Aristo ART-5470

Eaglecliff

Eaglecliff

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It's dimbo time again. I've printed off the instructions for my elderly controller, not having used it for what seems like a lifetime, and lost my original copy - if indeed I ever had one. It says I can control 100 locos, but since I've only got three Aristos, the thing is just connected to the track, Presumably this proud boast only works with locos fitted with individual receivers, and their own power supply? Not that that is immediately relevant just now.
Having checked the batteries in the transmitter, checked that electricity is coming out where it should, cleaned a length of track, fired up my antique Stainz - off we go. Towards the end of the track - press the right-hand small arrow. Nothing. Use the Emergency stop. It stops. Press the same button. still going the wrong way. Press the other little arrow - it works, but the loco is now going in the opposite direction to the arrow. Press same button, loco reverses. "DIR" does nowt while all this is going on. Is it supposed to? "Press the DIR button. The light will move to the left or right..." What light? Where?
Heartfelt plea - Is there an idiot's guide to this machine anywhere?
 
Hang on...

I will fire up the laptop... Think I have a copy of the instructions?

Be aware this is a Winders 7 machine, and I will have to oil-round the moving parts, and wait for it to get up to working pressure..

PhilP
 
PhilP said:
Hang on...

I will fire up the laptop... Think I have a copy of the instructions?

Be aware this is a Winders 7 machine, and I will have to oil-round the moving parts, and wait for it to get up to working pressure..

PhilP
Click to expand...
Hi Phil, don't worry, I've printed one off. None the wiser, not even better informed...
 
DIR kèy when pressed only shows the notional direction that the loco is supposed to go. Displayed by the direction of the lighting sequence of the TX's LED display. So long as your layout and loco are wired to the same polarity as an Aristo. The arrowed keys only change the polarity output of the speed controller. That is probably why nothing is happening when you press one of the arrowed keys - it is already going in that "direction" as indicated because your locos polarity does not match the one the TE was intended for. If you have a Bachmann loco switch it between Large Scale and NMRA polarity and see what happens.

The TX, hand set, has 10 selectable channels, the LED's on the TX will light to tell you which is selected.The two keys below this display can be used to show and select the presently operating/required channel. Right key to move the channel LED selected/lit to the right, left key the other way.

The FRQ button is used to select one of 10 frequencies available to associate with a particular channel. With this key pressed and held you can access the 10 frequencies available for each channel and those are then displayed and changed the same way as the channels. Hence the claim being able to control potentially 100 locos - 10 x 10 = 100, if you have you have the on board recievers. I understand there are some caveats to observe there.

As far as I can remember you need to bind each controlled device separately to the TX, dependent on channel/frequency selected for it and if you want to reassign a devicechannel/frequency you must the rebind that new device to the TX as you have set it.

SPD button tells you the % of the available "voltage" that is being delivered when it is pressed. The actual voltage is dependent on what your power transformer is delivering to the speed controller and thence to the track (voltage dropouts around the track nonwithstanding).

That just leaves the ABCDEF keys- they are to actuate remote accessory controllers for things like points and signals. Have a look here lots more info TE Programming I'm sure somebody will come along and correct me.

As it has been lying around for a while you could open it up, remove the circuit board and see if you can do something to clean all the little switches and check to board for any faults. I hope this helps.
 
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maxi-model said:
DIR kèy when pressed only shows the notional direction that the loco is supposed to go. Displayed by the direction of the lighting sequence of the TX's LED display. So long as your layout and loco are wired to the same polarity as an Aristo. The arrowed keys only change the polarity output of the speed controller. That is probably why nothing is happening when you press one of the arrowed keys - it is already going in that "direction" as indicated because your locos polarity does not match the one the TE was intended for. If you have a Bachmann loco switch it between Large Scale and NMRA polarity and see what happens.

The TX, hand set, has 10 selectable channels, the LED's on the TX will light to tell you which is selected.The two keys below this display can be used to show and select the presently operating/required channel. Right key to move the channel LED selected/lit to the right, left key the other way.

The FRQ button is used to select one of 10 frequencies available to associate with a particular channel. With this key pressed and held you can access the 10 frequencies available for each channel and those are then displayed and changed the same way as the channels. Hence the claim being able to control potentially 100 locos - 10 x 10 = 100, if you have you have the on board recievers. I understand there are some caveats to observe there.

As far as I can remember you need to bind each controlled device separately to the TX, dependent on channel/frequency selected for it and if you want to reassign a devicechannel/frequency you must the rebind that new device to the TX as you have set it.

