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Post by ztrack on Mar 22, 2020 21:09:52 GMT -5
This weekend was all Ztrack work. Working on the next couple issues of Ztrack Magazine. Today was also preparing for the AZL April releases. This meant sorting new items, and taking lots of photos. I did run trains on our T-Trak-Z modules. Mostly ES44ACs with a string of MAXI behind them. Fortunately, while we are told to stay home here in Ohio, the Ztrack offices are still open for us to do work. We can walk to the office from our house. Rob
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Post by husafreak on Mar 26, 2020 20:19:23 GMT -5
I have all my turnouts wire to the control panel. Don't laugh at the temporary makings. I am going to punch a larger one to give a more finished look. I am a little frustrated with the Rokuhan turnouts. They don't seem to throw consistently everytime. I sometimes have to throw them back and forth and I still get the occasional derailment from one that didn't fully activate. I'm wondering if my voltage is too low (6 volt wall wart). But I am afraid to fry them too. I remember someone had a circuit that sent a pulse and then cut out. I may need to do that myself. I had issues with my Rokuhan turnouts initially using battery power, and I was even using a large 9.9V LiFe pack. It wasn't until I started using Rokuhan wall wart power that the switches became truly reliable. The spec on those is 12.0V.
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Post by husafreak on Mar 26, 2020 20:32:32 GMT -5
Upgraded my DC-DCC loco test and programming track. I had a spare display stand and needed something to quickly test a DCC loco or other DCC changes. Early on, I mounted 2 tracks, N (for the wifey) and Z for me. I mounted an NCE Power Cab panel (upside-down) up front to match their idiotic orientation of their manual. I added a green LED for DC 12 Volt power and wired the small red Cab Bus wire to the Track Power. This has worked fine at shows for sometime. Now, I wanted to include a separate DC test track as I no longer had the 195mm oval. I used a modern PWM module (available everwhere for $2) in back of of the Power Cab board and jumpered the DC power from the Power Cab board. This let me plug in either a 2.1mm or more common 2.1 power source. I mounted the remote Voltage adjust and, a Reverse-Stop-Forward Switch But all of these types of PWM do not go to true Zero volts (due how the adjustable voltage regulator IC works) so I also added a 12 Volt incandescent bulb (red) to assure the lowest non-zero volts (o.053 for mine). No DC motor should turn with this low voltage and its not critical. I just wanted to get relative 'speeds' at 9 & 12 o'clock. Then, I needed a USB connection to the Power Cab so added their USB interface board on top of the Power Cab Panel: Jeff can you tell me which 12.0V power supply you are using? We had talked about using 12.0V 2.0A center positive power supplies in place of the NCE sourced 13.8V 1.8A one. There are lots of different ones on fleabay but none of them specify the plug size. I noticed my Rokuhan 12.0V wall warts do not fit. The outer barrel is 5.5mm but the center pin on the NCE panel is too large, so it has to be the right one.
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Post by markm on Mar 27, 2020 21:27:22 GMT -5
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Post by husafreak on Mar 29, 2020 12:53:20 GMT -5
I think I bought something like that at Radio Shack about 25 years ago for a guitar accessory. They are bulky and easy to screw up polarity but good. At least the top voltage is 12V! Thanks. And obviously the center pins on 5.5mm barrels are either 2.5 or 2.1mm so obviously the NCE uses 2.5 and the Rokuhan/Snail Speed uses 2.1. But the Snail Speed is center negative while the NCE/Rokuhan are center positive. A great argument for the Radio Shack component as a "handy to have around" item!
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Post by BAZman on Mar 29, 2020 21:06:23 GMT -5
they are 5.5mm O.D. x 2.5mm I.D. 12V/2A are VERY popular. A lot for CATV cameras. Amazon, ebay, MPJA, etc. but most likely "$5.95"
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2020 2:58:30 GMT -5
Built Faller's factory ... Glued on an Evergreen plate ("concrete" colour by Heki), and a 10 mm plywood, which will hold up the street along the factory. The funnel is not yet glued in place. I put transparent, grey printed decals on the photoetched parts, it looks more realistic than bare brass.
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rray
Fireman
Retired and model railroading till the last train out!
Posts: 87
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Post by rray on Mar 30, 2020 15:39:55 GMT -5
Built Faller's factory ... I have that kit, I picked it up when they came out. I really like the conveyor bucket between buildings, but I have not built mine yet. The last thing I done was built a water tank for my module: And I made some Crookneck lamps for the Lester Depot that I am building now to replace the one in the photo above:
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Post by husafreak on Mar 31, 2020 0:00:03 GMT -5
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Post by atw on Apr 6, 2020 6:50:05 GMT -5
Planted 79 of those (in)famously cheap eBay trees from China on my 22" wide module. Naturally, they all look the same and not like much on their own, but grouped together in different sizes and hues the overall effect isn't too bad. Attachments:
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Post by rvn2001 on Apr 6, 2020 8:29:23 GMT -5
I finished the Amtrak shorty train I was working on and started converting the MOPAC sleeper car into a dining car.
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Post by smr on Apr 6, 2020 10:46:55 GMT -5
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Post by BAZman on Apr 6, 2020 14:54:48 GMT -5
ATW: a couple of spray paint colors does the trick. Move fast across (up-down, left-right) to get various blends.
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Post by husafreak on Apr 8, 2020 12:22:25 GMT -5
Awesome swr! Looking forward to that coffee table book! Just what I was thinking. The trees look good, just need to break up the color uniformity a bit.
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Post by tjdreams on Apr 8, 2020 12:59:19 GMT -5
Sorry I'm A little slow posting my weekend update this week. But in my defense i had to wait for some LED's to arrive before i could glue the roof on. 15 LED's in total. I'm hoping the benches and shipping carts will arrive with the passengers when the next train pulls in More pictures can be found in my Archistories Cardboard Kits thread
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