The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam Forum

pauly · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject: R/C millie

does anybody know roughly how much it would cost to add radio control including a signal smoother(1 of them things that stops the server from jerking because of other radio signals) to a millie

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knowledge is power

is something lost if you know where it is
'no
'oh then its not lost, its in the lake
:david from Heartbeat

CCairns · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 7:00 pm Post subject:

Radio Control Fittings Kit for Millie - £15.68 (+VAT).
2 Channel 27MHz Radio Control - £20 to £40 (this is for normal size servos).
2 Channel 40 MHz Radio Control - £25 to £50 (again with normal size servos).
Servo Smoother - Single Channel £30+
Plus P & P, etc.

I do not know whether you can use normal size servos in the Millie, or need micro servos (extra cost). Choice of waveband is up to you - 27 MHz is cheaper but can be prone to interference.

Whilst I've read some owners using servo smoothers, it really depends on what is around your garden (one railway I visited suffers interference from an adjacent lamp post). Careful routing of the wiring, receiver & aerial can make a big difference. For example I have a Cheddar Iver which was provided with a piece of plastic to coil the aerial around and place at the top of the cab, underneath a metal cab roof. However just reading the original Garden Rail review of this loco, Cheddar recommended placing the aerial over an adjacent wagon, and this was part of the reason for introducing a tender (although it is an all metal construction!).
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alan2525 · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 8:36 pm Post subject:

One thing about radio control, if you have a manual loco you can simply set the regulator for a nice slow speed and enjoy watching the loco run, ideally it'll run nicely on the straights and the corners will just keep it in check and slow it a little to prevent it running away.

With R/C you have the large unweildy handset, with a big aerial to poke people in the eye with. Also with the Millie or the other Basic Roundhouse locos the R/C gear will only control the regulator, for reverse running you need to push the loco backwards to set the pistons in the correct position so it'll run in reverse.

pauly · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject:

my house is in a strange position with a huge concreate car dealership to the right a house to the left and another house in front. I have a playmobil train and that twitches backwards and forwards like hell so am assuming its the surrounding buildings thats doing this.
_________________
knowledge is power

is something lost if you know where it is
'no
'oh then its not lost, its in the lake
:david from Heartbeat

bessytractor · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 8:52 pm Post subject:

quite possibly. It could also just be the cheap RC in the playmobile.

The lack of an aerial on it also wouldnt help matters.
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burning fingers since 1989!

pauly · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 8:57 pm Post subject:

no both the engine and controller have an aerial.

and I dont mean gentle twitchimg I mean backwards 2 feet then stuttering forwards then backwards then blasting down the track for a few meters.

_________________
knowledge is power

is something lost if you know where it is
'no
'oh then its not lost, its in the lake
:david from Heartbeat

Titan · Full member Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 698 Location: Derby

It can be difficult getting RC right on a small metal train, Titans RC is still abit twitchy, but better since I changed from 27 MHz to 40 MHz. I think that the fact that the trains are running on two very long antenea with which it often has intermittant contact with does not help either.
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It's a Mamod Jim, but not as we know it!

CCairns · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 10:25 pm Post subject:

Do you know what colour channel your Playmobil is on? If it is blue channel 12, or any of the split colour channels, then these are the most susceptible to interference from CB radios, if they still exist in your area.

So it looks like the 40MHz option is the better one for you.
_________________
Chris Cairns.

http://www.freewebs.com/chriscairnssteam/
http://christophercairns.fotopic.net/