Quote from: Steve Stockham on April 05, 2008, 12:25:03 PM
I'm not sure about the NiMH batteries. When Dave Goodson did the installation of an RCS system with Sierra sound in my Climax he said that he had to use NiCad due to size restrictions. The Porter can be done without a trailing car but area is definitely a consideration!

Steve.
Dave had to use NiCd instead of NiMh in the Climax because of the battery size and shape.  There was no NiMh eqivalent size that would go in the boiler.

Stanley,
I would respectfully suggest you try and understand what good gear ratios should be.
The lower the gear ratio the slower the speed at any given voltage.
The big advantage is that lugging power is increased.

Other manufacturers of 1:20.3 scale model trains use a high ratio and I hear no complaints.

You and I both know that the Bachmann design engineers agreed that 29:1 would be a good ratio.  At 14.4 volts it would provide a realistic top speed and give good low speed lugging power.
With track power this discussion is irrelevant.  You simply add more voltage to get to the speed you want
With battery power to achieve a faster top speed would indeed require more battery voltage.  Depending of course, on the type of batteries being used. In the case of the K-27 there is plenty of room to add more battery voltage to increase top speed if needed.
So saying that perhaps a battery R/C user would complain about it being too slow, is a furphy.

At a recent meeting you allegedly told the person you were meeting with, "Bachmann stuffed up the gear ratio". 
Why did you say that?

.

Stan.

As you were part of the consultations that took place during the design stages of the K-27, do you agree that 30:1 was the gear ratio proposed?

Do you agree that Bachmann decided that 29:1 was appropriate for the K-27?

If so, how come the K-27 has ended up with 14.5:1 and not 29:1?

Sorry Bud IMHO you are wrong.
The problem with the K-27 is it doesn't have any slow speed lugging power up even a slight grade.
I know of one that cannot pull three Accucraft coaches up 2%.
No problem on the flat.

As to the speed.  I guess that is in the eye of the beholder. 

On 18 volts it gets up to about 80 scale miles per hour.
In real life the K-27 did not achieve much more than 30 mph in general use. 
If the K-27 actually had a gear ratio of 30:1 like it was planned to have, you could simply add more batteries to get to play slot trains.
A win win for everyone.
A realistic top speed, more pulling power and less current consumption doing it.

Fellow Large Scalers.

Now that I have actually installed a number of my PnP-3 battery R/C control systems in the K-27 I thought it prudent to steer anyone who is interested to the Actual RCS/EVO instructions and Forum topics with pics of how I did it.
Firstly the RCS Instructions.
http://www.rcs-rc.com/PDF/Battery_RC/RCS/Instructions/PnP_3_TX_24.pdf
Now for the EVO version.
http://www.rcs-rc.com/PDF/Battery_RC/EVO/Instructions/PnP_3.pdf

Please be advised they are both quite big files.

For forum topics with pictures go here:
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,4478.0.html
.....and here:
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,4945.0.html

My initial impressions of the K-27 are positive, notwithstanding the various mechanical problems that have manifested themselves.
So far all the electrics work just as I expected them to.
Bachmann have got the socket pcb right.  I designed the RCS/EVO PnP-3 battery R/C controllers AFTER I actually got to see an example of the loco and with the help of Dave Goodson.
I have no issue with the chuff timer as I have incorporated a couple of small components on the pcb to make it work as designed for a correctly timed chuff with any sound system.
The socket pcb is just fine for battery R/C.
There is no need to change the socket pcb except for the possible addition of a 3-4 amp Polyswitch® after the TRACK - BATTERY switch.  An alteration which would permit the TRACK - BATTERY switch to be used as the ON - OFF switch and simplify the installation even more.

What is a TOY TOLL?

Is it something you pay on the kiddy slot car roadway?

trea616

Are you aware of how the chuff is timed?

Using the fitted Bachmann optically timed set up?
OR:
The automatic chuff built into the P5?

Today I have installed battery R/C into another K-27.  This time a little differently.

My customer has mounted two speakers inside the loco body.  One under the smoke stack facing UP.  The smoke unit has been removed.  The other speaker is in the firebox facing down.  Pix to follow.

This meant I did not need to mount a speaker in the tender.

First up was to remove the weights.
I made it easy again by cutting off  the excess screw thread with a cutting wheel.


Then I broke off all the speaker mounts with a pair of pliers and a knife blade.


Once all the plastic had been removed I smoothed off the floor with sandpaper.
[i,g]http://www.rcs-rc.com/pics/Bachmann-K27v2/02_Smooth_floor_s.jpg[/img]

This allowed the battery packs to sit flush on the tender floor where I glued them into position with Silicone roof and gutter sealant.


Next I fitted the RCS # Y-CABLE which puts the two 7.2 volt SubC 2400 mah NiCd battery packs in series to get 14.4 volts.
Then I mounted the PnP-3 on the Bachmann socket pcb and the rest of the Phoenix sound components on the rear of the tender floor.


I am trying a different way of mounting the antenna in this model.  Don Sweet has achieved good range by simply coiling the antenna up in the coal load.  I glued the antenna around the rim of the coal load with a tag on the end to connect it to the matching tag on the tender body shell.  See pic # 12.


