Reviews of the universal BCR Anyone use them yet?

I don't see the point of making a universal model, it's more expensive to add supercaps for the 9V model, you're paying for capability you don't need when used for 3V boards.  There's no "magic" in the formula, it's just based on the voltage rating of the supercaps.

At $29.50, you're paying for capability you don't need no matter which type of locomotive you put it in.

Personally, I think this is the answer to a question that should have never been asked.

I also wonder how J and W Electronics is going to react to someone using their trademark...

When I can get a rechargeable 9v at Harbor Freight for seven bucks and change, this makes sense why again? 

Mitch

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

When I can get a rechargeable 9v at Harbor Freight for seven bucks and change, this makes sense why again?

Mitch

Mitch, I buy the Tenergy NiMh batteries on Amazon for $3.25 shipped free, all you have to do is place and order and watch your mailbox.

Buying that overpriced product doesn't make any sense to me.

I use BCRs on all of my MTH Engines.  BCRs are great.  You never have to use a battery in the engine and the BCR seems to last forever.  Now here is a little story that happened about 8 months ago.  I won at auction my second MTH Un-Shrouded J.  MTH was a unique operation as they took a chance on locomotives that other train companies did not.  The Un-Shrouded J was a regular J engine without all the fancy streamlining.  It was a plain old steam locomotive but had all the things on it that the streamline engine had.  N&W built several of these locomotive and used them in freight and passenger service.  I bid on the second locomotive and won it.  Took it home and put if on the test track and it did not work.  I opened up the tender shell to replace the battery in it and there was no battery.  I was confused!  Steve R. (former train repairman for Davis Trains in Milford, Ohio) was consulted and I brought my engine to him.  He said that my Proto Sound 2 engine was Upgraded to Proto Sound 3.  I did not realize that.  He put the engine on the test track and let it sit for about 10 to 15 seconds and it came to life.  That is why there was no battery in it, the Proto Sound 3 engines had Mike Wolfs BCR type thing in it.  MTH was always upgrading there products and here is one of them.  I can run both Un-Shrouded engines as double headers but must never mix the tenders up.  So he put an adhesive sticker on the bottom of the new Proto Sound 3 Loco so I would get the correct tender with the correct engine.   Steve also told me that the new engine's wheels looked like it had at least 60 hours of run time on it.  But when he went into the locomotive electronics, it only said the engine had about 10 hours run time.  Sincerely yours,    railbear601

MTH’s PS3 doesn’t have a “BCR” type thing.  It has a built-in capacitor circuit to power shut down sequences and prevent sound loss when electrical contact is interrupted.

The difference? A BCR is a “battery component replacement,” a capacitor circuit that can be swapped in for a rechargeable battery. PS3 has no battery option. It’s a completely different circuit and design.

I also don’t understand why this universal BCR is being marketed, especially at that price and with such limited applications. Hobbyists should be made aware of their options before wasting money on a design with little value.

I just got through reading the thesis at the end of this ad. He states that he is an electrical engineer, just by reading the "their" when it should be "there" and "brake" when it should be "break", realy/really, dye/die and a couple of other mistakes, but way more then one or two, I would think you would have a better grasp of the English language than this. I understand mistakes in grammar happen, but when you are marketing a product, people pick up on these types of things. You want your marketing to be perfect. Then the point of the original battery that lies free and "jiggles" around the bottom of the locomotive, I don't know about any of your batteries but mine are pretty secure. Even in my old PS1 engines the battery doesn't jiggle around. Okay I lie, they do jiggle around , when I take them off the track and shake them! Then there is the point of the E-units that wear out slowly from usage, however they will last longer and overcome this wear if the extra power that this "BCR" provides them. They will "overcome this wear", okay I get some of that, correct amount of power less wear, if that were true. And then lastly no regard whatsoever for J&W Electronics, he basically says in not so many words, that the cost of a patent infringement case is more than the amount they take in for what they sell so why would they even go that route and basically slams their product. This is why he calls his product a "BCR", he is not afraid of a lawsuit. So when you have to write a thesis in order to sell your product, my Spidey sense tingles and I tend to shy away, but this isn't meant for people like us. Just from reading some of the discussions on this forum make me ask myself " Is this a model railroading forum or did I accidentally click on the rocket science forum!" LOL!! This ad is for the people who don't know and think this battery is the fix-all for their locomotives.

