Another LC Beep Upgrade

What board did you use Pete?

I recall John's mini-commader upgrade and he found the coupler upgrade to be too much. How did you do it?

I left them off my BEEP upgrade too.

I'd like to have a standard powered unit that I could swap shells on. Since ERR mini-commanders are gone, LC boards make the most sense.

Bob

Bob, I am using a Flyerchief board, LCM2. The couplers had to be modified. They are 1.5” C mount types but the T bar mount had to be cutoff flat to fit under the Beep mount. Still fine tuning.

Essentially the same length as the stock couplers. I will try and post pics later.

Pete

@RSJB18 posted:

I recall John's mini-commader upgrade and he found the coupler upgrade to be too much. How did you do it?

I left them off my BEEP upgrade too.

Bob

Bob, here is how I did the couplers. First photo shows the stock coupler compared to the electro coupler before modification and then with the T bar mount ground off. I just used a Dremel with a cutoff wheel as the diecast was soft and easy to cut through.

O

I made a bushing to better control the height and just installed it with a M3 screw and locknut. Existing centering spring was bent to reach the new coupler.

Pete

Pete, can you share the dimensions of the spacer, that looks like a fairly easy way to have couplers.

John, If you are referring to the brass bushing its not essential but better controls the sag. I started out using a nylon bushing like you would find in a transistor insulator.

Its not an off the shelf part but I made them on my lathe.

The brass bushing was made to fit the coupler. Major OD is about .375”, minor OD that fits the coupler hole is about .187”. Center was drilled and tapped for a M3 .5mm thread. Common 3 mm screw.

BTW there may be better coupler choices. I just used what I had on hand. lionel makes a flyer coupler just as short but they don’t mate with the common O gauge claws. Lionel has made what they refer to as  D mount but only has one of those in stock and its slightly longer.

Pete

Thanks Pete. I'll file this way for a future BEEP upgrade.

Bob

@Norton posted:

John, If you are referring to the brass bushing its not essential but better controls the sag. I started out using a nylon bushing like you would find in a transistor insulator.

Its not an off the shelf part but I made them on my lathe.

The brass bushing was made to fit the coupler. Major OD is about .375”, minor OD that fits the coupler hole is about .187”. Center was drilled and tapped for a M3 .5mm thread. Common 3 mm screw.

BTW there may be better coupler choices. I just used what I had on hand. lionel makes a flyer coupler just as short but they don’t mate with the common O gauge claws. Lionel has made what they refer to as  D mount but only has one of those in stock and its slightly longer.

Pete

I was thinking of maybe 3D printing, but that may not be strong enough.

3D printing would work too. It acts as a washer to spread the support. The advantage of threading it is it can be adjusted to allow easy swing with the nut just locking it in place. If you only use a nut then it should have an insert to resist turning or use locktite.

Pete

I guess I can thread the plastic...

This is the only D mount coupler I could find. It would save having to modify other types.

Pete

I have a few of these RMT Beeps, I've been thinking of putting my diy bluetooth LionChief controller into them. Great to see that there is an off the shelf electrocoupler that is such a close match. I have a pack of Nylon washers I found on Amazon that I bet would be a good fit. I had also picked up a set of 3mm screws with nylock nuts off there for adding power pickups trucks to boxcars (needed power for my LionChief bluetooth range extender and diy Sensor Car so far).  I wonder if the original centering spring would work with that d-mount coupler.

@Ryaninspiron posted:

I have a few of these RMT Beeps, I've been thinking of putting my diy bluetooth LionChief controller into them. Great to see that there is an off the shelf electrocoupler that is such a close match. I have a pack of Nylon washers I found on Amazon that I bet would be a good fit. I had also picked up a set of 3mm screws with nylock nuts off there for adding power pickups trucks to boxcars (needed power for my LionChief bluetooth range extender and diy Sensor Car so far).  I wonder if the original centering spring would work with that d-mount coupler.

I thought I was going to have find another centering spring but was able to bend the existing spring to work. The main reason I made that bushing was because the hole in the coupler is larger than the one in the Beep mount. The Beep mount is plastic and already small so I didn’t want to drill a larger hole in it, rather install a bushing in the coupler hole. The brass piece acts as both the bushing and a washer but two piece would work too. The issues will be more obvious when you remove the stock coupler.

Pete