James Kuhns
Brakeman
Posts:15
Send Message
 | | 07/24/2008 9:44 AM |
| Has anyone ever used Aristocraft's on-board reciever with QSI sound in a USA diesel? My railroad is track powered and I would like to use the Aristocraft on-board reciever and need to know if it is possible and if so how is it done. I would like to use QSI sound also, if possible. This would be a first for me as I am into stean locomotives and always use Phoenix sound.
James | | | |
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Marauderer
1st Class Member
Powder Springs, GA
Foreman
Posts:122
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| | 07/24/2008 12:41 PM |
| | Hi James, I just acquired a USA SD 70 and am running DCC. I have started a thread over in The DCC forum about the QSI card that QSI is developing as a plug and play for the SD 70. the link is http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/34/postid/38746/view/topic/Default.aspx The time table to be out is about 6 months and it will be a DCC/sound card that should list at about $160 I hope. I am running their Aristo card in my RS3 and really like it so I am willing to wait to not have hard wire it in. If you don't want to wait I believe that QSI has an adaptor frame you can plug the Aristo card into and then hard wire the transition frame to your SD 70. The QSI card will work with DCC or DC and has other adapters to use a Train Engineer for the sound etc. Go to the QSI sight to see what options are available. | |
Barry
BBKB RailRoad
VGR, GGRS | |
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rpc7271
1st Class Member
Mesa, Az
Foreman
Posts:123
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| | 07/24/2008 6:31 PM |
| | I don't see anything on the QSI site about a new decoder for USA Trains. I think what you guys are talking about is a secondary decoder that QSI is developing that plugs into the Quantum G scale decoder. The secondary decoder enables additional functions that the primary decoder doesn't support. For example in the Aristo Dash 9 I can't turn on and off the ditch lights or the smoke generator with the Quantum G decoder. With the secondary decoder installed I would be able to. As long as USA Trains refuses to include a decoder plug in it's locos we are still going to have to rewire their locos. James, which locos were you thinking on installing the decoders in? | | | |
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Marauderer
1st Class Member
Powder Springs, GA
Foreman
Posts:122
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| | 07/24/2008 7:11 PM |
| | The USA decoder is coming. Sorry they do not have it listed on their site but, it is coming. | |
Barry
BBKB RailRoad
VGR, GGRS | |
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nick s.
1st Class Member
Upstate NY
Foreman
Posts:473
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| | 07/24/2008 8:00 PM |
| Plug and play for USA very soon so Tony at Tonys toy excange says maybe as soon as 2 months or so depending on if Greg gets off his ass  and starts beta testing some boards!!!!!!!!    HE HE HE ...
Nick... | | | |
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rpc7271
1st Class Member
Mesa, Az
Foreman
Posts:123
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| | 07/26/2008 4:40 PM |
| | I think this will be great and I am going to hold off converting any of my USA locos and see just what they come up with. I just wonder how it is going to be plug n play when USA locos don't have the plugs in them for plug n play. More like snip solder n play! | | | |
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Paul Norton
1st Class Member
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Foreman
Posts:265
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| | 07/27/2008 10:13 PM |
| The power distribution boards in most USA Trains diesels are connected to the motor blocks, lights and smoke units with plugs.
So it would not be a stretch to build a socket to hold the 75 MHz receiver with the plugs attached. It would be like my Super Socket, but with plugs instead of screw terminals.
Just unplug the track power pickups, motor plugs, light plugs, smoke unit plugs, etc. and then plug them into the new QSI board.
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Paul Norton
Ottawa Valley GRS | |
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Paul Norton
1st Class Member
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Foreman
Posts:265
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| | 07/27/2008 10:41 PM |
|
Opps! More like the Quantum Magnum, but with plugs instead of screw terminals.
I should have checked the QSI web site again before posting.
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Paul Norton
Ottawa Valley GRS | |
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Paul Norton
1st Class Member
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Foreman
Posts:265
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| | 07/27/2008 11:08 PM |
| James in your first post you mentioned using Aristo-Craft's on-board receiver with QSI sound. Perhaps I am misreading what you posted, but it sounds like you are asking if you can use Aristo-Craft’s 75 MHz receiver with QSI’s Quantum Sound Decoder.
The “Quantum” is both a sound board and a DCC decoder that fits in the Aristo-Craft Plug and Play socket. There would be no room for the Aristo-Craft receiver, nor would it be required if run with DCC or DC.
With just DC (a power pack) however, not all the DCC features are available. To obtain them you would have to add the Quantum Engineer to you DC power pack.
To obtain the DCC features with radio control, most people are using an AirWire transmitter, QSI G-Wire receiver and the Quantum Sound Decoder.
Have a read through the Products Section on the QSI web site for more complete information.
BTW: Radio noise generated by the motors interferes with the 75 MHz receiver’s reception when it is mounted on-board a diesel. It took me years to obtain the promised 100 feet of range, and I had to install noise suppression components to obtain it. This included a capacitor across the motor terminals and large chokes in the motor leads.
