• System: ProMiniAir Receiver (PMA Rx) integrated with a powerful 13 Amp Cytron H-bridge amplifier. See the separate listings for the ProMiniAir Transmitters.
  • Novel "tethered" design separates the Receiver from the Amplifier: enhances mounting flexibility and noise reduction.
  • Receive in the 902-928MHz North American ISM band or the 869MHz European ISM band. These are common bands used for Dead-Rail, including CVP Airwire900 and Tam Valley Depot DRS1 products.
  • Nineteen channels are available: Airwire 0-16, Stanton Cab on channel 17, and European operation on Channel 18.
  • If no signal is found on its default channel, the PMA receiver auto-scans all 19 channels
  • We paid the manufacturer for both FCC and CE certification of the RF module (Ebyte E07-900M10S) used for both the PMA transmitter and receiver
  • Has connections for an OLED display that provides information about what the PMA is receiving
• Requirements:
  • You must have a DCC decoder: any DCC decoder should work. We test with the following:
    1. TCS (WOW501)
    2. LokSound (4 L, 5 L, 5 XL)
    3. Zimo (MX696 and MX699)
    4. MTH PS-3.0 (in DCC mode)
  • Battery: We test with 14.7V, but 11.1V will work. Maximum: 20V, but lower voltages reduce RF noise.
  • Compatible transmitters:
    1. CVP Airwire handheld throttles such as the T5000, T6000, and T1200
    2. ProMiniAir transmitter connected to the track output of any DCC throttle or to a WiFi-equipped EX-CommandStation we can provide for a fully stand-alone transmitter. See separate eBay listings!
    3. Tam Valley Depot DRS1 transmitter connected to a DCC throttle
    4. Stanton Cab handheld throttle
    5. Gwire handheld throttle
• Why Choose
  • Compatible with multiple other dead-rail transmitters and receivers:
    1. CVP Airwire
    2. Tam Valley Depot
    3. Stanton Cab
    4. Gwire
  • Inexpensive
    • PMA Rx: $39.99: price includes a fully-wired 13A Cytron MD13S amplifier
    • Airwire receivers such as the CONVRTR60 and G-4 will set you back 3 to 4 times more
  • Less susceptible to supply chain disruptions by using commodity components
  • Modular:
    • Use best-in-class amplifiers, not some add-on on the receiver board that decreases receiver mounting flexibility. We provide one of the following amplifiers:
      • Cytron MD13S: a powerful amplifier (13A) for G scale and large O scale locomotives (this listing)
      • DRV8871: a small (1.0" x 0.8") amplifier (3.6A) for smaller, lower-power locomotives (see separate eBay listing)
    • Small receiver size (1.1" x 0.76") will fit in some smaller scale locomotives and locate separately from the amplifier
    • U.FL connector on the receiver offers numerous antenna options (internal antennas don't cut it in many applications such as metal-shell locomotives):
    • Whip antenna (provided): simple and practical or more "classical" compact RP-SMA antennas. You can re-locate the whip antenna or use U.FL patch antennas that mount to non-metallic surfaces (compact enough for internal mounts in non-metallic shells!)
  • Provides centralized or localized handheld dead-rail control: other solutions only offer localized handheld transmitter control: a severe limitation.
  • Uses an FCC/CE-approved transmitter/receiver: The range performance of the ProMiniAir significantly exceeds the Tam Valley Depot DRS1 transmitters: open-air performance up to approximately 250 ft with default power settings.
  • North American or European operation
  • DCC-based: preserves your investment in DCC decoders (connects to PMA receiver) and throttles (connects to PMA transmitter). Let's face it, DCC decoders are standardized and produce beautiful sounds, flexible light effects, superb motor control, etc. Other proprietary locomotive control solutions "vendor-lock" you into a single solution that may leave you stranded if the vendor goes out of business.
  • Interesting application: You can use a "stationary," unmodified ProMiniAir Receiver to control any single or any number of "daisy-chained" DCC "accessory" or "stationary" decoders for wireless control of lighting, switch machines, servos, semaphores, etc. No modifications or additional components are required (use a battery for power)!
• About that name: We based the "ProMini" part of the name on Sparkfun's "Pro Mini" MCU we used in the past as part of our modular design philosophy.
• Documentation: We hope the ProMiniAir is simple to use. Should you need it, we provide a detailed user's manual.

Several critical points:

• Most other Dead-Rail solutions provide localized control using handheld throttles or smartphones. This approach does not scale well for larger or complex layouts better managed by centralized control. "Classical" DCC throttles solve these problems well. The ProMiniAir transmitter connects to these well-designed throttles to control numerous dead-rail locomotives by simply replacing track DCC with wireless DCC.
• We can provide the ProMiniAir transmitter integrated with a WiFi-equipped a DCC EX-CommandStation (separate listing) that allows you to use your smartphone throttle app (WiThrottle, Locontrol, etc.) or the beautifully-designed TCS UWT-50 or UWT-100.
• Numerous Dead-Rail systems are not interoperable with other vendors' products. We strive to provide as much interoperability as possible with other vendors in the 869MHz (for Europe) and 915MHz (for North America) ISM bands. It's an "island of compatibility" in Dead-Rail, and the rest is a "tower of Babel" vendor-lock.

As of July 2022, Tam Valley Depot is no longer selling its DRS1 series dead-rail products. Our ProMiniAir(TM) receiver and transmitter are complete and fully-compatible replacements for Tam Valley Depot's DRS1 transmitters and receivers. Your Tam Valley transmitters and receivers will work with the ProMiniAir products. The ProMiniAir transmitters and receivers are compatible with CVP Airwire and Stanton Cab dead-rail products.