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Hi,

 

No I don't know anything about this type of feedback.

 

It doesn't say how it works. If it uses RF interference from the loco will it work with all locos anywhere on a large layout in any combination?.
If it uses time domain reflectrometry how does it retain compatibility with the DCC standard and how can it cope with the various ways of connecting bus wires to DCC tracks and how does it cope with flexitrack where the track diagram on the control system may not directly relate to the actual geometry?. If TDR will it work with DIY or modified DCC decoders and a number of locos on the tracks?.

It says they hope to get to work with most DCC systems so does it use Railcom in some unusual way?.

 

If it uses Wifi or Bluetooth between the Railmagic unit and the smartphone then it may not be reliable in large exhibitions.

Until its known how it works I think I will regard it as magic.

 

If it works with any DCC decoder on any layout it might be a magic bullet but I guess then the price asked will be high.

 

 

Regards

 

Nick

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Only things I have found out watching his youtube is that it connections to your DCC system via ethernet and by the look of it it also connects to Wifi as he has his connected to a reouter. There is only one connection to the track for each booster section. It can controll upto 16 locos and I think I read on his website that he uses a different Function number to idenfy each loco.

Thats as much info I have  from youtube and the web site. I was hoping if anybody else had anymore info.

 

Alan

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51 minutes ago, alangdance said:

Only things I have found out watching his youtube is that it connections to your DCC system via ethernet and by the look of it it also connects to Wifi as he has his connected to a reouter. There is only one connection to the track for each booster section. It can controll upto 16 locos and I think I read on his website that he uses a different Function number to idenfy each loco.

Thats as much info I have  from youtube and the web site. I was hoping if anybody else had anymore info.

 

Alan

Hi,

 

If it only works with 16 locos its not really the ~ 10,000 addresses available with DCC so not DCC?.

 

I will have to think about if the 16 loco limit and the use of function numbers tells me anything about how it works.

 

My first guess is that it uses Railcom and Zimo decoders to transmit the loco speed. If he's found a way to turn the Railcom on and off quickly for individual locos thus each loco can send its speed info back to the Railmagic box without the need for lots of Railcom local detectors with speed reporting.

 

I don't know how to get and keep the positional accuracy, perhaps the camera on the smartphone is used to identify the original position of the loco - but would that only work on set track?.

 

Regards

 

Nick

 

 

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He states 16 locos per booster. I run with a Control sation and one booster so that would give possible 32 locos.Far more than I need.

I now only use Zimo and the odd Lenzs depending on size(N Gauge). Its looks simple and can be used with computer control. 

Just think of not having to wire all those feedbacks.

 

Alan

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28 minutes ago, alangdance said:

He states 16 locos per booster. I run with a Control sation and one booster so that would give possible 32 locos.Far more than I need.

I now only use Zimo and the odd Lenzs depending on size(N Gauge). Its looks simple and can be used with computer control. 

Just think of not having to wire all those feedbacks.

 

Alan

Hi,

 

Sounding slightly more like its using Railcom and modern Zimo decoders with speed/distance reporting. I wonder what happens when a train passes between boosters will the distance reporting fail temporarily?.

 

Regards

 

Nick

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Interesting - perhaps.

 

On a thread on the DCC Concepts forum, a statement was made by DCC Concepts saying "... There will be a much better approach to many forms of "information feedback" on a layout that is NOT item, system or brand dependent very soon ..." and I responded by wondering if this would be RailMagic as I am aware that this is out being tested by various users, and has been for quite a while, though I don't know how well it is (or isn't) going. 

 

My comment on RailMagic was followed up by another chap and when I went back to respond to his statement and inform him that his comment wasn't quite correct I find that DCC Concepts have deleted the posts that mention RailMagic - does this mean that their new product will be based upon this product, or does it simply mean that  they will only allow discussion of DCC Concepts products on their forum?

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Actually, that is not how you posted or what you said at all.... but you already know that.

 

I am not in the habit of explaining why I do things... but seeing as you asked, the  deletion means I thought the presence of the post was a "not useful" distraction as its still largely a vapourware product.  As you very well know there is plenty of discussion that is not DCCconcepts on the forum... But we manage it for inclusiveness, relevance and value, not willy-waving.

 

No, we have ZERO interest in how Rail magic works (Although it is quite obvious anyway).

 

It has huge restrictions and is a typical "Half thought through" solution, such as we see regularly. Given the device load in on a  model railway, and the conflict issues, wi-fi will never be a reliable solution for model railways in its current form. You will see our chosen direction soon enough. All I will promise you is NO wifi, no BS setup, no computer screens and B-all wires. You'll have to wait for the rest :-).

