ECoSControl Radio

[GoingUnderground]

Seen on the german News part of the ESU web site today:

 

Ab kann die Betriebsanleitung zum ECoSControl Radio Funkhandregler im Download-Bereich heruntergeladen werden. Die Auslieferung dieses innovativen Produktes wird in wenigen Tagen beginnen.

Which I believe translates to:

 

From the instruction manual for ECoSControl radio radio hand controls can be downloaded in the download area.

The delivery of this innovative product will begin in a few days.

 

Edit: the links don't work, but should be:

http://www.esu.eu/produkte/ecoscontrol-radio/ or if you prefer it in english http://www.esu.eu/en/products/ecoscontrol-radio/

 

and for the manual

http://www.esu.eu/download/betriebsanleitungen/ecoscontrol-radio/

can't find n english version yet on the web site.

 

Wonder if that just relates to Germany or to the whole of Europe, and whether there will be one to see and try out on the SWD stand at Warley?

[GoingUnderground]

Have found that ESU have also released a firmware update for the ECoSControl Radio. The update is version 1.0.1. Like the manual, it is only shown on the german version of the downloads page at the moment under a new category Firmware fur ECoSControl Radio.

 

There is also a response to a question from ESU support, again on the german forum, that there may be a version 3.0.2 soon of the ECoS proper firmware.

 

Looks like it really is on the way.

[Savoyard]

Looking at the German manual the new Radio Controller display looks very similar to the display on an original ESU Mobile upgraded to work with the ECoS. The upgrade is done with a Lokprogrammer and software downloaded from the ESU website.

 

Though I have done the upgrade I now use TouchCab on my iPhone. See my original thread on Ye Olde RMWeb http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=44225 for details.

 

Peter

[PaulRhB]

Hoping to have a closer look at all this stuff at Warley if any of it arrives in time. With the ipod and touchcab I assume you can use more than one at a time?

[Savoyard]

With the ipod and touchcab I assume you can use more than one at a time?

 

I have used both an iPhone & iPod touch at the same time with no problem. The following video was sent to me by Jens, the TouchCab author, and it shows you how easy it is to use.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV-rKAVIVeA

 

Peter

[GoingUnderground]

For what it's worth, the ESU english language web site is now showing the ECoSControl Radio as "Delivery Now", implying that it is either available now or will be very soon. Perhaps it will be ready for Warley after all?

 

Wonder how long it will be before the Colour ECoS and the Navigator will be released?

 

 

[pitbull1845]

I have used both an iPhone & iPod touch at the same time with no problem. The following video was sent to me by Jens, the TouchCab author, and it shows you how easy it is to use.

 

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=pV-rKAVIVeA

 

Peter

 

What a great bit of kit, I had no idea that was possible let alone available!! Where have I been.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Another new TouchCab video here.....

 

 

 

.

[Piemanlarger]

We have just received an amended price from ESU. The new retail price for item no: 50111

 

ECoS radio handset +Base receiver ?? 221.00

 

The first batch is imminent but No's are limited.

 

 

I think limited numbers will be at warley.

 

It seems an expensive way to go wireless though as you have to have the ECoS to use it??

[GoingUnderground]

It seems an expensive way to go wireless though as you have to have the ECoS to use it??

The alternative is to buy an IPod Touch or IPhone and use TouchCab. The current price of an iPod Touch 8Gb is about ??150 and the 32Gb version is ??230, I think, and TouchCab about ??5, that assumes that the 8Gb.

 

Does make Control Radio look like an expensive luxury as you can't use the Control Radio as an MP3 player when you're not using it to control your locos. But it depends on the difference in the functionality between the Control Radio and TouchCab.

[59004 ( was Shedcombe....)]

Simon,

 

Both these wireless options are indeed ONLY IN CONJUNCTION with the ESU ECoS.

 

Regards, Michel

[Dagworth]

Once you have ECoS and control radio I assume that extra wireless handsets will be available seperately?

 

Andi

[Piemanlarger]

well, it cant be many more years before we get cheaper ( say ??150 or less) radio/wireless control handsetsets??

[59004 ( was Shedcombe....)]

Andi,

 

There's the full set, with receiver base to plug into the ECoS and the handset on its own.

 

Regards, Michel

[Ron Ron Ron]

Once you have ECoS and control radio I assume that extra wireless handsets will be available seperately?

