Bluetooth train control will fall to replace DCC because it will take all the “fun” out of the hobby. We would lose all to “fun” of doing (and taking about) complex layout wiring so that DCC signal can go chugging on down the tracks. We would lose all the “fun” of setting up separate programming tracks, and the complicated DCC process of playing with our CV settings. And worst of all, it would bring those "new and younger people" into the hobby who just do not understand what we are all about. And our grandkids would even want to run their new Bluetooth trains on “our” DCC (& DC) power layouts. :question:Bob
Saw the same argument from a few DC "experts" many years ago about DCC, Sigh. Somethings never change. Seeing the same argument about a couple new ways to run trains via wireless. A few still oppose technology. http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/19712 Rich
Bob, you must be starving to death. How can you eat when your tongue if firmly planted in your cheek?
Simply, directly, reliably, wirelessly, lower-overall-costs, wider-signal-paths... between a Bluetooth-Controller and Bluetooth-locomotives (& in the future Bluetooth-accessories). There could even be an open-interface standard. (Are you listening NMRA & JMRI?) Bob
From the individuals I know in this hobby, they are not interested in anyones oppinion or attracting anyone to this hobby under the age of 45.
Actually Direct-Bluetooth-Control with an Open-Interface would make this much more likely to happen. It would be more likely because of a much larger pool of prospective buyers that the Open-Interface would create and a much lower implementation costs from using a high volume technology. Bob
Sounds good to me, but a touch screen or our current throttle choices would be a waste of time in my opinion.
Good stuff; would be nice if all you had to do was get voltage to the track with a cheap transformer and let the software handle the rest... would significantly reduce costs for getting into the hobby for a lot of people.
Of course to make it really realistic you'd need a different cab for each type of locomotive you own. Imagine someone turning up for an operating session in their street clothes thinking they will get a cushy diesel passenger run but end up in the cab of a grimey old 2-8-0 on a local freight.
If you have plenty of $$$, you could go for a personal “cockpit” simulator like the aircraft companies use. I don’t think most of us will be hanging around till the virtual-simulation-goggles become affordable.:wideeyes: So many just a background picture on a 56” touch screen monitor? Bob
Some people just prefer to operate their layouts with stone knives and bearskins. Most of us won't be alive by the end of the decade? Seriously, you can already build HUD glasses with stuff off of ebay and it's only a matter of time before products like Google Glass go mainstream and the price starts to go down.
I thought I saw a train being controlled via Bluetooth with a iPhone already...Am I hearing and seeing things?
You can do it already. However, what's being talked about is direct control of a locomotive through Bluetooth without any additional hardware beyond your smartphone/PDA/tablet/laptop/computer, the receiver/decoder in the locomotive, and a power supply.
The first post was intended to be humorous and to get people to think about the future of the hobby. Open-Interface-Bob
You missed one of the reasons. Well you missed an obvious extention of bluetooth that would make it worse. Considering the miniaturization of memory, we'd really only need 1 very small sound board and a few speakers in each scale, to have 1 board with sound for any loco