 

kind regards, Richard

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1 hour ago, Richard Johnson said:

Actually, that is not how you posted or what you said at all.... but you already know that.

 

Actually, it was exactly how I posted it - and you know that.

 

If you have no interest, and it is vapourware as you state, then all you had to do was say that.

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Actuallu Iain, you added no "sense of wonder" about anything - what may have been in your head is perhaps different? All I had to do was exactly what I did and what I would do again if I felt it better for the thread and the members. No other action was appropriate.

 

As to the product, the very fact that you speculated was sort of amusing to me - the one thing we never, ever do, is adopt such things from others. We have our own ways of thinking 100% of the time. I already gave my perspective and reasons why it would never enter our thoughts to do anything that way quite clearly. 

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Clearly you omitted to observe the question mark at the end of my statement.

 

if it isn’t your product then all well and good, but why post about your product  when you will not support Railcom - as you constantly make very clear - when the question was specifically about Railcom and whether your decoders support it which everyone know that you don’t. The poster even knew that (I had told him before he posted) and was only looking for confirmation.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi,

 

More info on the RailMagic website recently.

 

It uses permanent magnets stuck to the underside of the baseboards and the trackers report the magnetic field (presumably strength and direction). The trackers also estimates how far the train has moved (using Back EMF) and reports that.

 

The RailMagic control unit (Trainiac) works out where each tracker is (using pattern recognition and a once off training run). 

 

It claims the RailMagic control unit (Trainiac) uses bidirectional comms with the trackers.

I'm not sure how it talks to the trackers and still keep to the DCC standard.

 

Not sure how the system will cope with DCC Concepts ferromagnetic strips and strong loco magnets (or point motors or magnetic uncouplers or turntables or traversers).

Not sure if the trackers will work if the loco has a ferromagnetic steel chassis.

 

It looks like existing DCC decoders may be not good enough to work with RailMagic so they are designing their own decoder. So not only would you need to but their trackers control unit and software you may need to fit their decoders.

 

Regards

 

Nick

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I also note that the software is subscription rather than purchase.

 

Personally, I would be letting some people be the guinea pigs before I would jump in. I would also want to see it demonstrated on a complex layout that is representative of what modellers do to understand the strengths and limitations.

 

I think the statement I would use currently is caveat emptor ;)

 

 

 

 

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It appears that you buy the hardware but rent the licence in parts to suit your needs.

The magnets appear to be special to purpose as he describes them as thin and fragile like cookies. Why not normal neo disk magnets and why under the layout rather than on top.

I would also have thought a regular spaced grid array of magnets would have been better and easier to calibrate than the randomish spot placement according to track geometry method employed.

Controller support is currently limited. E.g. Hornby Elite is supported but not Select as this cannot handle the long address he uses for part of his setup, etc.

Edited by RAF96
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Hi,

 

If they were on top of the layout they would be visible on scenic sections which would put off some modellers. Also some magnets are not rust proof and might not take nicely to PVA glue or water based paints.

 

On the RailMagic website it says the system uses a constellation type arrangement of magnets. The Trainiac control unit is said to be able to recognise the pattern.

 

If the magnets were arranged regularly it might not be possible to recognise where the locos are.

 

I'm interested to see how comms are done to and from the tracker modules in the locos.

Are they using a different method from:

a) Railcom

b) Digitrax transponding

and if so what is it?.

 

Regards

 

Nick

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Read through the website for this and also this thread with more fascination than real interest. How is it all going to work in the real world? Got to the bit about how the system will handle multiple boosters and quickly came to the conclusion the product is doomed. This is what the website says about multiple power districts:

 

"In order to ensure that the transfer of responsibility is smooth, the track which connects the two different power districts must be quadruple isolated. This means that a piece of the track longer than the trains must be double isolated in each end. We are going to provide a piece of electronics called the Layouter that will switch the power to the track piece between the two power districts. Until the Layouter becomes available, boosters will not be supported."

 

So any track crossing two power districts basically needs the equivalent of an auto-reverser with a length of track for your longest train?   Totally impractical in my opinion.

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Hi, this is Ulrik from Railmagic. I just want to clear up a few things.

 

The description of the software and features have been changed on the website as quite a few people thought it was a subscription-based payment. It is not! All the prices are one-time payments, but I understand that it could be misunderstood.

 

About the last post by RFS. We are only talking about crossing between power districts from different boosters, not current-limited power districts in general. I think it is strong to call the product doomed due to a few track isolators :-) No one should ever short two boosters through a locomotive anyway. The piece of electronics that we suggest is simply a protection that everyone should use.

 

PS: Don't expect me to answer later responses.

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