 

Andi

Andi,

SW Digital are listing the base receiver + one handset at ??221.00 and extra handsets at ??159.30 each.

 

.

[GoingUnderground]

One interesting thing about the TouchCab is that all the youtube demonstrations show it duplicating control of one of the ECoS's own throttle stations.

 

Question to anyone who has TouchCab and reading this thread - Does that mean that you are limited to two TouchCab devices linked to a single ECoS i.e. the TouchCab is a dual control option like a driving school car has dual controls, or does TouchCab give you an additional control, i.e. 2 on the ECoS plus 1 with the Touch device allowing three operators to work simultaneously?

 

The EcosControl Radio (lets call it the ECR 'cos I'm fed up typing its full name), seems to give you a true additional throttle, I think, but don't actually know that it must do if you can have up to four of the handsets per ECoS. ESU's blurb on ECR says "You can use up to 4 ECoSControl Radio handhelds per receiver module. In this way every family member is able to control his or her locos independently." As the ECoS has only 2 control stations that must mean that at least 2 ECRs are additional throttles. A case for the ECR over TouchCab possibly?

 

On Andi's point on additional handsets, the ECR has always been listed by ESU as 2 separate products, the 50111 = 1 handset plus plug in receiver module for ECoS or Maerklin CS1 ONLY, and 50112 = the additional ECR handset. The german manual released this week still talks about adding additional 50112 handsets, so they must be available sometime.

 

Incidentally, SWD may have a colour ECoS on show at Warley, depending if ESU can get one to SWD on time. No, I don't know when the Colour ECoS is being released, but a colour ECoS plus TouchCab device looks like a very appealing, if rather expensive, option for a high end home system.

[59004 ( was Shedcombe....)]

I was promissed an ECoS 2 colour version by ESU's CEO, to demonstrate at exhibitions in the UK, but they are really short of them, and he hasn't come forward yet.

Even a pre-series / demo / test version is not available for that.

Not sure what the production issues are.

 

Regards, Michel

[Jens Vesterdahl]

One interesting thing about the TouchCab is that all the youtube demonstrations show it duplicating control of one of the ECoS's own throttle stations.

 

Question to anyone who has TouchCab and reading this thread - Does that mean that you are limited to two TouchCab devices linked to a single ECoS i.e. the TouchCab is a dual control option like a driving school car has dual controls, or does TouchCab give you an additional control, i.e. 2 on the ECoS plus 1 with the Touch device allowing three operators to work simultaneously?

 

The EcosControl Radio (lets call it the ECR 'cos I'm fed up typing its full name), seems to give you a true additional throttle, I think, but don't actually know that it must do if you can have up to four of the handsets per ECoS. ESU's blurb on ECR says "You can use up to 4 ECoSControl Radio handhelds per receiver module. In this way every family member is able to control his or her locos independently." As the ECoS has only 2 control stations that must mean that at least 2 ECRs are additional throttles. A case for the ECR over TouchCab possibly?

 

On Andi's point on additional handsets, the ECR has always been listed by ESU as 2 separate products, the 50111 = 1 handset plus plug in receiver module for ECoS or Maerklin CS1 ONLY, and 50112 = the additional ECR handset. The german manual released this week still talks about adding additional 50112 handsets, so they must be available sometime.

 

Incidentally, SWD may have a colour ECoS on show at Warley, depending if ESU can get one to SWD on time. No, I don't know when the Colour ECoS is being released, but a colour ECoS plus TouchCab device looks like a very appealing, if rather expensive, option for a high end home system.

 

 

Allow me ...

 

Hello all.

My name is Jens Vesterdahl, I am from Denmark, and I am the author of TouchCab.

 

I don't know why the videos show remote controlling the ECoS knobs - probably because it's a visual proof that it works, but it's also the best way to slow Touchcab down. Empty both controllers in the ECoS and you are sure to have a very responsive control for all your locos. You're not limited to any number of TouchCabs connected to the ECoS.

I guess there is some limit in the ECoS internal table of controllers, and at one point it may also choke from all the commands, but at the exhibition on the video (the one authored by TouchCab) there were four TouchCabs operating along with a few ESU mobile controls AND at times people operating the ECoS itself at the same time. No problems. OK, the ECoS made a few restarts along the way, but that was while new locos were being entered while others were operated. I guess ESU never anticipated such a blitz to the ECoS network port ...

Once everything was set, the operation was smooth for the rest of the day.