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Paul Norton
Ottawa Valley GRS | |
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James Kuhns
Brakeman
Posts:15
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| | 08/03/2008 10:59 AM |
| | For the time being I have backed off the idea of an "on board" reciever, and now that I have my USA Trains SD70 in UP/MP colors I now know what I am up againest. I see that the there only the power leads for a sound system in the fuel tank area. For a sound system it is between the QSI Magnum and the SoundTraxx units. Now for the questions. Using "Train Engineer" with track power which has the most useful features, is the easiest to work with, and what does one have over the other (besides price and avalible locomotive sound types)? Last but not least, what extra besides the basic system does it take to get full use of either system using remote control/track power? | | | |
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James Kuhns
Brakeman
Posts:15
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| | 08/03/2008 11:10 AM |
| Now that I have my USA Trains SD70 in UP/MP colors I know what I am up agains to install sound. I see that there are only power leads for sound in the tank area. I am looking at QSI Magnum and SoundTraxx. Using Train Engineer R/C with track power. Which is the easest to use, has the most features, and what are the extras needed to get the most out of the system using radio control/track power (not counting price or locomotive sound types)?
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James Kuhns
Brakeman
Posts:15
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| | 08/03/2008 11:12 AM |
| | Got a little confused and sent two letter about the same subject. | | | |
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rpc7271
1st Class Member
Mesa, Az
Foreman
Posts:123
Send Message
| | 08/03/2008 2:36 PM |
| | Would be nice if the new QSI USA trains sound decoder replaced the stock USA board. Just unplug everything, take out the board screws, screw in the new board, replug everything and away you go! Na!, won't be that simple. | | | |
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Marauderer
1st Class Member
Powder Springs, GA
Foreman
Posts:122
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| | 08/03/2008 2:53 PM |
| | You may be pleasantly surprised. | |
Barry
BBKB RailRoad
VGR, GGRS | |
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Greg Elmassian
1st Class Member
Carlsbad (San Diego), CA
Conductor
Posts:878
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| | 08/06/2008 10:54 PM |
| That's exactly how it works, I have 5 prototypes here and we are working on it.
You unplug the leads from the USAT mother board, take out the screws, screw in the identically shaped QSI board complete with the slide switches that protrude underneath, and plug the wires back onto the new board. There is a small daughter board that has the "brains", like the Aristo one, but smaller and no output transistors, all the output and lighting power and switches are on the main board.
The main board has settings to accomodate the different voltages for different lights that USAT has used over the years, plus little jumper cables to even handle other USAT wiring oddities.
Working on it...
Regards, Greg | |
Be sure to visit my site, lots of technical tips and modifications, and you can search for topics and key words.
Click here for Greg's web site | |
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Rod Fearnley
1st Class Member
Mid Norfolk. England
Foreman
Posts:102
Send Message
| | 08/07/2008 1:05 AM |
| I'll wait for your board to come available then Greg. One for the GP9 and one for the SW
Rod | |
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Marauderer
1st Class Member
Powder Springs, GA
Foreman
Posts:122
Send Message
| | 08/07/2008 5:09 AM |
| Posted By Greg Elmassian on 08/06/2008 10:54 PM
That's exactly how it works, I have 5 prototypes here and we are working on it.
You unplug the leads from the USAT mother board, take out the screws, screw in the identically shaped QSI board complete with the slide switches that protrude underneath, and plug the wires back onto the new board. There is a small daughter board that has the "brains", like the Aristo one, but smaller and no output transistors, all the output and lighting power and switches are on the main board.
The main board has settings to accomodate the different voltages for different lights that USAT has used over the years, plus little jumper cables to even handle other USAT wiring oddities.
Working on it...
Regards, Greg
Now you really have me slobbering I wish I had the sound last weekend at the Vines. | |
Barry
BBKB RailRoad
VGR, GGRS | |
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Greg Elmassian
1st Class Member
Carlsbad (San Diego), CA
Conductor
Posts:878
Send Message
| | 08/08/2008 12:53 PM |
| Just small clarification, it's QSI Industries's board made for QSI solutions. I'm just the goof that has the privilege of helping.
Barry, aren't you coming to San Diego soon? You will have an opportunity to run them.
Regards, Greg | |
Be sure to visit my site, lots of technical tips and modifications, and you can search for topics and key words.
Click here for Greg's web site | |
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Marauderer
1st Class Member
Powder Springs, GA
Foreman
Posts:122
Send Message
| | 08/08/2008 5:35 PM |
| Posted By Greg Elmassian on 08/08/2008 12:53 PM
Barry, aren't you coming to San Diego soon? You will have an opportunity to run them. Regards, Greg
I will be leaving Atlanta on 9/8 and will take about six days to get out there. I would really like the opportunity to see your layout and see the USA trains run with the new board. I will be in CA until 11/1 probably but not set in stone.
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Barry
BBKB RailRoad
VGR, GGRS | |
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Greg Elmassian
1st Class Member
Carlsbad (San Diego), CA
Conductor
Posts:878
Send Message
| | 08/09/2008 11:47 PM |
| You are invited, I thought R.J. already relayed my message, but anyway, come on by!
By the way, I ran 4 USAT locos at the same time, all with QSI decoders, 2 GP7's 1 old style GP-38 and one new style GP-38.... Get my cell phone # from R.J., he may be asking you to bring his S4 out!
Regards, Greg | |
Be sure to visit my site, lots of technical tips and modifications, and you can search for topics and key words.
Click here for Greg's web site | |
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