Has anyone driven two Cruise Ms with a Single R2LC?

K-Line drove a slave Cruise off one R2LC and the other Cruise board.  I Imagine you might need the CCM for IR since that doesn't seem as effected by signal loss.  If your adding sound too, you might be over loading the 5V on the R2LC, but just a guess.  Give it a try.  G

You can always buffer the serial data if necessary.  I don't think the PWM data will have any issues, it's usually the serial data that has the issue.  Here's a buffer I use, it's just an emitter follower that will simply reduce the load on the serial data.

Simple enough John, thanks. I have  a bin of 1N2222s as well.

K-Line put a bunch of custom circuits in these engines for Mars lights and motors to drive the roof fans. The mars light is actually made up of two bulbs that toggle when the engine starts moving. Cool effect for an engine made in 2000.

Pete

I made that when a couple of diesel upgrades I was working on wouldn't drive the CC-M when the RSC was connected.  That fixed the issue.  The operation is simple, there is minimal load on the input signal, and the output signal mimics it, minus the transistor diode drop.  The RSC has an opto that is driven by the serial data, it loads down the serial data significantly when you connect it.

This allows me to use the cheaper back-EMF cruise from Lionel parts in place of the CC-M.  The new CC-M doesn't exhibit the clock loading sensitivity, but older ones and the Lionel part don't take it well.

Have you noticed Lionel has a second back emf cruise? I ordered a few of both but am not sure what the difference is or how to tell by looking. Maybe one is meant for driving wireless tethers???

Pete

Pete, the one is for Legacy, it won't work with a TMCC R2LC or R4LC, but it works with the Legacy R4LC.  Don't ask me how I know this.

This is the Legacy version.

OOPS!  I think that is the TMCC version!

John, I think you posted the TMCC version. Its the replacement for my 2008 2-8-0. Must be the other one is Legacy. I have used that board in other TMCC upgrades.

I now see you caught that.

Pete

Yep, I posted the wrong one.  Interestingly, the confusion comes because I have a couple in my parts box, and they are labeled S00, that's what the Legacy version is labeled in the Lionel parts pictures!  And, the Legacy one I have is also an S00 on the label, but it only works with a Legacy R4LC.

Riddle me this, what is going on?  Who's on first?

Finally had a chance to get back to this project. Just wanted to confirm that a single R2LC does in fact drive two ERR Cruise Ms. I just paralleled the 4 steering wires as well as the serial line from pin 24 on the R2LC. No buffering needed.

I removed the back to back electrolitics that K-Line had placed across the motors in the slave engine figuring they would kill the back emf signal. Otherwise it was fairly straightforward and just required installing a tether with additional wires.

The two engines track each other perfectly.

Now to get to the cosmetic upgrades planned for these E8s.

Pete

I always take the electrolytic caps they put on off when I do an upgrade.  Nice to know this works as I've been tempted to try it.  Of course, for another $30 you can have a full Cruise Commander and run that way.