News review of new C005 controller from Rokuhan

Garth-H Sep 4, 2017

  1. Garth-H

    Garth-H TrainBoard Supporter

    986
    52
    25
    I have been using this device with an Android and have added a Bluetooth receiver to it for almost a week now. I must also state that this is my first time using an Android tablet, and I do not have a smart phone and I am 74 and a stroke survivor. If I can manage ti then so should the masses out there

    This controller, is all its maker Rokuhan, claims it to be. In DC mode the track power is PWM so very smooth operation. in DCC mode the track voltage seems to be less than 12 V and this I take from the fact my n-scale engines did not race away a full throttle, so very friendly to our Z scale engines . The power supply is Rokuhan wall wart 12 vdc at 1.5 amps. In DC mode it will handle a pair of Micro Trains F7's with ease, in DCC mode it handles a trio of Micro trains Geeps with ease. The manual is very good and covers how to operate in each mode and how to register(setting) you engine to the app for DCC operation. It also covers the operation of the Rokuhan Turntable and stationary decoders, The decoder in your engine is referred to as a multtifunction decoder.

    The controller is controlled by an audio stream from the App so you have to turn up the volume, There i Speaker icon that needs to be blue not red and, and on display the is a horizontal line labelled "audio output speaker" that also need to be blue for correct audio level between the tablet and the controller. As you increase the volume on the tablet you will the bar is red a minimum volume and around 75% it will change from red to blue and stay blue right to max volume.

    There are to things that I found that shaped the way I interacted with this device in DCC mode. the first was when trying to setup (setting) a DCC engine in the APP. The first engine I tried had a 2 digit address pre-programmed in the decoder and it was short and sweat to register and get operational, the second had a 4 digit address 5420 and SD40-2, and changing the address from the default 4 on the setting screen to 5420 was a agonizing event scrolling from 1 thru to 5420 it took me 15 minutes on my Android, so I elected to use 2 digit addresses for all my engines. In the process of setting you can create a alpha-numeric ID, add an image,add a running sound file, plus other sound file to function numbers, turn the headlight on or off (F0) turn the interior light on or off (F1) (so this could e a beacon on an engine or interior light in a KIHA54.
    The second thing I found was no Consisting set up in the App, my solution was to program two locomotive to the same address, independently, the setup the lead locomotive in the app, and once it was running in DCC mode simply add the second loco behind the lead. The only thing I did when setting up in the App (setting) the first locomotive was to identify it as a pair in the text name I gave it CP-SD40-2-pr or CN-GP9-pr.I would suggest loading your engine pictures into a special folder so they are easy to find when you wan to load them in the setting screen.

    The App also has a music library and you could load your own sound files there. Rokuhan has loaded a number of sound files in the App and they can be used in either DC or DCC mode, some are probably not what you would like for a North American diesel engine, but the steam whistle, bell and chuff were great and the chuff could be adjusted to closely match the engines speed. Found the Diesel sounds Horn and blower not to my taste, other sounds are brake squeal, flange squeal on curves, coupling, uncoupling, conductor's whistle, doors opening and closing. when setting you locomotive you an select sounds, turn them on and adjust the volume, There is plenty of volume from the Controller's speaker.

    DCC programming there are three mods to choose from, 1. "easy programming" basically you answer questions, to do the programming, it is well covered in the manual. 2. "Read/Write" this programming each CV individually and you are lead through the list. 3. "easy checker" used to view the value store in a CV only.

    Programming is for the most part is old school, in that you have to calculate CV29 plus CVs 17 & 18 ( long address) , the manual leads you through those processes in a clear and concise manner. setting up an You are also lead thru the process of setting up and alternate speed table using CVs 2, 5, & 6 plus CV 3 & 4 for acceleration and deceleration using sliding bars which have to be turned on and then adjusted with the slider. This can be done for forward and reverse individually.
    The App is already set up for stationary decoders, and Rokuhan will have their own stationary decoder on the market within a few months, plus their own mobile or multifunction decoders. The control of their turntable is already included in this App.

    Overall I think this is a great addition to the Rokuhan list of products and will of interest to the N scale group and even those with the horribly over sized stuff (HO).
     
  2. SJ Z-man

    SJ Z-man TrainBoard Member

    3,007
    1,020
    62
    Great write up. Strange that they use an Audio stream. I would bet that it is actually digital 'noise' as it is possible to send 1 & 0 out of the audio port.

    For high number locos, is there a keypad of sort, that you could tap a '5' to jump to that range? Or, a hidden icon that pops up a keypad? If I get time in 2 weeks, I might be able to swing by Rokuhan while in Japan. They are about 1.5 hours north of Tokyo and several train connections + long walk.

    If you can externally Consist a loco (using Power Cab, Zephyr or JMRI of sorts), then the Consist number will be a Short address, less than 128.
     
  3. Garth-H

    Garth-H TrainBoard Supporter

    986
    52
    25
    For 4 digit high numbers or those greater than 128, no there is no keypad input, just the scrolling window with consecutive numbers, and I found no way to accelerate the movement down the table other than the using the finger swipe or drag.

    Consisting any system I have worked on the consisting address is held in that system as an address and related to the others and is not in the locomotive decoder. I could be wrong but that is my experience.
     
  4. Garth-H

    Garth-H TrainBoard Supporter

    986
    52
    25
    Supplement to review Moving sounds, I spent more time with DC mode today and in the process learned more about the moving sounds. There are three selections available:- 1. None,2. SL (stream loco), 3. an image of a KIHA rail diesel car, they can be selected in either mode DC or DCC and there is an adjustment bar for synchronizing the sound with the speed. IN DCC mode you make selection in the setting mode for each engine so it is unique to that engine. In DC mode you selection pertains to the engine on the track, so if you change from steam to KIHA you need to go into DC setting and change it there.
     
  5. Garth-H

    Garth-H TrainBoard Supporter

    986
    52
    25
    Supplement #2 to my review I am told that setting a long 4 digit address in the Apple version of the Rokuhan App is much friendlier and the Android version
     
  6. Garth-H

    Garth-H TrainBoard Supporter

    986
    52
    25
    Supplement #3 to my review of C005

    In DCC mode you can have 4 active throttles at one time, with any four of your listed engines, in portrait view they are visible one at a time just a finger swipe right or left to change between the four and a drag on visible throttle. in landscape view all four are visible just a tap and drag to change any one.
     

Share This Page