Leopard Street, LNER 1930's

[aleopardstail]

...do have to say its curious just how hard (and expensive) it is to programme a sound decoder...

Hi Fi being my 'expensive' hobby, I cannot but agree. The profit motive in charging lots more for a low cost electronics assembly might just have something to do with it?

I can see a lot of the value is in the sound files, but equally I could see a lot of people being quite happy they can replace the guards "all clear" with the voice of a child or partner

most such chips take data over a very standard ICSP data header, basically the SPI bus with a reset line added - obviously size constraints mean there are not pins to connect to so you need a pogo pin clamp and some sort of software to manage the files etc.

none of these decoders are using custom chips, its all off the shelf microprocessors with suitable capabilities

[Bigmet]

...I can see a lot of the value is in the sound files...

Once amortised, if good enough it's lashings of profit for all participants thereafter, as the music recording industry demonstrated in that golden past when it required physical hardware on which to sell endless copies of the recording. I made a pitch [pardon the pun] to my employer of the time that they might care to share in this bonanza, since we had much of the equipment standing idle in a suitable facility, and all the skill set required, to produce the shortly arriving CD in volume. They declined, making sufficient outrageous profit from photocopiers, which was problem enough to cope with...

[aleopardstail]

...I can see a lot of the value is in the sound files...

Once amortised, if good enough it's lashings of profit for all participants thereafter, as the music recording industry demonstrated in that golden past when it required physical hardware on which to sell endless copies of the recording. I made a pitch [pardon the pun] to my employer of the time that they might care to share in this bonanza, since we had much of the equipment standing idle in a suitable facility, and all the skill set required, to produce the shortly arriving CD in volume. They declined, making sufficient outrageous profit from photocopiers, which was problem enough to cope with...

the world is full of companies who could have been part of the next big thing but instead decided to make a slightly different fax machine or similar

[aleopardstail]

Applying paint to plywood

not planning on giving up the day job, looks better than the road straight into sky though

[Phred]

Ah! That street light will look good shining on the tree rather than the sky.

[aleopardstail]

Ah! That street light will look good shining on the tree rather than the sky.

will be even better with a bit of matt varnish added

[aleopardstail]

bit more playing, currently waiting the PVA to cure, then will be going back with diluted PVA & washing up liquid to soak the lot and lock it all firmly (likely adding a bit of coloured scatter over the top at the same time)

no officer, its just coloured sponge no matter what it looks like

[aleopardstail]

Side project update

prototype DCC function decoder, its possible it needs to be slightly smaller

not tested the code as yet, but it will power up from DCC track power, 13.3V DC and 5V DC power supplies from the 16V DCC feed.

just lights the LEDs so far, set up for the code and should be adapting that and testing this week

[aleopardstail]

tested that.. mixed results, when Decoder Pro says "who are you" it flashes its lights, however all four LEDs draw about 8mA together in total.. slightly short of the 60mA current draw difference needed...

job for later in the week, give it a higher current draw - likely a string of white LEDs with a drive transistor

so far its meant to be on address 3 but does not respond. the flashing lights mean it is at least picking the packets up so hopefully Decoder Pro will be able to help work this out (it will be something trivial)

[aleopardstail]

small progress

https://youtube.com/shorts/3oKPm3qtPzM?feature=share

now have the prototype DCC accessory decoder starting to work, well it finally responds to commands. more work needed

not least to make it a wee bit smaller

[aleopardstail]

Got around to having a play with KaDee couplings..

Ordered some #18, have to start somewhere, and fitted them to the back of the J26, front of a brake van and outer ends of the Oxford rail 7 plank rake I have

installation is reasonably simple, though I have yet to adjust the metal drop down, and it does need adjusting as its catching the rails. this tends to suggest the couplers are too low. don't have the height gauge either (need to order than and the pilers). they look better than tension locks. not perfect but better. mostly because they don't stick out so far.

provides much closer coupling, which wagon to wagon is fine, they manage my 18" curves without the buffers touching, but close.

however the J26 and the brakevan we binding on curves, cured by ordering some of the slightly longer #19 for them and they too now manage the curves without binding

need to adjust the droppers to actually drive a circuit though so its not totally "plug & play"

there is a lot less slop though which is partly what I'm after as this should help with gradients and the rear of the train crossing the hump and then going into compression at the front which has caused a few issues

fair bit more testing needed, including modification of some coaches to take them which is going to mean printing some adaptors but hopefully the older hornby clerestory coaches will look a bit better without a two mile gap between the vehicles

[aleopardstail]

KaDee height gauge has arrived, seems the NEM pockets on the Oxford Rail wagons and the Bachmann brake van and the J26 are all slightly too low...

all the metal pins need adjusting.

ahh well

[Phred]

I routinely cut the metal dropper things off as they're always catching on something, look kinda ugly and I don't use magnetic uncoupling anyway.
That's just me though. Other people have different requirements, obviously.

[aleopardstail]

I routinely cut the metal dropper things off as they're always catching on something, look kinda ugly and I don't use magnetic uncoupling anyway.
That's just me though. Other people have different requirements, obviously.

don't need the uncouple thing just yet, but eventually this layout will get the actual station, honest.. no really.. *cries*

and then I'll need it. should be a few seconds with the pliers when they arrive so not too fussed.. just another of those "here is a standard, look we almost comply with it..." things