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A 7th Video featuring LocoFi is now on YouTube

in Battery / Deadrail

I just posted a 7th YouTube video featuring LocoFi in a Dead Rail/battery powered operation.

The New Video is Titled:

Making and Using a Portable Dead Rail Demonstration HO Layout - Part 7

https://youtu.be/WRbWopDw-qs

Part 7 Includes;

LocoFi™ On New Tracks Modeling, June 15, 2020

Adding LocoFi™ to My Home Network

LocoFi™ for Large Scales (DC and AC power)

A Massive Update to My Website.

My Webpage has a lot more information on this and related topics.

It is titled, “A Journey Into HO Scale Model Railroading in the 21st Century”.

https://theampeer.org/HO

The page has been massively updated and contains information that is NOT in the YouTube videos.

It also contains information that has has been garnered since the original videos were posted, including several corrections. At times, there is also information on the Webpage that I have not shared on YouTube yet.

The low speed capability of the LocoFi™ decoder still amazes me.

I am getting 45 minutes of actual prototypical run time, on my demo layout, using three Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO, IMR) or four Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP, IFR) 10440 size batteries.

I also have a section on my Webpage that discusses what I’ve learned about actual operating session run time with some real examples.

Ken Myers

4 comments

4 Comments

Admin

Aug 30, 2022

Excellent information. Your website https://theampeer.org/HO is highly recommended for dead railing! Thank you.

Ken Myers

Aug 30, 2022

Replying to

Thank you. I am trying.

There are still a lot of ideas and "things" to check out.

Unfortunately, except for here, on the LocoFi Forum, I've not heard from anyone else about going dead rail, who may have seen the videos on YouTube.

It seems there was a lot of interest in 2014/2015 but not much recently.

Again, thanks,

Ken

John Holdos

Aug 29, 2022

Glad to see you are having success with deadrailing. How far are you drawing down the batteries before recharging?

After going through track issues with getting the O scale 2 rail brass steam locomotive operational on a club layout it may be time to change from track power to batttery. I had great success with a combo track and battery powered O scale 2 railer operating on a club layout a few years ago. Liked the battery power performance plus no track issues.

Keep up the good work !!!!!

Ken Myers

Aug 29, 2022

Replying to

Hi John,

Thanks for your very kind comment. :-)

<<How far are you drawing down the batteries before recharging?>>

The overly simplified answer is, for Lithium-based batteries, to use no more than 80% their label stated capacity when recharged, if the label stated capacity is in the acceptable area for the type of battery. ie. If an 18650 battery has a label stated capacity greater than 3400mAh or 3500mAh, the labeled capacity is not the truth, as real capacities for 18650 size top out at about 3500mAh by the best Japanese manufacturers.

If you have a fairly accurately labeled battery rated at 2Ah or 2000mAh, then, when being recharged from use, you do not want to see much more than 1.6Ah or 1600mAh returned to the battery.

Thanks,

Ken