.
Currently I have no plans to make it work using a constant track voltage for power.
If I miss out on sales then so be it. I do not want the grief associated with the complexities associated with constant track power. Do you ever read on their website of the problems a competing product has, which are mostly track power related?
It is certainly not my desire to start any sort of heated argument on the pros and cons.
I simply believe that if you are going to the trouble of making track power work then you might as well do what you are already doing and stick to DCS or DCC.

That does not mean others have not had quite a degree of success using such a method of supplying power to on board R/C.

Ed - No problem running track power and battery power at the same time at all! Battery powered locomotives are isolated from the track; i.e. the track pickups are either removed or switched out of the circuit. So you can run as many battery powered trains as you want at the same time, in addition to however many track powered trains your track power system will allow.

Hello Ed.

Del is correct about running track powered locos and battery powered locos at the same time on the same track.
What I was referring to was the extra complexities associated with using a constant track voltage to power the on board R/C.
It is not just the resetting when running on constant track voltage mentioned at the AristoCraft forum. It is also the blown up REVOLUTION RX's.
As to why they blow up I cannot comment. I am merely telling what is reported at the AristoCraft website.
I do have an opinion and it has to do with the fact that not all AristoCraft Plug and Play sockets are wired the same way.
There are many variations and some don't actually isolate both sides of the track when the Track/Battery switch is set to Battery.
Some locos have the pigtail connections at either end of the locos wired back to front to others.
You can draw your own conclusions.

... Can you run the REV system with the transmitter off? ...

Yes. The receiver keeps going at the last remembered speed until it regains a link and gets new commands from the transmitter. The transmitter shuts itself down after a few minutes if it's not being used (I forget what the time period is).

Later,

K

The transmitter shuts itself down after a few minutes if it's not being used (I forget what the time period is). 

Kevin.......  the transmitter "off" time is adjustable from 1 to 60 minutes.  

Posted By Del Tapparo on 30 Sep 2009 03:28 PM

Hi Guys - I'm going to open myself up to take some heat for this post, but I would like to make some comments about Jerry's thread on the Revolution, without screwing up his thread, per his request. You can find that post here ...  My Introduction to the Revolution 

Since I have only just launched sales of the "2.4GHZ Enhanced RailBoss", it isn't an unbiased product review,

Wait until I post the QSI vs. TE thread... even though just the same as your two guys' thread... I will get immediate grief and be accused of everything.

Thanks for breaking the ice guys, it will make my life a bit easier.

Regards, Greg

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 05 Oct 2009 03:57 PM
Wait until I post the QSI vs. TE thread... even though just the same as your two guys' thread... I will get immediate grief and be accused of everything.

Thanks for breaking the ice guys, it will make my life a bit easier.

Regards, Greg