TMCC Battery Replacment with Charger

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

So is this on the Hennings trains website for purchase?

It will be on the Henning's site when I finish and package the first batch.  Lots of things pulling on my time right now, but very soon.

rtr12 posted:

I think there is a typo next to the battery picture in the first line... "Installation is very simply". Seems that should be simple.

I think you're right, I was rushing through and didn't do a careful proof-read.  I'm sure I'll tweak some other stuff before an official release.

TurtleLinez posted:

$30?  Does it come in solder your own kit form?

That's the ballpark price, I don't have an exact one yet, and it will come fully assembled and ready to install.  I thought about the kit, but after hand assembling a few of these, I realized that it would be a disaster in many cases to send out all these SMT parts and not expect to get lots of calls and letters about the thing not working.  Having them assembled and tested will keep my mailbox from filling up!

---

I did have one minor surprise, the first one I tested didn't work.   It seemed to have a direct short to ground across the supercap.  Turned out it did, but it was self-inflicted wounds, all better now.

Looking forward to them John!

Yep, better have plenty made, and in stock.  This is something we all can make use of and have looked at, but the space required, along with cost, prevented any purchases for the time being. Now, it is no longer an issue with the YLB !!  I know I will need a few, have over 30 engines with TMCC and adding more with each ERR installation.

Jesse

This is one of those items I am excited that John has come up with. I have several locos that drop sound form time to time and its incredibly anoying. Ill be in for buying a bunch of these but I'll have to do in in stages but I'll prolly need about 25

Darn.  I'm going to need quite a few of these ...

I suspect the first batch will sell out quickly if all this happens.  I can't afford to build them by the thousands like the Chinese, they obviously have deeper pockets than I do.   However, I'm certainly willing to build more when I run out of these.

Oh this will also work in those Stationsounds dining cars correct?

If they have battery provisions, they should certainly work.  So far, any Railsounds board of any vintage with the 9V battery provision appears to work with the unit.  It's been tested with Legacy Railsounds, Railsounds 3, 4, and 5 with TMCC, and with the ERR Railsounds Commander.

Perfect, I havent had a lot of time to follow this thread or any others for that matter. Im happy this is panning out. John thanks for the suggestions on my Class J I appreciate the help.

I'll take 5, when you start taking orders..

I've given some thought about the roll-out of this, and I've come to a decision.  Initially, I'd like to have single unit orders from a variety of people and get some feedback for different environments.  While I know of nothing that should prevent it from working, the real world is a funny place, and I don't want to get a ton of these out there before I get a better sampling of feedback about operation.  Obviously, I'll welcome positive feedback, but if there are any oddities or glitches, now is the time to find out about them.

I'm especially interested in how it functions in a conventional operational environment, I run pretty exclusively command.  I know it appears to function here, but I really haven't had any other conventional operators testing it.

OK,  John, you have one very willing tester signed up, for conventional and TMCC modes.  With ERR installations, Lionel factory installed, K Line installations, K Line/Lionel installed, Atlas installations, steam and diesel motive powers.

Watching a good episode of "The Big Bang" and Sheldon's train experience show..........

Jesse

I run K-Line TMCC and Lionel Legacy locomotives conventionally pretty regularly, as well as in command.  In fact I have a Legacy steamer right now that will always drop sound on one of my switches.  I'd be willing to buy and test for you.

I will buy one to start...let us know when.

Thanks,

Chuck

Hi John,

I have a number of K-Line steamers in "unmolested" condition that I would be happy to test one of your YLBs in.  Pending success of both TMCC and conventional testing; they're gonna get loaded up with your other GOODIES that I've already acquired in anticipation of significant improvement!   SO, PLEASE SIGN ME UP Sir !!! 

     _{(TEXASTRAINS - I agree, GREAT episode; the last few moments were PRICELESS !!!!!)}

Best,

Dave

I also run both command and conventional.  I have a TMCC steamer that drops sound in both environments. I could test with Lionel TMCC, TAS EOB, and Legacy.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I've given some thought about the roll-out of this, and I've come to a decision.  Initially, I'd like to have single unit orders from a variety of people and get some feedback for different environments.  While I know of nothing that should prevent it from working, the real world is a funny place, and I don't want to get a ton of these out there before I get a better sampling of feedback about operation.  Obviously, I'll welcome positive feedback, but if there are any oddities or glitches, now is the time to find out about them.

I'm especially interested in how it functions in a conventional operational environment, I run pretty exclusively command.  I know it appears to function here, but I really haven't had any other conventional operators testing it.

