Re: BARGAINS!

[centenary]

I suspect some of the issues people have with DCC loco sound is, many people dont turn the volume down via the cv's and just leave it as factory default.

Ah! Which CV's control volume? The CV lists with both my sound equipped engines don't have them listed, thought Western one has "Fade Out" (which, apparently, "reduces sound Doppler effect by 25%". i.e. makes it rather less loud). I did google around for volume setting when I first went DCC, a couple of years back, but maybe wasn't keen enough. Or went down some other rabbit hole instead...

Overall sound volume should be controlled via cv63. On Loksound5, the range is 0-192 with factory default 180! Individual sounds can be adjusted by relevant cvs ranging from 359 to 395. But you'd have to download the full instructions for your particular chip manufacturer.

[Richard08]

Overall sound volume should be controlled via cv63. On Loksound5, the range is 0-192 with factory default 180! Individual sounds can be adjusted by relevant cvs ranging from 359 to 395. But you'd have to download the full instructions for your particular chip manufacturer.Soundcvs.png

Cheers for that. CV266 (range 0 - 255 on Zimo) seems to be relevant too where appropriate. I guess it's manufacturer specific thing. Seems an odd omission from the standard, bearing in mind potentially irritated parents etc. Hey ho!

[Bigmet]

...Cheers for that. CV266 (range 0 - 255 on Zimo) seems to be relevant too where appropriate. I guess it's manufacturer specific thing. Seems an odd omission from the standard, bearing in mind potentially irritated parents etc. Hey ho!

Sound is a relative latecomer to DCC, a 'bolt-on' to the existing system that became possible when miniature solid state memory sufficient to hold the sound files became really cheap.

The original 'silent' DCC you will notice has a fairly small set of 'universal' defined CV's which control the key instructions to allow interoperability, so that accessing a DCC decoder for motor control may be achieved on any DCC system. But that's as far as the standard runs; thereafter it's pretty much a free for all, and manufacturers are free to assign functionality to any CV number they choose.

[Mountain]

It is very clever stuff to be honest. (DCC sound), and when I used to have a DCC sound loco, it brought our hobby into a different league. (Which I quickly boxed it back up after testing as changing all the other locos I have to DCC sound would have bankrupped me for years to come!)

On another similar subject but somewhat simpler...

I have just recieved a pair of old DC controllers and I am thrilled with them. I will be changing a rubber grommet on thenold Triang one which is starting to show signs of age, but apart from that it is like new, and will be ideal for my little layout. (Is earthed so if the worst happened it better than not earthed, but I am extra safety concious so I will find a better grommet for it. Other than that it looks excellent). The other is a H&M Clipper which looks reasonably good. Is not quite in showroom condition like the Triang controller is, but it is ideal for when I get to build a permanent layout, as the little Triang controller will suppliament my home made 12v battery example (Which is having delays) for the portable layout. It is all looking very nice.

I am actually wondering what to do with my DCC and remaining 00 gauge collection. Some may say "What a nice position to be in!"

Think I will set up a test track in the shed I think so I can give them a run as many have not run since new.

Downsizing is the plan as the less I have the more I can concentrate on 0-16.5... Though I do admit I need to actually get some trains running. Anything!

[Richard08]

..

The original 'silent' DCC you will notice has a fairly small set of 'universal' defined CV's which control the key instructions to allow interoperability, so that accessing a DCC decoder for motor control may be achieved on any DCC system. But that's as far as the standard runs; thereafter it's pretty much a free for all, and manufacturers are free to assign functionality to any CV number they choose.

Coming from a software background, I think it's a very bad idea not to update the standards as new developments come along. The result of not doing so undermines the standard over time. I went through all this with HTML, producing one of the very first interactive CDs. Due to the standard being established and kept up to date there were few, if any, backwards compatibility issues (obviously this excludes Microsoft). The two other front runners for what became HTML fell by the wayside due to never really establishing standards (and not being all that good admittedly).

[Bigmet]

... I think it's a very bad idea not to update the standards as new developments come along. The result of not doing so undermines the standard over time...

