Four Battery Powered Controllers for your N or Z Scale Model Trains (and maybe HO too)
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- Опубликовано: 1 янв 2023
- I look at four different battery-powered controllers in the video below that you can use to power your model trains. Three of the four also allow you to plug in an AC adapter for continuous power from a wall outlet, but then if you disconnect the adapter, you can run your trains for hours using battery power. These are great options for small portable layouts, especially N and Z scales. While you could use them to power some HO-scale locomotives that don’t draw too much power, your run time will be significantly less, given the higher power draw.
All of the controllers are available here: ztrackcenter.com/electronics/c...
From Amazon: amzn.to/3jH43Us
www.steves-trains.com
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Product links:
TRAIN SETS:
N Scale Kato Amtrack Set: amzn.to/3iyCbBt
N Scale Kato Super Chief Set: amzn.to/3B4ISS7
Kato N Scale Track and Controller Set 1: amzn.to/3B61UHF
Kato N Scale Track and Controller Set 2: amzn.to/3Y5hflZ
More Kato Track Sets: amzn.to/3OYcZQJ
HO Scale Rail Chief Train Set: amzn.to/3OVJizQ
O Scale Lionel Polar Express Train Set: amzn.to/3EQLcNu
O Scale Lionel Hogwarts Express Train Set: amzn.to/3Y5hM7t
CONTROLLERS:
Battery Powered Controllers that work great for N scale too: amzn.to/3umqFfa
Awesome DCC Starter System: amzn.to/3gZVbbp
LAYOUT KIT:
HO Scale Grand Valley Kit: amzn.to/3uiPvN1 (my first adult railroad project)
Track set for Grand Valley Kit: amzn.to/3VPyzsS
Building set for Grand Valley Kit: amzn.to/3F1b8WQ
N Scale building set: amzn.to/3BsZMu3
TOOLS:
Bench top hot wire cutter: amzn.to/3Voq1tk
My Resin 3D Printer: amzn.to/3gT2PEH
My Filament 3D Printer (upgraded version): amzn.to/3Uroph6
Snap-off Blade Utility Knife: amzn.to/3OXM1cj
Cordless Dremel Set: amzn.to/3VO86Mm
My DeWalt cordless drill: amzn.to/3gW5i18
My Dewalt cordless saw (current version): amzn.to/3H73Jbo
My Dewalt cordless miter saw: amzn.to/3VNnzfL
VIDEO AND AUDIO GEAR:
Rode Wireless Mic: amzn.to/3KhNlCy
Shure MV88 Portable iOS Microphone (Great external microphone for iPhone): amzn.to/3LmWw67
Smartphone vlogging kit: amzn.to/3rTXyPf
Selfie Mirror to see phone screen when recording self with back cameras: amzn.to/3KiCgRU
Canon SL3 (nice basic DSLR): amzn.to/3kdBHy1
LED light panels: amzn.to/36NZBNy
More Items:
NEC PowerCab: amzn.to/3acwox9
Digitrax DS74 Units: amzn.to/3M7KBbW
Pneumatic door lift stay: amzn.to/3x0AAb8
Toggle latches: amzn.to/3aiFt7P
Carry Handle: amzn.to/3GCsUAi
Drawer slides (Home Depot): thd.co/3M6XTpk
Drawer slides: amzn.to/3PYRjV4
Push Buttons: amzn.to/3M9eEQG
As an Amazon affiliate, I receive a commission on any products purchased through Amazon links.
Music: epidemicsound.com 
Хобби
Hallo Steve, danke für dein Bericht über die verschiedenen Controller. Ich benutzte für meine Märklin mini-club Lokomotiven die Original Märklin mini-club Fahrregler, in Kombination mit einer Spannungsreduzierung von Hightechmodellbahnen, da die neusten Lokomotiven von Märklin Glockenanker Motoren haben und gut mit weniger Spannung auskommen, außerdem schützt das die Motoren vor Überspannung! Die älteren Märklin mini-club Motoren mit drei Pol Anker und 5 Pol Anker laufen damit auch perfekt.
Den Snail Speed Controller habe ich auch und bin total zufrieden damit, super langsame Anfahrt ist damit kein Problem und auch langsames abbremsen der Loks. 👌👍
Die Rokuhan Regler machen bei verschiedenen Lokomotiven von Märklin Probleme, die Loks laufen dann nicht sauber.
