davetheroad Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 How do you contact the moderators? As bluerails Bluetooth boards now have EC certification and bluerail have appointed CoastalDCC as retailers and shipped stock I wonder if it would be better and less confusing if the Bachmann Bluetooth topic was relocated from the DCC forum? DCC is certainly not what bluerail is about. Having it in the DCC forum does not make sense? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted August 29, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2016 Press the "Report" button just below, and to the left of, the "like" button. This flags your post to a MOD and then something might happen. Kev. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 While I agree that it really isn't a DCC subject, I think the problem is that the BlueRail Trains system is not entirely a "Radio Control" topic either. The battery based version sits very neatly here, but the track powered version, which I guess will see the more popular usage, doesn't. An interesting one would be where to place the Tam Valley Dead Rail system? It's both battery powered and radio control, but also DCC; using any standard DCC system as the host. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetheroad Posted September 26, 2016 Author Share Posted September 26, 2016 While I agree that it really isn't a DCC subject, I think the problem is that the BlueRail Trains system is not entirely a "Radio Control" topic either. The battery based version sits very neatly here, but the track powered version, which I guess will see the more popular usage, doesn't. An interesting one would be where to place the Tam Valley Dead Rail system? It's both battery powered and radio control, but also DCC; using any standard DCC system as the host. . I think the both the track powered and battery versions fit it very well here, after all the forum is called radio control !. As a long time reader of radio control topics I know the Bluerail stuff is to be found in the DCC section and anyone browsing the forums would, I believe, expect it to reside in the radio control area not DCC. We are going to end up with Bluerail being discussed in 2 areas which is something the moderators should think about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonME46 Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 Maybe just have a sticky in the RC forum with a link to the thread in the DCC forum? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetheroad Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 Maybe just have a sticky in the RC forum with a link to the thread in the DCC forum? It is rather a silly situation. Bluetooth control is in the DCC section yet it is not DCC. It should be here and here should not be skulking in the special interests section where no one sees it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetheroad Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 The bluerail boards arrived today, impressive as I only ordered yesterday. My first impression is they are huge, the smaller board in the photo is one of my Deltang receivers I use in my other locos. Bluerail need to shrink the footprint a lot. Luckily the board just fits in the coach I will be using. Next I need to build the battery voltage regulator bits. I intend to use a Pololu 12V booster with a 2S 7.4V Lipo battery. Edit - just downloaded the android app to my hudl. It won't actually work until I have installed a board in a loco! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin2 Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 My first impression is they are huge, On the basis of that comparison the Bluerail system does not challenge anything. OK for G Scale I suppose. My cheap DIY system with an Atmega328, and an nRF24L01+ transceiver is not much bigger than twice the size of my Deltang unit. ...R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin2 Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 Early command control "chips" were large and cumbersome. These boards have a great deal of potential for future expansion, and it is early days. Miniaturisation will doubtless follow in due course. I would have some sympathy for that point of view if there was no prior example (such as Deltang or flying drones) of very much smaller devices. The "off the shelf" ESP8266 device has an 80MHz microprocessor plus WiFi on a board measuring 16mm x 24mm. ...R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 21C123 Posted September 30, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 30, 2016 Hi could one of these boards be wired directly to a power supply and it's output connected to the track instead of one of the controllers on my layout ? I could then have remote control of the layout, rather than an individual locomotive. Any reason this might not work ? Thanks Roger Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetheroad Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 Check out the Bluerail site, Deep River Southern in the User showcase. I hope to check out use on a DC layout in my Bluehorse board evaluation. for example what happens if you turn the track voltage down, does a bluerail board loco slow as well? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin2 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 Where can we find out more about how to wire this up? There is more to it than that. I only mentioned the ESP8266 as an example of what the Bluerail people should have been aware of. I have not used one myself. Google will find lots of ESP8266 stuff. This ESP8266 Forum is probably a good place to start. It is possible to program the ESP8266 with the Arduino IDE but I have not tried it. ...R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetheroad Posted November 24, 2016 Author Share Posted November 24, 2016 I just had an email from Bluerail about the latest developments. they have updated the Android and Bachmann Apps plus have developed the technology for connecting to DCC decoders and sound boards. I was about to write a small review of the board I bought but will now try the new app first. Thinks - Bluerail controlling your DCC train via radio with either a simple DC, DCC power or/and onboard batteries ! No expensive DCC base stations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
autocoach Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Just posted on BlueRail facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BlueRailTrains/photos/pb.525057407544028.-2207520000.1483833025./1153654561350973/?type=3&theater This could be the start of something interesting. Can't wait to see the new board in a dcc interface module that can plug into 8/21 pin interface board. Bluetooth my BWT!!! Will also require a built in capacitor as on board with larger module. (sorry about the facebook site to those of you still spooked by social media.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonME46 Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 There is more to it than that. I only mentioned the ESP8266 as an example of what the Bluerail people should have been aware of. I have not used one myself. Google will find lots of ESP8266 stuff. This ESP8266 Forum is probably a good place to start. It is possible to program the ESP8266 with the Arduino IDE but I have not tried it. ...R as a complete and utter novice, I bought a WeMos D1 Mini as it had an onboard USB/serial converter. It's been an absolute doddle programming the ESP8266 in this format. Future iterations might see it go to a naked ESP8266, but I don't have a great need to save space in O gauge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin2 Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 It's been an absolute doddle programming the ESP8266 in this format. I believe you have more details in this Thread ...R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetheroad Posted March 18, 2017 Author Share Posted March 18, 2017 Check out the latest news from bluerail here - post #455 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95379-Bachmann-bluetooth-locomotive-control/page-19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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