It's as close to a miracle as you will ever see, that the NMRA managed to 'herd the cats' representing the manufacturers serving a modest scale hobby interest, to achieve convergence on the version of DCC demonstrated by Lenz as 'standard' for two rail*. Pragmatically, I quickly enough learned to restrict my purchases to Lenz and Zimo, two manufacturers that (to date!) 'play nicely' without fail.

*On which, when first reading Lenz' own documentation 20 odd years ago while appraising what system to purchase, I was a little puzzled by the very forceful statement that their system should not be used on three rail or overhead supply layouts. A low voltage motor is a low voltage motor, what's the problem? It was subsequently explained to me that Lenz and Marklin had shared development effort, and agreed to avoid a turf war thus...

[Bigmet]

Hattons appear to be adding items to the bargain s/h listings; just picked up a few more useful items for projects and spares which will keep me busy for the next 6 months.

[mkrob]

Brake vans for £9.99 @ Kernow.

https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/c ... r-a-tenner

Also Hereford models have various Bachmann 3 pack tank wagons from £25.95 -£29.95

https://herefordmodels.com/index.php?ma ... ts_id=6078

https://herefordmodels.com/index.php?ma ... ts_id=6076

https://herefordmodels.com/index.php?ma ... ts_id=6077

[Bufferstop]

Coming from a software background, I think it's a very bad idea not to update the standards as new developments come along.

There's a story about updating and consolidating standards. Goes something like this:-
A group of manufacturers are discussing problems in the IT market place. One of them says there are fourteen different sockets and configurations for interconnection, we should agree a single standard. They all agree and set up a committee to design a new standard. Two years later the new connector is ready for production and the companies agree to introduce it as new models come along. Another two years down the line there are now fifteen different sockets and configurations.

[Bigmet]

This is a chronic problem. A new standard 'whatever' should be a complete 'killer' solution which consigns all previous into swift extinction, by the operation of the market. Anything else is useless multiplication, which adds cost.

A winner, petrol (gasoline) pump nozzles. One size fits all. (Failure, not introducing a different, truly incompatible nozzle, for diesel; too late in the day now for change there.)

Let's see what sort of mess we end up with on electric cars.

Our own in model railway, the plux, a solution looking for a problem.

[Richard08]

There's a story about updating and consolidating standards. Goes something like this:-
A group of manufacturers are discussing problems in the IT market place. One of them says there are fourteen different sockets and configurations for interconnection, we should agree a single standard. They all agree and set up a committee to design a new standard. Two years later the new connector is ready for production and the companies agree to introduce it as new models come along. Another two years down the line there are now fifteen different sockets and configurations.

Well my experience in the computer world is that, post IBM and Microsoft domination (both of whom tried to use market dominance to decide that their propriety efforts were the de facto standards to prevent interoperability with rivals), standards were/are established reasonably quickly and get almost universal acceptance - everyone acknowledges the advantages (cost - no need to reinvent the wheel). Obviously this excludes Apple with stunts like their totally unnecessary propriety phone charger connectors (now banned by the EU ), headphone sockets etc.

My first job post graduation (mature student, post my BR days) was to create one of the very first 'interactive' CDs (wooo, hyperlinks!), the first decision being which markup 'language' to use. There were three contenders being pushed by various organizations, I forget what the the other two were (they died without trace), but HTML was gaining some traction as a standard so I/we elected to go that route. My Mk.1 browser still works today under a RISC PC emulator on my PC - that's why I like standards.

[luckymucklebackit]

https://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/sit ... us/InStock

The Hattons Xmas Sale showing some heafty discounts on certain locos, Steady Aim now purchased.

Jim

[End2end]

20% off at Scalecast (Linka)
Use CODE at checkout BLACK22
https://www.scalecast.co.uk/?mc_cid=a54297e917#/
Thanks
End2end

[GeraldH]

These have been around for a while, but not everyone may be aware of them...
Replica Railways Mk1 full brake BGs' for £18.50 in NSE, Scotrail BR Crimson and Provincial
http://www.replicarailways.co.uk/menusep3/menuassembled

There are also some cheap bits and pieces elsewhere on the website like coach bodies for £2.15.

[GeraldH]

It looks like Lidl last week had a cordless Dremel type tool and various attachments in stock. They seem to have removed the info online, but some stores still have stock this week and I picked up a pack of cutting disks very cheaply yesterday. I find their bits work very well on my Dremel copy.