Next I mounted a two way cable on the front of the tender truck to carry the speaker output through to the loco. This connects with a matching connector on the loco.
Bachmann have very neatly made this possible by mounting the connection pcb securely in place.  It was very easy to remove the screws on the tender steps etc and place the cable beneath the pcb and the tender floor.


The RCS RX-8 receiver was glued in position just in front of the rear support stanchion.  The antenna was fed through a small hole I drilled in the body, shortened and mounted on the outside where the rest is connected by a screw.
The charge jack and Phoenix programming jack were both mounted under the water filler hatch.


The two wire plug was inserted into the PnP-3 as shown and the Orange chuff wire fed down to the rear for connecting with the Phoenix P5 sound.  I removed the White smoke unit wire as it was no needed.


The rest of the battery power supply and sound system wiring was connected up.  This is mostly simply a plug in operation.  There are a number of screw terminal connections.  The chuff wire and speaker connections required soldering.


The remaining connections from the top of the tender shell were added next.


The RX-8 cable was plugged into the PnP-3 and she was all buttoned up and ready to go. 
The antenna connection can be seen upper middle in the pic.


Sound system and performance testing will take place on Tuesday when the owner collects his pride and joy.
If the speakers in the loco idea is successful I will try and write it up.

Once again. 
Congratulations Bachmann.  The K-27 is a pleasure to work on.

Joe.
The K-27 already has four chuffs per revolution.
By removing a link on the socket pcb that can be reduced to 2 chuffs per revolution.

The RCS/EVO PnP-3 controller has solved the problem of poor chuff output by filtering the original signal from the cylinders and then inverting the signal to be compatible with most sound systems.
This filtering and inversion are built in.  There is nothing else to add to the loco.

My experience to date has been the K-27 works just fine on 14.4 volts.  This provides a quite reasonable top speed.
I do know for a fact that if you use greater than 14.4 volts to power the loco and then run the loco much faster than the speed it can achieve on 14.4 volts, the chuffs will blend into one another and lose definition.

Quote from: Bud Steinhoff on March 10, 2008, 09:09:57 AM
When you just plug in the Aristo receiver the motor functions work but the lights do not.
Wired my receiver into the dummy board but had to cut 2 lands and run 2 jumpers on the dummy to get the lights to work directionally.
Has been working perfectly.
Bud

Hi Bud.
Given that the Bachmann socket pcb is the "talked about" NMRA suggestion and is based on the existing AristoCraft version, can you offer us any insight as to why the Crest 75 Mhz onboard receiver is not simply a Plug'n'Play installation?

Davey me lad.

I was not allowed to mount the charge jack on the end beam like we would normally do as my customer wanted everything hidden.

If you can figure out how to mount the switch, charge jack and Phoenix programming jack all inside the water hatch, please feel free to advise us all.
I am sure there will be plenty of ways worked out for component placement.

The production pcb's for the new RCS/EVO PnP-3 Plug'n'Play R/C controllers designed specifically for the Bachmann K-27, have now arrived.
These are a simple plug in installation and require no modifications or additions to the existing Bachmann wiring.
RCS/EVO will also offer installation kits to add the installation and wiring of the battery supply.
I have built and tested the first batch which are being shipped today.  The official release date is March 17th.


Downloadable pdf files are now available for prices and installation instructions from the RCS website.
My thanks to Bachmann for allowing me this courtesy.

Jack.
There are downloadable pdf's for all installations at the RCS website.
I do make a lot of different things, not just a "one size fits all" R/C.

Once at the RCS website hover the cursor over the Large Scale button.  Then "On Board Batt"  Then RCS, Then click on BASIC or ELITE.  Then scroll down to the pdf links.

In the meantime I am just about to update the website for the new PnP-3 which has been designed specifically for the K-27.  Here is the URL for the instructions.  It is a big file.  http://www.rcs-rc.com/PDF/Battery_RC/RCS/Instructions/PnP_3_TX_24.pdf

Also the updated version of the ELITE instructions.  http://www.rcs-rc.com/PDF/Battery_RC/RCS/Instructions/ELITE.pdf

Hello Earl.

I tried to send a personal message but it didn't work.

I hope this is OK to do with the Bach man.

Here is the price list for the EVO version of the PnP-3.

http://www.rcs-rc.com/PDF/Battery_RC/EVO/Prices/PnP_3.pdf

They should be ready about the middle of March at the latest.

Quote from: emartin187 on March 01, 2008, 06:45:25 PM
Do you have a wiring diagram for converting the K-27 to onboard battery, radio control using a Spektrum receiver and 3rd party R/C Throttle.

Which 3rd party R/C are you planning to use?

If you used the Spektrum receiver with my EVO version of the upcoming PnP-3 ESC you simply remove the dummy pcb in the tender and plug the ESC in. 
No re-wiring required.
No additions to the Bachmann electronics.
No changes to anything.

No matter which brand of ESC you use you will have to provide an ON-OFF switch, charger access and the batteries.