The Dead wire project
since the other thread got a bit messy im starting this one at attempting to keep it as simple and easy to understand as possible.
im hoping this will make the goal easy to understand and add comment/cirtuiqe to in order to aid progress, but also make it available to anyone who might want to try it for themselfs.
Dead wire, as i've dubed it. is the idea of making the controller true rc/wireless without modifying the loco to much. unlike live wire or fly wire, this is essentially making a new controller rather than adapting or modifying the old one.
the basic idea is to have a train of battery wagons (to power the loco) trailing behind the loco and providing power to the tender throug a pwm controller which itself is controlled by a rc system.
thus ''tricking'' the loco into thinking it's getting power in the usual sense. And adding a micro esc to controll only the regulator motor. and also insulate the pickups from the track.
why would you do this you ask?
pros and cons
pros: cons:
-you can drive on any track you want -must carry batteries which adds weight
with or without power
-batteries must be charged
-easy controll for garden railways -shorter run time
-thermal cutout will still protect the loco -might not even work tbh
-multiple locos on running on same track -will always run in ''simmer mode'' as- anything more will require more battery -possibly better regulator controll and current.
TO DO LIST:
-Find a suitable pwm controller. capable of 10 amps and 17 volts. when the loco is on a track near the terminal the controller voltmeter reads between 10-11 volts. since the distance between the loco and pwm controller will always be the same with this setup, the resistance and therefore volts needed should theoretically also be constant. so maybe only 10 volt capability is needed
ideally an rc esc will be used as they are mass produced, and most are capable of 10 amps continus running. alot of them also have bec which means adding a reciver for the rc system will be alot easier! will also need to be intended for a brushed motor! will also need a reverse feature!
-Find a way to connect the pwm controller output to the tender. perhaps a new tender to loco connection wire can be modified for this.
-find a suitable battery configuration that can be stored in coaches or closed freight wagons.
if the loco indeed only needs 10 volts then a 3s lipo should work, however as the battery drains it will eventually go below 9 volts which could trigger the regulator motor and could potentially induce loss of controll. so ideally a 4-6s lipo setup is preffered. this could potentially be achived by connecting 3X 2s lipo's in series. and even 3 batteries in series connected to 3 other batteries in paralell in order to achive a longer run time
-find a suitable radio and reciver setup. must be capable of programming mixing in order to simulate ''flicks'' david p's ''bluetooth conversion'' could potentially be used to controll the loco, but there would still be a need for a radio and reciver to regulate power for the heaters. an aditional micro esc could also be used to controll the regulator motor.
(if i understand the loco correctly, then it has a pcb board with a rectifier and 12v output. which means a micro esc and reciver can be taped of that to controll the regulator motor, this would mean that the loco would always be rc. even when reciving power from the hornby controller. the battery wagons would only be needed when running on dead tracks or dcc layouts or when running with other locos on the same layout)
update/step 1
To start with, i think i should focus on the regulator motor. my plan is to run a micro bec of the capacitor on the pcb board, then run a micro reciver from that bec and finally a micro esc connected to the reciver and then the motor.
This way i should be able to controll the loco by radio and have power supplied by the horny controller.
if i can accomplish this then the battery wagon idea is alot more feasable,
Update 2
it's theoretically possible to run on a dcc track if step 1 is completed with a rectifior and capacitor connected paralell to the pickups. then to a bec then to a reciver then to a esc then to the regulator motor. the heaters in the loco should be able to run on ac, with a 14 volt dcc system the amps would be around 6, which should be more than enough to run
Update 3
it is possible to achive proportional control of the regulator motor by running a 8v or less esc system directly through the track. The heaters will draw some current to and im unsure how or if this could be implemented to the battery train.
Things i need help with/questions:
-how does the pcb board work and how can 12v power be tapped from the capacitor?
-how much current does the regulator motor draw? ✔️
as stated by david p, the motor has a peak of 2,2 amp and draws a continus current of 0.5amp at 10v
-does anyone know how much amp the pcb board can handle? i read that at 10v the in rush current to the motor reached a peak of 2,2 amps. before leveling out at 0,5. im only planning on running 5 volts.
Resourses:
possible converter for radio system: https://tinyurl.com/4v4b22hs
and https://tinyurl.com/uzjdujru
possible esc for regulator motor: https://tinyurl.com/vrfj39fz
possible bec (if it can handle 2,2 peak amp) https://tinyurl.com/f3w3uubk
possible esc for regulator motor, with a 5v converter there would be no need for a bec with this esc
possible radio, it's digital and can do mixing and switching which might be usefull to simulate simmer running and superheat settings. https://tinyurl.com/2mjy5y5j
possible power supply for running on dcc tracks. would still need a way to controll voltage
possible esc for regulator motor (pwm signal)
might be able to use this one https://micronwings.com/Products/ESCBrushedMicro1-2S2A/index.shtml