@Jim R. posted:

MTH’s PS3 doesn’t have a “BCR” type thing.  It has a built-in capacitor circuit to power shut down sequences and prevent sound loss when electrical contact is interrupted.

Well, actually PS/3 uses the exact same technology as the BCR and in pretty much exactly the same way.    Both depend on supercaps to hold up the internal electronics through short electrical interruptions.  Obviously, MTH didn't call it a BCR as it is indeed built-in, not to mention that BCR is probably copyrighted.

@ConrailFan posted:

This ad is for the people who don't know and think this battery is the fix-all for their locomotives.

I couldn't get past the apparent overkill of the product, not to mention the inflated price, to nit pick it.  However, your points are certainly valid.

@ConrailFan posted:

I just got through reading the thesis at the end of this ad. He states that he is an electrical engineer, just by reading the "their" when it should be "there" and "brake" when it should be "break", realy/really, dye/die and a couple of other mistakes, but way more then one or two, I would think you would have a better grasp of the English language than this. I understand mistakes in grammar happen, but when you are marketing a product, people pick up on these types of things. You want your marketing to be perfect. Then the point of the original battery that lies free and "jiggles" around the bottom of the locomotive, I don't know about any of your batteries but mine are pretty secure. Even in my old PS1 engines the battery doesn't jiggle around. Okay I lie, they do jiggle around , when I take them off the track and shake them! Then there is the point of the E-units that wear out slowly from usage, however they will last longer and overcome this wear if the extra power that this "BCR" provides them. They will "overcome this wear", okay I get some of that, correct amount of power less wear, if that were true. And then lastly no regard whatsoever for J&W Electronics, he basically says in not so many words, that the cost of a patent infringement case is more than the amount they take in for what they sell so why would they even go that route and basically slams their product. This is why he calls his product a "BCR", he is not afraid of a lawsuit. So when you have to write a thesis in order to sell your product, my Spidey sense tingles and I tend to shy away, but this isn't meant for people like us. Just from reading some of the discussions on this forum make me ask myself " Is this a model railroading forum or did I accidentally click on the rocket science forum!" LOL!! This ad is for the people who don't know and think this battery is the fix-all for their locomotives.

Always kills me when I see stuff like this in marketing copy.  Unfortunately, probably right about a patent infringement lawsuit being impractical (not even sure if the BCR has a patent or trademark).  Bottom line, really scummy vendor - I hope that he sells very few and gives up quickly.

The more I thought about this, the more it ticked me off.  I've bought BCRs from J&W; I like supporting a cottage industry and hate it when someone tries to rip one off.  I found the sales material to be insulting and offensive. 

I submitted a complaint to the auction site about the seller (wdasilva76) and encourage other forum members to do the same.  Maybe if a dozen of us complain, the seller will get kicked off.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Well, actually PS/3 uses the exact same technology as the BCR and in pretty much exactly the same way.    Both depend on supercaps to hold up the internal electronics through short electrical interruptions.  Obviously, MTH didn't call it a BCR as it is indeed built-in, not to mention that BCR is probably copyrighted.

Except, of course, that you can’t remove the caps and swap in a battery without modification. So it is not a battery component replacement, even though both use capacitors to store the electricity.

@Jim R. posted:

Except, of course, that you can’t remove the caps and swap in a battery without modification. So it is not a battery component replacement, even though both use capacitors to store the electricity.

I always call them Battery Eliminators.

LGB was way ahead of the game with capacitance circuitry in the mid-1990's in their digital sound locos. My 1998 LGB B&O A-B-A incorporates such circuitry with its actual digitally recorded diesel sounds including engine start up, idle, notch increments, brake application and bell and horn start up and crossing sounds.

