DCC Via Bluetooth/iPad.

[melvin]

On eBay there is a new I think DCC Controller being sold by a Bill Cuthbert.

3 amp £45 or 5 amp £55   + £5.99  for the full app from google play.

It would appear to be fully nmra compliant, easy to use.

I have bought one and wondered if any one out there has also and would share there experience.

When i get mine i will keep you updated. Regards.

[RAF96]

Are you allowed to post a direct link to it Melvin.

[cravensdmufan]

1 hour ago, RAF96 said:

Are you allowed to post a direct link to it Melvin.

Are these the ones?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/cuthbertw/m.html?item=233706549987&hash=item3669fef2e3%3Ag%3Avh4AAOSwD6FexXV7&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACYBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%2Fn%2BzU5L90Z278x5ickkai8xCwosGKpC0NWj85e%2FB3VnKY%2B2XfuxZmACf%2FOTClrFFmRD7gMkj9zVKXenE%2FEY9wmHX89uMc0AaKBDgVLXDPiMK4W2TKJsBkT3oiEfLdEfAHM%2FyONQ0FbfGtqthVqyvcKTbF0%2BoIDa4BQancuhM5bytM3Y2xPX6bm93dC6GQRR%2B5rd1rF%2FLUwbFhErRLyxu0NoVHa%2FG0Nkf9i3jmQ1AeITCxamW86H9MpjHRZrpRUTcfOTCczbxjEr7uzWJY%2F4nEJFfwbwXiLljHHqH0ZrZb2bh1z4OcQx3J3X%2FsZHhlbl8%2FUc%2BgD2rRg%2BCwcku6xkDfaR8GVXoXEFJYAOyyp2z8Q%2FYGzl8E90fPRICEKUAF9lmBTng29xrzQEx1KQFkEDkoSESWK2BNO71SXF6T4eh9Y1nf1z4zTmecn8KFhWCVt%2FdK4N5UKmOjym22pyl4lqqD%2F8eGxt9pQAKt%2B7DNS7xDElExMqWBeYBm%2BGCyBrdI99e86YY360Vvn9tlCI84grlIJ8CBoXw1bR3Xeh2EG%2F1lHsIKkI7ypP0PY%2BsQFoCRF%2FbSxHpoMIvJyU94%2Bo3Laghgv7B5T9fcuITFv6SIaWZShvEf6LTAr0zHFIs%2FA4pzcqRbKcsmLvNs7vyhL%2Bvj5JedzqU15j5kN%2Bd9qYjN7%2Fafh%2F3GUFAOCSia2V2CkRqfwhHdgsD9Hv5CCnZeAlqlooUYii93b5ZRjys7nXzY2S8P5KGzLPHiS0B6g9Nz%2BDYV7818H7YeRtxC9vJHoPwn8a|cksum%3A23370654998748e74c1b01284dacbf9409981ab956c2|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2334524&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

 

I'd be interested to know how you get on with it Melvin.

[Ron Ron Ron]

2 digit addressing and just 16 accessory addresses ????

 

 

.

[melvin]

On 15/09/2020 at 11:19, cravensdmufan said:

Are these the ones?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/cuthbertw/m.html?item=233706549987&hash=item3669fef2e3%3Ag%3Avh4AAOSwD6FexXV7&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACYBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%2Fn%2BzU5L90Z278x5ickkai8xCwosGKpC0NWj85e%2FB3VnKY%2B2XfuxZmACf%2FOTClrFFmRD7gMkj9zVKXenE%2FEY9wmHX89uMc0AaKBDgVLXDPiMK4W2TKJsBkT3oiEfLdEfAHM%2FyONQ0FbfGtqthVqyvcKTbF0%2BoIDa4BQancuhM5bytM3Y2xPX6bm93dC6GQRR%2B5rd1rF%2FLUwbFhErRLyxu0NoVHa%2FG0Nkf9i3jmQ1AeITCxamW86H9MpjHRZrpRUTcfOTCczbxjEr7uzWJY%2F4nEJFfwbwXiLljHHqH0ZrZb2bh1z4OcQx3J3X%2FsZHhlbl8%2FUc%2BgD2rRg%2BCwcku6xkDfaR8GVXoXEFJYAOyyp2z8Q%2FYGzl8E90fPRICEKUAF9lmBTng29xrzQEx1KQFkEDkoSESWK2BNO71SXF6T4eh9Y1nf1z4zTmecn8KFhWCVt%2FdK4N5UKmOjym22pyl4lqqD%2F8eGxt9pQAKt%2B7DNS7xDElExMqWBeYBm%2BGCyBrdI99e86YY360Vvn9tlCI84grlIJ8CBoXw1bR3Xeh2EG%2F1lHsIKkI7ypP0PY%2BsQFoCRF%2FbSxHpoMIvJyU94%2Bo3Laghgv7B5T9fcuITFv6SIaWZShvEf6LTAr0zHFIs%2FA4pzcqRbKcsmLvNs7vyhL%2Bvj5JedzqU15j5kN%2Bd9qYjN7%2Fafh%2F3GUFAOCSia2V2CkRqfwhHdgsD9Hv5CCnZeAlqlooUYii93b5ZRjys7nXzY2S8P5KGzLPHiS0B6g9Nz%2BDYV7818H7YeRtxC9vJHoPwn8a|cksum%3A23370654998748e74c1b01284dacbf9409981ab956c2|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2334524&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

 

I'd be interested to know how you get on with it Melvin.

