How good is this Gaugemaster controller?

[Captain Kernow]

Thanks, David, but unfortunately, I don't know what a Potentiometer is or what one does. I shall look it up.

I've just looked it up.

 

It seems to be a posh and erudite way of saying 'controller'.

[Enterprisingwestern]

I've just looked it up.

 

It seems to be a posh and erudite way of saying 'controller'.

 

A turner upperer and downer.

 

Mike.

[The Johnster]

I use a combination of Gaugemaster ordinary and feedback controllers with a range of motors from early Tri-ang to very modern ones, but no coreless motors. No problems with motors or controllers, one controller has now seen 30 years service and many of the locos similar usage.

 

The biggest problem is a combination of me and the directional centre off switch. I open up the controller, no movement, push the loco, check the points and section switches, all OK. Push the loco, still nothing. Take the loco off the track and replace it with one that was working earlier on. Nothing, push the replacement loco.  Shount "Oh not an RMweb word", still no movement. Check centre off switch. Call myself "another word that is not used on RMweb".

 

Happens to me, too, but I learned to check the switch first eventually.  It's an indication of how much you are able to 'tune out' the fact that the controller is there when you are using it, though...

[ejstubbs]

There should be a click between forward and reverse, maybe the Morley was worn or faulty.

 

AIUI the original Morley controlllers did not have the positive click between forward and reverse.  ISTR that the feature was introduced a few years ago, so any Morley controller bought new will have it (mine, bought two years ago, does).

Edited July 28, 2018 by ejstubbs

[ejstubbs]

I've just looked it up.

 

It seems to be a posh and erudite way of saying 'controller'.

 

There is rather more to it than that.  The guts of the controller is the the stuff on the circuit board inside the enclosure.  The potentiometer is the thing on the other end of the knob that you use to tell the controller what to do: in simple terms it translates the mechanical position of the knob in to an electronic signal to the controller circuitry telling it how much electricity to send to the track.

 

The Gaugemaster hand-held controllers have the control circuitry within the hand-held enclosure.  The Morley hand-helds just have another potentiometer, identical to the one on the main unit, which tells the circuitry in the main unit what to do (there's actually a switch on the main unit to select between the potentiometer on the main unit or the one on the hand-held).  That's why it's so easy to make your own hand-held for the Morley, or panel-mount a potentiometer, as David says he's done.  It's also why the Morley hand-held doesn't get hot: it's handling very small electrical signals (in the order of a tiny fraction of Watt) compared to the power output circuit which, in the Morley, is all in the main unit (the main unit's metal front panel actually acts as the heat sink for the power transistors).

Edited July 28, 2018 by ejstubbs

[spikey]

.

 

So if one wanted a modern controller for DC ONLY, suitable for all types of motor, what would peoples' favourites be ?

 

.

Mine would definitely be my Morley Controllers Vector Zero Two. Very nice control down to a crawl, and built like the proverbial. First class after-sales service too,

[ejstubbs]

BlueRailways are worth checking out. The basic (analogue) controller that mounts on the panel also acts as a base station for wireless walkabout control via Bluetooth, either using your smartphone or a dedicated handset.

 

John

 

BlueRailways' web site says that their DC controller uses PWM, but at "inaudible frequencies".  It doesn't say what the frequency actually is, not does it say whether it uses PWM at fixed voltage (varying the pulse width but not the pulse voltage) which is reported elsewhere as being one of the things that can cause problems with coreless motors.  However, in the FAQ it does say: "This is EXACTLY the same method used to drive the motor that a DCC decoder uses. There is plenty of information on the internet about PWM and DCC," which sounds positive since - as reported elsewhere on this thread, coreless motors work OK with DCC.  It also says: "The controllers has been widely tested with locomotives from all manufacturers and the only problem was with one loco which had a large value motor suppression capacitor. This worked perfectly after replacing it with a lower value capacitor."

 

One interesting feature of the BlueRailways controllers is that you can set the start voltage, acceleration, deceleration and maximum speed like you can with DCC CVs (although the settings apply to the controller, not to each loco).

Edited July 29, 2018 by ejstubbs

[yelrow]

Another vote for Morley. With both remotes extended with their kit, they cover the whole layout. john

[paul 27]

Just read these posts just purchased a GM model D,   tried my 8 pin locos

which ran better than the 21 pin ones these are eratic and noisy

both types wont run slowly at a crawl could this be a fault with the controller,

these being a mix of modern Bachmann Hornby interestingly i tried a

Heljan class 15  that runs as slow as my feedback contoller.

Edited September 16, 2023 by paul 27

[Captain Kernow]

Here's another couple of questions.

 

Since I posted the OP, I've managed to acquire another couple of AMR slow speed hand held units, secondhand from a kind soul on this forum. The two new arrivals seem to have a higher degree of feedback than the original one, which I still use (and which I bought direct from AMR).

 

So, did AMR at some stage vary the amount of feedback they put into their slow speed hand held units?

 

One thing I've also noticed in the intervening period, is that modern coreless motors very definitely do NOT like any of the three AMR hand held controllers, whereas the Portescap-fitted locos that I have been controlling for years with the first controller seem to be OK with it.

 

Also, any views on the Morley slow speed option for their twin track controller, please? (the Vector Zero Three Crawler).

 

Thanks.