SPD button tells you the % of the available "voltage" that is being delivered when it is pressed. The actual voltage is dependent on what your power transformer is delivering to the speed controller and thence to the track (voltage dropouts around the track nonwithstanding).

That just leaves the ABCDEF keys- they are to actuate remote accessory controllers for things like points and signals. Have a look here lots more info TE Programming I'm sure somebody will come along and correct me.

As it has been lying around for a while you could open it up, remove the circuit board and see if you can do something to clean all the little switches and check to board for any faults. I hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Thanks for all that. Once the effects of the half of the (birthday present) bottle of 2016 Merlot I have just taken into a corner to see that nobody interrupts it have worn off, I'll have another think about things. Not sure where all these lights are of which you speak - which takes me back to one of my earlier queries.
 
The Aristo-Craft 5470 came in a number of versions. The fact the OP said 5470 instead of 55470 indicates it is an early model.

Not all 5470's have the extra lights, nor the 10 channels nor the 10 frequencies. See a few 5470 transmitters below.

TE_transmitters.jpg
 
I have a 5480 manual, or the 'full' 40 page 57000 manual:

The 5480 is not helpful..
 
The OP mentions the DIR function so that should rule out the TX's on the right and left. My TE's TX, bought new 18 years ago, matches the TX in the middle (I can't vouch for the age of the stock Garden Railway Specialists, GRS, held at the time). It was the first bit of kit I bought for my nacent garden railway, along with a load of LGB flexi track and switches and a Crest 55465 power transformer. GRS - never knowingly oversold.

The manual supplied with it states it is the 55470 model, yes it's not a 5470. It says that it has available 10 frequencies + 10 channels per per frequency. While it's not a 5470 it is the only one that seems to fit the OP's, Eaglecliff's, mention of the DIR button. But then again I dare say there may be other variants that may muddy the waters still further. So you will have tomexcuse me if I assume we have the same units. I have always reffered to it as a 5470 combo' for some reason. Max
 
Aristo renumbered several products, and I did not research when they did this or how consistently it was done. Many products were renumbered with the leading 5 and no change to the product.

But I'm starting at this picture, this is not the sum total of all the variants, but should help narrow it down with the knowledge he has the earlier part number.

I'll wait for the OP, but the ones with the dir button are newer I believe.
 
I think he means the arrow-keys, when he refers to direction button?

I think I remember supplying a 'basic' handset (it was orange) many moons ago, when one failed??

PhilP.
 
PhilP said:
I think he means the arrow-keys, when he refers to direction button?

I think I remember supplying a 'basic' handset (it was orange) many moons ago, when one failed??

PhilP.
Click to expand...

Take another look at the first post Phil, towards the end. The OP specifically mentions, a "DIR" button, separate from the arrowed direction keys. That would single out the handset in the centre of Greg's post. That one is the same as mine. And rule out the old early orange basic ones. Max

Edit - OP says they cannot see any lights when DIR pressed - duff LED's or switch. My TX has lost a couple of LED's over time. Channels still work but corresponding LED's don't. Lucky I only ever use one channel/frequency now, could get a bit awkward otherwise. The OP also says they printed out the manual - from a website ? If 5470 selected, as per topic title, to print he might have the wrong manual for the version he seems to have from the above description - a 55470 ? Perhaps I should have become a detective or even a spy rather than a "sales professional":D
 
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Greg Elmassian said:
I have the manuals, please identify the version of transmitter you have.

I can email you the manual.

Greg
Click to expand...
It's the middle one of the three illustrated above. I'll pm you my email address. Thanks.
PhilP said:
I think he means the arrow-keys, when he refers to direction button?

I think I remember supplying a 'basic' handset (it was orange) many moons ago, when one failed??

PhilP.
Click to expand...
Hi Phil,
Yes, I've moved on from that one!
Now got more copies of the instructions than I know what to do with. Not that they make any more sense but the setup seems to be working, at least I got my Annie to do a few circuits now that I've done some masonry repairs and re-ballasting. Tomorrow - who knows?
 
Made a point of running off several copies of the instructions, and leaving them laying around the train room. I only ever have to 'reset' the set up when some visitor, or one of the grandees, has pressed too many buttons, in the wrong order, and broken the 'link'. And, do you think I can find the instructions when I need them?
 
THe middle picture is the 2 channel unit but there were 2 different units made, one from Korea and one from China. Korean unit did not have the frequency jumpers inside. I have both of these units and the korean receiver unit needs the Korean transmitter to work. There is a lot of info on these on George Schreyer's site.
 
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