Liebe Grüße René
The snail speed controller does work well. That is good information about the Rokuhan controller not working well with the Marklin locomotives.
Nifty ideas for a portable N scale layout to take to train shows, etc... You always seem to come up with great gadgets!
Thankyou! Very informative! I am going to be restoring a 70's coffee table sized Z gauge layout, and the controller for it is a big blue Marklin rheostat ! So one of these 3 controllers would be a much better option!
Steve; You answered EVERY question I needed answered! My aim is a small trolley/ streetcar layout. These are the solutions! Thank You.
I've had the Snail controller for a couple of years. I've used it for some N and Z scale trains. It works great. I did get the AC adapter after awhile as I was getting tired of changing batteries. I really like the momentum button. Overall, great controller.
Very informative video. Those controllers were previously unknown to me. Thanks.
Thank you for this review. I am doing some suitcase layouts and I think this will be the way I going for powering them specially the one that runs 2 turnouts. Great start for the New Year. I am doing N scale and Z scale for that and to know they will run both made me very HAPPY.
GOD BLESS. 🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖
I have the Rokuhan RC-02 powering my small (22"x15") Mini Christmas tree N-scale layout. Very reliable and seems to run forever on one set of batteries. Cheers and Happy New Year!
Thank you, Steve! Very timely as I've been planning a coffee table Z layout and wondering how well the Rokuhan battery-powered controllers performed and if there were viable alternatives. Since I will have turnouts, I was leaning towards the Roku RC-03, and you helped confirm that choice.
I'm a long-time subscriber and always enjoy your videos. Thanks and Happy New Year!
Product description at Z Track Center for the little RC02 says it is a Z scale item, and not for N scale, but I see you're using it for N just fine. Good to know. ZTrack Center is asking $42.85 for it (June 30,2024).
Yeah, it works fine for N scale. You have a lower top speed with N scale because the voltage isn’t as high with z scale so I think it is limited to 10volts out or something like that. Doesn’t matter in practice unless you want your train going fast.
I use the RC-02 under the tree for both Z and N, clean and simple.
Nice informative video.
I checked Z Track on June 30th, 2024, and found they now are asking $88.75 for the RC03 two way controller.
I have found that those Kato connectors are just ever so slightly larger than standard Mini Tamiya plugs. So sometimes you'll get some that just won't work interchangeably.
Yeah, they are just a smidge bigger. A slight shaving of the plastic on the Kato plug is sometimes needed.
Thanks for posting the video. I noticed what appear to be DC snap contacts on the side of the controllers, do these work with the KATO turnout controller switch?
I’ll have to see if I can test that out here soon.
Great idea, if I buy the one that takes AA batteries and go to train shows can I use it to test out Locomotives by carrying the control and a couple pieces of track?
Thank you
Yep, that should work just fine. Most shows usually have a test track but you can obviously carry what you need in your pocket which can be handy.
Can you make a z scale layout
At some point I will
Steve,
I noticed on several of your portable layouts that you don’t directly connect the Rokuhan controller to the track. Instead you connect the controller to a jack on the side of the layout and then that is connected to the track. What is the type of jack you use? I haven’t seen them in my local stores and don’t know how they are named or where to get them.
Those barrel type connectors are just ones I’ve salvaged off of other electronics. Other old power packs or any other electronics that have those that are being gotten rid of. Just save both the plug and a bit of cable along with the receptacle end. You can pick those types up online as well but I haven’t done so myself thus far.
Rokuhan RC-02 doesn’t work with Märklin. Rokuhan customer service advised only to use with Rokuhan. I don’t believe that is the case but beware if buying for Märklin. Snail controller is nice for Märklin.
do kato turnout controller mount to the side of the RC02? i noticed it had the little metal receptacles
I don’t know if they will fit or not. Rokuhan has similar turnout controls that do snap in and you can plug the Kato turnout cables into those, albeit with a bit of shaving of the plug potentially needed so it will fit in properly. They do operate the Kato turnouts fine. I’ll have to see if you can fit the Kato turnout controllers on there but my feeling is that they won’t quite fit correctly. You could, however, solder jumper wires from there to one Kato turnout controller and do things that way if needed.
Using rc03. Switches change turnout in only one direction. My switches are unitrack right no6.