I just followed up and looked at the auction site.  The product which was the original subject of this thread is no longer listed, and the seller appears to be gone. 

I'm sure J&W had alot do do with the listing being removed.

@railbear601 posted:

I use BCRs on all of my MTH Engines.  BCRs are great.  You never have to use a battery in the engine and the BCR seems to last forever.  Now here is a little story that happened about 8 months ago.  I won at auction my second MTH Un-Shrouded J.  MTH was a unique operation as they took a chance on locomotives that other train companies did not.  The Un-Shrouded J was a regular J engine without all the fancy streamlining.  It was a plain old steam locomotive but had all the things on it that the streamline engine had.  N&W built several of these locomotive and used them in freight and passenger service.  I bid on the second locomotive and won it.  Took it home and put if on the test track and it did not work.  I opened up the tender shell to replace the battery in it and there was no battery.  I was confused!  Steve R. (former train repairman for Davis Trains in Milford, Ohio) was consulted and I brought my engine to him.  He said that my Proto Sound 2 engine was Upgraded to Proto Sound 3.  I did not realize that.  He put the engine on the test track and let it sit for about 10 to 15 seconds and it came to life.  That is why there was no battery in it, the Proto Sound 3 engines had Mike Wolfs BCR type thing in it.  MTH was always upgrading there products and here is one of them.  I can run both Un-Shrouded engines as double headers but must never mix the tenders up.  So he put an adhesive sticker on the bottom of the new Proto Sound 3 Loco so I would get the correct tender with the correct engine.   Steve also told me that the new engine's wheels looked like it had at least 60 hours of run time on it.  But when he went into the locomotive electronics, it only said the engine had about 10 hours run time.  Sincerely yours,    railbear601

Railbear601

I would greatly appreciate Steve R's info. I lost track of him when he moved to Illinois I believe.

Thanks!

Joe Gozzo

I have probably installed 8 to 10 BCR'S. I have never had a issue with any of them. I just power up for a minute and am good. Always had issues with MTH Batteries, with Neutral Lockout. If I remember, $22.00 each for 10 or more BCRs. So, I split with buddy, including shipping.

Joe Gozzo

@Gene H posted:

I'm sure J&W had a lot do do with the listing being removed.

Hmmm what a surprise! I guess he WAS afraid of a lawsuit after all. . . LOL!!!

@ConrailFan posted:

Hmmm what a surprise! I guess he WAS afraid of a lawsuit after all. . . LOL!!!

J&W could have reported it to ebay, they're pretty good at taking care of problems like that.  I may be wrong and don't want to start any arguments but had they listed them as a battery eliminator it would be legal. Probably a member of the group who is a attorney can answer that.

Attn Joe Gozzo:  I have permission from Steve R (ex-repairman for Dedunct Davis Trains in Milford Ohio) to give Steve's address and phone number to you.  I searched every Joe something in the members list on this forum and cannot find your name or address or phone number.  I do not have permission to write Steve's address or phone number on this forum as he offers a service for hire and he does not advertise on the OGR Forum Site.  So, if you want Steve's address, etc...look me railbear601 up on this forum's member site as my phone number and email address are listed.   

@railbear601 posted:

Attn Joe Gozzo:  I have permission from Steve R (ex-repairman for Dedunct Davis Trains in Milford Ohio) to give Steve's address and phone number to you.  I searched every Joe something in the members list on this forum and cannot find your name or address or phone number.  I do not have permission to write Steve's address or phone number on this forum as he offers a service for hire and he does not advertise on the OGR Forum Site.  So, if you want Steve's address, etc...look me railbear601 up on this forum's member site as my phone number and email address are listed.   

Gee, I just clicked on his forum handle link and his email address is in the profile.  Pretty easy to send Joe an email that will be private that way.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Gee, I just clicked on his forum handle link and his email address is in the profile.  Pretty easy to send Joe an email that will be private that way.

Thanks John,

I emailed Railbear yesterday. Waiting to hear back.

Joe