The point is, I haven't seen the limit yet.

 

If you have any other questions, fire away.

 

Best regards,

Jens

[59004 ( was Shedcombe....)]

Hi Jens,

 

Many thanks for such a wonderful piece of software, and so cheap as well.

An iPod Touch and Touchcab comes out cheaper as a B/W ECR from ESU.

 

I sold my ECoS with the intendion to use ECoS 2 + iPod Touch and Touchcab, but am now opting for NCE instead.

It just that I prefer button speed control and physical buttons, which you can control without looking.

 

Still, I applaud you for your effort, as it works great.

 

 

Regards, Michel

[Savoyard]

One interesting thing about the TouchCab is that all the youtube demonstrations show it duplicating control of one of the ECoS's own throttle stations.

 

Question to anyone who has TouchCab and reading this thread - Does that mean that you are limited to two TouchCab devices linked to a single ECoS i.e. the TouchCab is a dual control option like a driving school car has dual controls, or does TouchCab give you an additional control, i.e. 2 on the ECoS plus 1 with the Touch device allowing three operators to work simultaneously?

 

The video is only demonstrating how you can control a train on TouchCab that is also on the ECoS, you can control any train on TouchCab including those already being controlled on the ECoS but not limited to them.

 

So using one iThingy you are able to control a minumum of 3 locos, 2 on the ECoS and 1 on TouchCab. You are not restricted on the number of versions of TouchCab running on one ECoS, I could be wrong but this might be the case with the ESU Wirless Controller as you were limited to 4 per transmitter on the old system ESU Wireless Controller, I need to check this out.

 

I am not impressed with the Playstation ECoS Wireless controller and looking at the screen shots it is no where near as user friendly as TouchCab. To use TouchCab you need obviously an iTouch/iPhone, starting about ??150 plus a wireless router, I picked one up for ??15 at Morgan which I will use for exhibitions but at home I use the home network and of course ??5 for TouchCab, a grand Total of ??185! ??36 cheaper than the intial outlay for the ESU system! Then the cost is about ??155 for additional iTouch's. But you also get a decent MP3 and Video player, and also a games console, there are some reasonable train games on the Apple App store starting from 59p. Just beaware that TouchCab doesn't currently work on the 1st generation iTouch.

 

Regards,

 

Peter

[Jens Vesterdahl]

Many thanks for such a wonderful piece of software, and so cheap as well.

An iPod Touch and Touchcab comes out cheaper as a B/W ECR from ESU.

 

I sold my ECoS with the intendion to use ECoS 2 + iPod Touch and Touchcab, but am now opting for NCE instead.

It just that I prefer button speed control and physical buttons, which you can control without looking.

 

 

You're welcome :-)

 

Alas, I haven't figured out a way to program dents in the iPod surface ...

 

Thanks,

Jens

[59004 ( was Shedcombe....)]

You're welcome :-)

 

Alas, I haven't figured out a way to program dents in the iPod surface ...

 

Thanks,

Jens

Jens,

Please get back to me when you do.

 

I'm happy to connect them up to the NCE system, but only if you also revert the speed slider to up and down speed buttons.

One step and Multi step ones please, like Lenz100 and NCE.

 

Regards, Michel

[GoingUnderground]

Jens,

 

Thank you for that information. I am considering an ECR, but the iPod/TouchCab combo looks like a very strong rival as long as the ECR has a monochrome screen.

 

Can TouchCab access the track plan mimic panel introduced with ECoS Firmware 3.0.0, or would that depend on TouchCab being rewriten to give it its own track plan mimic panel?

[Jens Vesterdahl]

Can TouchCab access the track plan mimic panel introduced with ECoS Firmware 3.0.0, or would that depend on TouchCab being rewriten to give it its own track plan mimic panel?

 

At this time, the ECoS protocol does not support loading track plans. I don't know when that will be included, but when it is, TouchCab will of course support it.

In the meantime, I'm working on the Tower application (for Mac), which is your basic track plan and MR control software, but with a seamless connection to TouchCab. Track plans on screen in Tower will be visible in TouchCab. I'm thinking about a Windows solution also.

 

Best regards,

Jens

[GoingUnderground]

Thanks Jens,

 

You keep making even harder to choose between ECR and TouchCab, especially now that I've seen the Powermat recharging sleeve for the iPod/iPhone, which largely answers my concerns over battery life for the iPod running TouchCab.