 

On 15/09/2020 at 11:19, cravensdmufan said:

Are these the ones?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/cuthbertw/m.html?item=233706549987&hash=item3669fef2e3%3Ag%3Avh4AAOSwD6FexXV7&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACYBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%2Fn%2BzU5L90Z278x5ickkai8xCwosGKpC0NWj85e%2FB3VnKY%2B2XfuxZmACf%2FOTClrFFmRD7gMkj9zVKXenE%2FEY9wmHX89uMc0AaKBDgVLXDPiMK4W2TKJsBkT3oiEfLdEfAHM%2FyONQ0FbfGtqthVqyvcKTbF0%2BoIDa4BQancuhM5bytM3Y2xPX6bm93dC6GQRR%2B5rd1rF%2FLUwbFhErRLyxu0NoVHa%2FG0Nkf9i3jmQ1AeITCxamW86H9MpjHRZrpRUTcfOTCczbxjEr7uzWJY%2F4nEJFfwbwXiLljHHqH0ZrZb2bh1z4OcQx3J3X%2FsZHhlbl8%2FUc%2BgD2rRg%2BCwcku6xkDfaR8GVXoXEFJYAOyyp2z8Q%2FYGzl8E90fPRICEKUAF9lmBTng29xrzQEx1KQFkEDkoSESWK2BNO71SXF6T4eh9Y1nf1z4zTmecn8KFhWCVt%2FdK4N5UKmOjym22pyl4lqqD%2F8eGxt9pQAKt%2B7DNS7xDElExMqWBeYBm%2BGCyBrdI99e86YY360Vvn9tlCI84grlIJ8CBoXw1bR3Xeh2EG%2F1lHsIKkI7ypP0PY%2BsQFoCRF%2FbSxHpoMIvJyU94%2Bo3Laghgv7B5T9fcuITFv6SIaWZShvEf6LTAr0zHFIs%2FA4pzcqRbKcsmLvNs7vyhL%2Bvj5JedzqU15j5kN%2Bd9qYjN7%2Fafh%2F3GUFAOCSia2V2CkRqfwhHdgsD9Hv5CCnZeAlqlooUYii93b5ZRjys7nXzY2S8P5KGzLPHiS0B6g9Nz%2BDYV7818H7YeRtxC9vJHoPwn8a|cksum%3A23370654998748e74c1b01284dacbf9409981ab956c2|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2334524&rt=nc&_trksid=p20

I'd be interested to know how you get on with it Melvin.

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

?

[Esmedune]

On 15/09/2020 at 06:09, melvin said:

On eBay there is a new I think DCC Controller being sold by a Bill Cuthbert.

3 amp £45 or 5 amp £55   + £5.99  for the full app from google play.

It would appear to be fully nmra compliant, easy to use.

I have bought one and wondered if any one out there has also and would share there experience.

When i get mine i will keep you updated. Regards.

Did you start a new thread to update us on?

[RAF96]

So basically this Arduino driven black box replaces your existing DCC controller, connects to your DCC track as normal in order to send command down the rails to existing decoders and has a BT module that talks to the app on your mobile device.

Maybe if each loco had a BT decoder that talked direct to the app, then the black box could be gone.

[spamcan61]

Think I'll be sticking to my SPROG 3 + old laptop + old phone, but I guess this device is a lot more compact (but does less) 

Edited July 1, 2021 by spamcan61

[eldavo]

Looks very similar to a DCC++ EX setup although all the software for that is free and open source.

 

Cheers

Dave

 

[Pete the Elaner]

3 hours ago, RAF96 said:

So basically this Arduino driven black box replaces your existing DCC controller, connects to your DCC track as normal in order to send command down the rails to existing decoders and has a BT module that talks to the app on your mobile device.

Maybe if each loco had a BT decoder that talked direct to the app, then the black box could be gone.

 

When we discuss or buy 'DCC' items, it refers to NMRA's DCC standard which sends controls encoded into the power supply.

Sending commands via bluetooth would be a completely different standard. Theoretically possible but it would be an all-new protocol, which would not be compatible with today's DCC.

Have we outgrown it yet?

[Ron Ron Ron]

43 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 

......it refers to NMRA's DCC standard which sends controls encoded into the power supply.....

 

Actually, conceptually it doesn't.

It's quite the reverse.

Rather than being encoded into the power supply, DCC is purely a type of digital signalling, that's transmitted at a high enough voltage and current, which allows that power to be harvested to obtain the power for traction.

The motive power is effectively a byproduct of the signal transmission.

 

 

42 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

....Sending commands via bluetooth would be a completely different standard. Theoretically possible but it would be an all-new protocol, which would not be compatible with today's DCC.

Have we outgrown it yet?

 

All the decoder needs is DCC commands in the correct format and protocol. 

These can also be sent wirelessly without the traction current being present, with the traction power being supplied separately to the decoder, either via the rails, or from an on-board power supply.

Hence the DCC systems where DCC commands are sent wirelessly for either dead-rail (battery power) operation, or in a system where the DCC commands are wireless and the motive power comes from the rails (either DC or DCC ).

 

 

.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Ron Ron Ron

[melvin]

Sorry i have been so long in replying to my original post. It does work once you get to grips with the system. The operation of locomotives is very smooth. Read & write is easy. However,  Scrolling through the menu to find what you want is a bit fiddly easy to loose your way. I failed once to remove all locos from the track and programmed the lot to one address. Made a DPDT switch to stop this from happing again. I wont go on, just to say I have gone back to my old controller, probably because i have had it so long I can use it with eyes shut. I now use the unit on my independent test track  for that it suits me fine, saves having to switch wires from on to other. Best. Mel.