From what I gather, it is similar to DBTC (Direct Bluetooth Train Control); just uses a handheld transmitter and a receiver in each locomotive. Will run on DC layout as well, so no need to convert to DCC. They just posted an update on Facebook, and have prices on their website as well.
Just judging by the remote, the Loco Genie is either not very full-featured, or requires some thumb gymnastics and multi-button sequence memorization over just eight buttons to control everything. I'm thinking they are releasing another remote though, because the product listings are showing one with an LCD display that will control (only) four trains. Information is sparse, but it appears to be the DCC feature set over direct radio. It looks like there is a separate remote each for Light Genie, Loco Genie and Command Genie? That wouldn't be optimal. The Light Genie looks like it could be really useful with all the effects it can provide. I could see myself buying that, dedicated remote or not.
Appears to be Direct-ZigBee-Train-Control (DZTC). [There is no display of the required Bluetooth-logo.] Very similar to Bluetooth uses the same 2.4GHz band and generally the same RF-hardware with a different signal-protocol. I could not find any indication of when it would actually be available. DZTC is a good choose over Bluetooth for proprietary-systems. More information here: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/zigbee-vs-bluetooth-and-bluetooth-smart/. Bob
ZigBee will probably never be as popular and feature-rich as Bluetooth. For example: The first-generation OS-DBTC PIC18-firmware would port from Bluetooth to ZigBee very easily. The second-generation OS-DBTC-firmware (that is just beginning development) would be very difficult to port to ZigBee. Also ZigBee (unlike Bluetooth) is not available (out-of-the-box) on almost all iThings. A ZigBee-dongle with drivers should be possible, but there do not appear to be anywhere (as Bluetooth-dongles are widely and cheaply available). Also, RailPro is probably ZigBee (or ZigBee-Type) of system. So far that’s DZTC- manufacturers: 2, DBTC-manufacturers: 1, and DCC-manufactures: many. Bob
But zigbee has enough networking protocol in it's stack to do the job. Bluetooth many different protocols, overkill for the simple application of train control. Yes, there is a protocol to stream audio and yes that could be used to send sounds to a loco, but it's not an efficient way to have sound in a loco. Greg
I believe the user can (and should have) the option of sound both in and sent to the locomotive (as well as other units). I believe that Bluetooth offers lower-cost in the near-term and long-term (as well as other benefits) for open-source Direct-Wireless-Train-Control (DWTC) than either Wi-Fi or ZigBee. I am not aware of any open-source DWTC that uses ZigBee. I readily admit to being “prejudiced” toward open-source or at least open-interface. Bob
Right now, bluetooth is lower in cost, but it won't last. Also, for people like me, who also run G scale outdoors, you will run into range problems, you will need the equivalent of multiple wifi base stations. Repeaters are not a great idea, keep adding latency. Bluetooth was conceived as a PAN, but for my case, I need a LAN. The real solution in my mind is to make a system that is wireless-protocol agnostic. Greg
Greg, You need to do your own system so that it will conform to what you “know-to-be-fact”. There is or was an open-source Wi-Fi out on the web somewhere. I am not interested in helping you with whatever it is you are doing with your posts. It seems to just get posts deleted and threads locked. Bob
