Introducing the Stanton Radio CAB

Introducing the Stanton Radio CAB
Yet another DCC system to toss into the mix? Kind of, but not exactly. The Stanton Radio control system (S-CAB)
offers a simple approach to control smaller scale
locos (HO and On30, for example), as well as the
option to use on-board battery power and eliminate
dependency on track for power and control. It
provides the benefits of DCC without adding the
usual clutter of equipment and track wiring.
There is no DCC Command Station or Boosters to
install. No need to change layout wiring. The battery
and battery charger fit in the loco and the battery
recharges using whatever voltage is available; DC,
AC or DCC, so long as it is 6 or more volts. Locos
equipped with this system can run on any layout
without risk of damage and without interference with
other locos; so long as its DCC address is unique.
Furthermore the loco address can be changed “on
the main” (or on the table, for that matter) if your
railroading friend or club layout has a duplicate
address. A loco you run on your home layout, you
can run anywhere.
S-CAB contains a radio transmitter, which sends
DCC messages directly to a radio receiver installed
in the loco. These messages connect to the loco’s
decoder, bypassing use of rails for DCC control. The
radio has a range of 100 to 200 feet. Since the S-
CAB contains a rechargeable battery, it is truly
wireless, meaning you more or less wander around
at will, without the restrictions of an “umbilical cord”.
To recharge, you it by plug it in to any USB port
(cable provided). No need to open the case, have
extra batteries on hand, etc. (We demonstrated the
system at the 2011 Sacramento NMRA national
train show and the controller ran three days without
a recharge.) To equip a loco with both radio control and battery power requires two separate products; the
receiver/decoder and the LiPo (lithium polymer) battery power supply. Users who model HO or On30 often choose
both Stanton products. Large scale modelers (O and G scale) with more loco space and higher power requirements
typically use an 11.1 or 14.4 volt battery pack. (S-CAB works fine with larger scales; those users simply have the
luxury of more space to install larger batteries. Also, the decoders needed to control those engines are capable of
handing much more power.)
NOTE: A NWSL S-CAB system or its components can only be
purchased, and optionally installed for you directly through NWSL, or
through a NWSL Certified S-CAB Dealer/Installer.
Let’s look at the decoder and radio receiver:

Quarter not included, but this gives you an idea on size. There are actually three separate items in this photo,
although what’s pictured is one option for how we build and ship these things. The circuit board on top is the radio
receiver. The blue vertical rectangle on the left side is the antenna. Under the radio board (and secured by the white
shrink wrap tape) is the DCC decoder, which in this photo is an North Coast Engineering (NCE) decoder. Initially, we
offer a choice of two decoders, NCE (excellent decoder, lowest cost, no sound) or a SoundTraxx Tsunami(R)
decoder (an excellent sound decoder.)
When buying an S-CAB system, you select the decoder, and tell us how you’d like the antenna mounted. What we
ship you is then a bundle (decoder+radio receiver+antenna) such as the one pictured above, plus instructions, and
that’s what you install in your engine. The controller itself is ready to go. In a nutshell, you install the decoder, turn on
the controller, give the decoder an address (standard DCC fare), provide power either from a battery or the track, and
start sending commands to that address. You only need one controller (included with your starter bundle) and from
there it’s just additional radio+decoder+antenna assemblies as needed.
Are there drawbacks here? We don’t really think so, but there are some limitations. The design goal for the S-CAB
was to create an inexpensive, simple, and straightforward wireless control system for those that want DCC
functionality (and/or battery power) without having to mess with layout wiring or install DCC equipment. That said, the
S-CAB is not recommended for large club layouts, which generally have a large investment in DCC operation to
support many operators. The S-CAB is intended for use by one or two operators, running up to 15 locos during an
operating session. It’s a quick, mobile way of controlling the action and it does not really matter what layout is the site
of the action. You run your locos with your S-CAB independent of how the layout is wired and controlled without
interference to other operators. Any likelihood of radio interference is minimized, since the S-CAB’s radio transmitter
turns on only for the 0.035 seconds required to send the DCC message. For extra reliability, the command is
repeated 4 times during this brief radio transmission.
The Stanton CAB was designed by Neil Stanton, designer of the Stanton Drive self-powered truck. (In fact, the two
work really well together.) It follows NMRA standards to the letter; NWSL is proud to offer this quality product.
Support and general discussion is available through the Yahoo! group set up specifically for the drive, which can be
accessed at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-CAB. (Please note; membership to this list is restricted to S-CAB
owners only.)
As always, thanks for looking, and we’ll do what we can to keep you updated with new developments.

Additional photos:
The S-CAB controller. This is all you need to control your locos. No base station, no signals sent
through the track.
Bill's V&T C-17 with S-CAB and battery installed in the tender.

Justin's HO scale Goose with the S-CAB installed. With the extra room, we could get three cells in this one.
Justin's HOn3 K-27 with an S-CAB system, including battery, in the tender.

Another view of Justin's HOn3 K-27, with the decoder and radio in the tender.
PLEASE NOTE: Stanton S-CAB starter kits, additional decoders, and battery products are built and sold by NWSL
certified installers (CI) only!
A list of authorized NWSL CI’s can be found above. (Folks, this list is going to take a while to populate so thanks in
advance for your patience.)
Copyright © 2009 Oso Railworks, Inc. All Rights Reserved.