Cab-1L

I look at the CAB-1L as basically a CAB 1 with a Legacy transmitter in side, updated firmware, and a modified push button electronics.

 

You quill the whistle by pushing the button harder.

 

It has room for 2 digit train and track numbers.

 

There is no external antenna, but the rest of it looks like the old CAB-1. The model I saw was built from CAB-1 parts, and there' no reason at all to redesign them.

 

The transmitter parts that were discontinued, which caused the discontinuation of the CAB-1, were from the CB radio design days. That technology is no longer supported by parts suppliers.

 

The new Legacy transmitter uses technology similar to the cell phone world,  so parts will be around a while.But that means CAB-1L only talks to the Legacy base. So it's not a direct replacement for a CAB-1, but more of an entry level Legacy controller that TMCC'ers would automatically be comfortable with.

 

Lionel was very clever in bringing back something the customer wanted, and doing it economically - and with proven technology. And it will help migrate users to Legacy.

 

Elegantly simple.

 

To my way of thinking, that's some fine engineering!

I'm sorry, but there are no unusual parts in the CAB 1 transmitter circuit.  It is merely a collection of common resistors, capacitors, inductors and generic transistors.  The microprocessor chip may have gone obsolete in that package, but a PIC could be used to replace it (with new software and PC layout.

YES that is insightful and CORRECT!  The pressure on the horn button quills the whistle/horn.  Very intuitive, not throttle gyrations to effect the quilling.  Stop by the Lionel booth at York and try it!

That is simply not true.

Since the price is yet to be published, the economically part is yet to be determined.

Looks like something buy for the clubs modules... I get nervous letting the little kids handle the Legacy Remote.

Has anyone played with the 1L at York? 

Yes. I prefer the Cab 2 but it serves the purpose.

How did the quill work? Is it pressure sensitive button? 

 

Can you change channels? 

 

Details man!

By economically, I meant in the engineering and manufacturing sense. Lionel used proven technology, proven manufacturing processes and proven parts to bring a "new" product to the market. After having spent many years in manufacturing engineering, I can tell you that this is a wise course of action.

 

As to what the selling price will be, that is for the marketing department to determine.

 

 

 

"How did the quill work? Is it pressure sensitive button?"

 

The whistle quill works by varying the pressure you apply to the whistle button - as has been posted twice already.

 

I heard from a friend who had one in his hand yesterday.  Quilling works by the pressure applied to the horn button.  Bell button is just on or off though.  No single hit bell according to his report.

Yes you can change channels. I'm on an iPhone so details are what you get.

Which part of my post isn't true?  I am looking at my schematic of the CAB-1 transmitter, and there is nothing unusual there.

 

Crystal

Varactor diode

Tunable inductors

Capacitors

Fixed inductors

Resistors

Generic transistors

The channel are changed by pressing Set and then pressing 1 through 9.  The Horn button is either off/on or pressure sensitive depending on the selection made with the set button.