Recent content by TWaters

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    What DC voltage is ideal for KATO switch machines?

    Kato DC turnout machines 2-503 and 2-504 used on KATO HO Unitrack (URL spec sheet here): http://www.katousa.com/PDF/HO-Unitrack.pdf Can I just use a Radio Shack heavy duty 3 amp 12 volt DC power supply to operate the turnouts? Or is more voltage (18 volts perhaps) necessary? Thanks!
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    Activate a remote switch machine and show their position with a LED indicator

    thanks spacemouse! I'm not the OP but your message solves the same question for me.
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    Why is the hobby in trouble?

    I can't say you are wrong. But I was under the impression that the demographic group targeted by marketers was the young adults precisely because it was they who have the most disposable discretionary income. Witness the tv networks primetime program lineup. It most certainly does not...
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    Why is the hobby in trouble?

    JDETRAY WROTE ,<<<" I am involved in 4 workshop/technical hobbies, or as I think of them, "hands-on hobbies": Model Railroading R/C Aircraft Amateur Astronomy Ham Radio In all 4 of these hobbies, the refrain is the same: "This hobby is in trouble. Where are the youngsters?" >>> I...
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    How high is your layout?

    27" for a sitdown 4x8 HO layout. Because the "benchwork" is simply a Lifetime Model #60040 2 foot(D) x5 foot(L) x27"(H) deck box bought on sale at Lowes. The box features pivoting air shock absorber hinges (like camper shells have). Plywood sheet velcroes on top of dieckbox lid. With sheet...
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    Why is the hobby in trouble?

    Real life engines racing along by are not the splendiferous sight they once were. For tens of thousands of years the fastest way to travel was horse and buggy or ship at sea. Way back in high school I was astonished to read that the majority of folks living from the dawn of history up untill...
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    How high is your layout?

    Astronomy fans know about adjustable height seats and discuss them in their forums(telescope eyepiece height varies as you point towards horizon to zenith). I use the shortest one of these which I learned about on cloudy nights forum (astronomy). The taller ones are more popular. The "Astro...
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    n vs. ho

    As the decades rolled by technology allowed making scales smaller and smaller. Roughly speaking G is twice large as 0, 0 is twice large as H0, H0 is twice N. G think garden, i.e. outdoors (British call their lawns gardens). 0 think living room floor. Lionel layed out on the carpet. H0...
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    Unusual trend in sales.

    Industries that save money thrive in hard times. Witness the '30s golden age of radio. The way to hear the latest popular tune before that was buy a phonograph record. But with radio you only paid once, and then listened to the local station's huge stack of wax every night for free. Victrola...
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    n vs. ho

    All I do is in N scale. If I had it to do over, I would go HO. Easier to take apart and repair the engines and fix the track turnouts that aren't working 100% because everything is 4 times bigger, volume wise 4X = 2X linear. MUCH easier :) With HO you use hand tools. N requires...
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