Ok weird, mine worked in both directions. That was the case with both switches and trying different turnouts? I guess the unit may be defective in that case.
Marklin locomotives work much better with the Snail controller.
Hi Steve! Thank you for all your helpful advice! I recently purchased the Rokuhan RC03 controller for my N scale suitcase layout. After getting your feedback on your N scale track, I also decided to use Peco Code 80 flex track and purchased a Peco ST-10 N Standard Straight Wired track to try to keep the wiring as simple as possible for now since I'm still new to model railroading. However, I did notice that the Peco ST-10 wired track does not have a connecting plug like your Kato plug. Do you you know whether that connecting plug will be needed for the Rokuhan RC03 and if so, is there anyway I can fix one onto the ST-10 wires or solder some wires with a connecting plug onto my Peco tracks? Thank you in advance for your help!
You will have to just get a Rokuhan power cable or one of the Kato plug wires and then solder that one to the Peco one or just connect them by terminal strip or something like that.
@@StevesTrains Thank you, Steve! I just realized you referred to the Kato terminal Uninjoiner earlier in the video @ 3:34. I apologize for all the questions, but by any chance do you know whether those would be compatible with Peco Code 80 track? As you can see, I'm very new to model railroading lol
@@waxeightoneeightno, the Kato ones won’t work with the Peco track without modification. There are like some Atlas or Peco type rail joiners with wires or you could make your own by soldering wires to the bottom of some.
thanks - where did you by these ?
Links are in the description.
Hi Steve. Have you come across anyone using a 12v/14.4v Lithium battery pack from a cordless drill to power a layout?
I feel like I have, but cant say for sure. I've used my EGO lawn tool batteries to power things, but just by plugging it into en ego inverter and then plugging in the DCC or DC power supply into that. That is horribly inefficient of course. I do have an old portable battery that has USB and 12V output jacks on it. That one I can plug directly into something like a Kato throttle and it works great (except that the battery is more than a decade old and doesn't last nearly as long as it used to, but it still works). I'm sure there are some available adapters for power tool batteries that allow you to plug in 12v things and the like. Wouldn't be too hard to rig up something yourself, maybe modify an old charger or an old tool or something so you would still have the ability to snap the batteries on and off easily.
So as I understand we can use RC-02 controller with 12v H0 loco ?
It will probably work but your top speed will be lower. But, it will depend on the power draw. If it has a sound decoder it may draw too much current. But a smaller 4 axle locomotive will probably work fine, it just won’t have the same speed range as normal. But that is usually fine since the top speed when using a DC controller is typical unprototypically fast.
@@StevesTrains That's what I liked speed will be lower on a small layout. I have triple lights on loco I hope will work all lights : ) Thank you btw.
Does anybody make a controller that shows the scale speed of the train?
That seems essential if you want it to look a truly accurate representation.
No, because it varies dramatically based on the type of motor and gearing used in any given locomotive. In DCC you can speed match locomotives by adjusting settings and could theoretically do that, but every locomotive varies out of the box.
Do these work with tomix tracks?
Yes, except the track connectors are probably different so I’m assuming you will have to splice some wires to use the plug on the controllers.
Will it work on DCC Locomotives?
Yes, you can generally operate most DCC locomotives with DC controllers (anything remotely recent usually handles both fine). The only issue is that if it is a sound decoder it has a higher starting voltage and so it may only operate at slower speeds and not start moving until as much as 50% throttle because of the higher voltage requirements.
Wait…. I can just use the batteries and a switch to run a train at a single speed!?!? I am starting a Christmas n scale layout for the bottom of my coffee table and didn’t want to run a cord…. This might be mind blowing info…..
I honestly test my n-scale locomotives after servicing by placing them on a piece of straight Atlas snap-track and touching the terminals of a 9V battery to the rails. It works fine.
Be prepared to wait almost a month for delivery from Japan
Yes, it can be slow for sure.
But you can buy them all locally in the US, which is what I do so the controllers usually arrive within a week or so.
The outer ring on the Rokuhan is actually for constant lighting. They're really poor quality and design in my experience, they get returned often. The on/off switch is backwards on the RC03 which I find amusing too.
Ok thanks for the info. I’ve not had any issues with them in the years that I have been using them, but I might just be lucky.
Great review of products to never buy. Thank you
What do you want? Nuclear powered?
Knowing what you don’t want is half the battle.