I'd like to try one, and purchase more if it works out.  Tired of the sound dropping out!

How about anyone that wants to do the "extended beta" send me an email to my profile email and we'll set some thing up. 

I'd like to get feedback from as many different environments as possible to be sure there's no hidden gotchas waiting.   After seeing a wider experience base, I'll feel more confident in shipping out in quantity.  Right now, only a handful have been tested in the real world.

John,

"YOU'VE GOT MAIL !!!"

John,

DITTO on the mail.......

Jesse   TCA

Same here.

Yes, me too.

I'm queuing up the mails, they'll ship next week.

We've been making the 598 battery replacement for Lionel applications for many years. It fits into the standard battery clip. You can purchase it from our web site.

Dallee Electronics posted:

We've been making the 598 battery replacement for Lionel applications for many years. It fits into the standard battery clip. You can purchase it from our web site.

Does it fit in the location of the 9V battery?  Looks to me like it's an odd shape that may pose a problem for some locomotives, I have a few that don't leave much room outside the battery clip itself.  That was the purpose of my design.

Yes it does. To place it into the metal 9v battery clips, you just mount the board upside down (wide edge to the top). We've had plenty of customers purchasing these over the years. I know of some being placed into the tightly made "S" gauge engines as well.

John, I just saw this post for the first time. I read that your battery replacement is self charging. The Dallee add reads as a replacement for rechargeable batteries. I don't have any tmcc engines that have charging circuits for batteries.   I'll be interested in some after the beta testing. I removed the batteries from my tmcc engines.

I believe that the Dallee actually does have a charging capability, it's the J&W BCR that is just a replacement for a rechargeable battery.  I don't know how low a voltage the Dallee will actually charge on, mine works from 5VAC and up.

John,  Received my YLB today and tried in an F3 B with RS 2.5, strictly conventional, from the St Fe 200B blue/yellow set.  Worked great!!  No problems at all, as expected, and sounds faded as expected when power was eliminated from the line it was being pulled on.  Thanks for another great product to make running trains all the more enjoyable and trouble free.

Jesse

Great, so far all the ones I sent out that I've gotten reports back have been positive, so it's time to "release the beast" and finish up the rest of the lot.

Is there a config that hasn't been tested yet?  I'm ready to test mine.  Atlas, Lionel, K-line, Weaver ... what's your pleasure?

The first engines/applications any additional YLBs acquired, are to be placed into the most difficult of access/tight space uses I have with my various motive power units or other RS function pieces.   Along with installing more of the green MTH batteries, and/or BCRs, in those NOT changed over with ERR, things look much better for more run time, less "down with battery" time.......      And more time to spend on activities needing attention.

Again, thank you so much, John, for your priceless endeavors in the O Gauge model train hobby.

Jesse     TCA

Kerrigan posted:

Is there a config that hasn't been tested yet?  I'm ready to test mine.  Atlas, Lionel, K-line, Weaver ... what's your pleasure?

Try a Legacy if you have one, and see if it functions properly in command and conventional.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Kerrigan posted:

Is there a config that hasn't been tested yet?  I'm ready to test mine.  Atlas, Lionel, K-line, Weaver ... what's your pleasure?

Try a Legacy if you have one, and see if it functions properly in command and conventional.

Don't have any Legacy yet ... one on order for next year ...  next choice?  ;-)  ps, I'm going to need quite a few ... quantity discounts?  lol!

No special preference, just a sprinkling of conventional and command operation.  Probably more interested in conventional, I'm hoping with the low voltage charging capability that this will be a good conventional solution.

These are on sale at Henning's Trains now.

YLB - RailSounds Battery Replacement

A progress report.  So far about 50 of these are in user's hands, and I've received no negative reports.  Somehow, I expected some oddball glitch to show up, but apparently I dodged that bullet.   I'm busy equipping some of my stuff that needs a battery now, I never liked leaving alkaline batteries in them ever since I opened one up and found a real mess!

John these are at the top of my to-do list and Im excited to get some as I my MR S3 and VL Challenger both drop sound at certain points on the layout and it drives me nuts. Im gonna have to put in a big order from Hennings in the next. You ever thought about putting together an ERR steamer add on kit that has all your fancy boards in it?

Matt Makens posted:

You ever thought about putting together an ERR steamer add on kit that has all your fancy boards in it?

I haven't really considered that.  Since the orders are so varied, I suspect it would be a lot of work to assemble it in this manner for very few orders for the exact combo.

To carry that a bit further, what about selling them to ERR and then they could package with other items or just make them available to ERR customers? That is unless Henning's your exclusive dealer?