Recent content by rrinker


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    NCE Power Pro or Digitrax Super Chief??

    If you already have a Zephyr - don't waste it, go with the Super Chief. If you have any thoughts of going to a signalling and detection system later on - Loconet has a huge advantage over ANY other system. All the others use polled serial busses. Loconet is a peer to peer network. This is why...
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    Rail Paint Tool?

    We WERE going to get one of those, but my father-in-law just took one of his fine brushes and some Poly-S paint and went to town, the sides of all the rails are now painted and it wasn't a big deal even without the special tool. It all got two coats, one with a rusty brown and then aged black on...
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    DCC Computer Interfaces?

    The MS100 just matches signal levels between the serial port and the loconet. It relies on the PC being able to support the odd baud rate of Loconet, which most serial ports can, but some brands of USB to serial adapters cannot. And if the PC is busy with some other task and a packet comes in...
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    Do you use DCC?

    I suspect you can get them at that price from several vendors - but I KNOW i get them for that price from Tim at Empire Northern: http://www.empirenorthernmodels.com Just a satisifed customer, have no other connection with them. --Randy
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    Turnout Control

    If the DCC system can control accessory decoders, then you can control turnouts with such devices. Some brands handle both snap-action machines and slow motion machines like the Tortoise, other brands sell a seperate device for each type of swith motor (and Kato ones are different still...
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    WoooHooo, Stewart FT's!

    Those Stewarts are GREAT runners. My F7 with the Buhler motor, on DC, would coast a good 20 feet from full throttle, AND keep the LED headlight lit while doing so! Detail Associates (or is it Details West? always mix them up) sells a handy dress-up kit with all the grabs and handrails for...
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    Older Atlas Locos

    Is this one with a Roco drive? They're pretty smooth runners, and should be easy to wire a decoder in. I have a pair of Atlas/Roco FP7's to do when I get around to soldering decoders in again. Check motor isolation, they are supposed to be isolated but maybe the one FP7 has a bare wire, or my...
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    Do you use DCC?

    Well, they DO have 4 outputs, so if all you have are the front and rear lights plus ditch lights, it's actually enough. --Randy
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    MR Forum-Goers' Roll Call

    Well I finally made it. The email sent for activation got sucked up in my spam filter. Bob resent it, now I'm here! --Randy
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    little problem... need some help

    The function outputs are rectified DC, so you can accurately measure the voltage being supplied to the functions. Blue is positive, any function lead is the negative. With a 1.5v bulb, you don't have a huge amount of room for error - and you definitely need to know the current draw to...
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    DCC Computer Interfaces?

    Locobuffer is the way to go if you use Digitrax. Don't bother with the MS100. I built my own Locobuffer rather inexpensively, using the blank circuit board from Hans DeLoof. I'm building one for another forum member, just as soon as the board gets here - the only drawback of DIY for this is that...
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    Do you use DCC?

    For inexpensive decoders - look at the NCE D13SRJ. A ten-pack ends up costing less than $12 each. As long as you don't need dozens of flashign ditch lights, they work well in all sorts of locomotives. Silent running and back-emf even! Amazing for the price. They are my fleet decoder of choice...
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    Block detection for hidden staging.

    Are you at all comfortable with soldering things? Check out Rob Paisley's site for all sorts of good stuff. An IR beam-blocker would probably work well in a hidden staging area - not too much ambient light to worry about. Beam-blockers are probaby better for staging since then you don't need any...



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