What happened at your workbench today?

Madman said:
I'm sure you know what you're doing, but I am completely in the dark about the "Dark Arts".....:giggle:
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It's a bit like the old cider advert, 'it's a bit too strong for me but I like the men that drink it' if you get my drift.

Each to their own :nod::nod::nod: and I am a simpleton. I understand DC - two wires, where the little electrons run up one and back down the other, and that's about as far as it goes :emo::emo::emo:
 
Rhinochugger said:
It's a bit like the old cider advert, 'it's a bit too strong for me but I like the men that drink it' if you get my drift.

Each to their own :nod::nod::nod: and I am a simpleton. I understand DC - two wires, where the little electrons run up one and back down the other, and that's about as far as it goes :emo::emo::emo:
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Years ago I read a piece by Alan Coren supposedly describing the workings of electricity. It was very well written and quite convincing possibly if you knew nothing about the subject. Basically, the description was that electricity consisted of red stuff and blue stuff (as you can see, an old piece of writing, and wiring) and when you turned the socket on this allowed them to mix and produce electricity but if things were out of balance an excess of the brown stuff was produced leading to a flash and a bang, but with much more "technical detail" than that.
 
Interesting couple of days, getting our friends Caravan on and off the front drive was a challenge.

Anyways whilst they were here, my Old Mucker needed some pointers and tips, and an economical solution for his next stage expansion of their Garden Railway.

Without further ado and minimal extra text, made up a master for him to copy, and enough components to make up ten sets, should keep him occupied for several weeks.
LGB Point Motor Control Pulsed DC.jpg

Point Motor Control Waveforms.jpg

Don't you just love a challenge, yep a H Bridge can operate a point motor.
Now I remember why those god awful push to make push buttons were consigned to the junk box, now they have permanent residence in the wheelie bin!
LGB Point Motor Control H Bridge.jpg

And, finally adding a visual indicator as in a Signal.
Better produce a drawing for him to follow to replicate it!

H Bridge Point Motor Latched Relay OFF.jpg

H Bridge Point Motor Latched Relay ON.jpg

Wonder what he will come up with next, he's got three weeks touring around the North to ponder, before pitching up our drive, for the return trip back down South.

Back to our normal program, bits for the Crane have started to arrive..................
 
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Can I ask what sort of spec. (and cost) your oscilloscope was?

I do miss having access to good test equipment.

Thanks,
PhilP.
 
Weather abysmal, not much chance of any meaningful outdoor activity for another week or more.

Opportunity to continue the tinkering for the Playmobil Crane, discovered had two of these MD mXion SWD-ED decoders lurking in box, have to say somewhat disappointed with their performance, Option 3 for control via the thumbwheel is mediocre, not a patch on the Massoth* 8FS decoder.

*The newer Massoth 815260 10FX Function Decoder is a amalgamation of the Massoth 8152501 8FS Servo Decoder and the Massoth 8152001 8FL Function Decoder, same CV's and values, same ability for finite Servo control.

Even more disturbing the MD mXion SWD-ED decoder is tailored to work with those appalling dreadful cheapskate 9g Servos, anyways to cut a long story short, the whole caboodle has been consigned to the junk box.

MD mXion SWD-ED.jpg

Moving swiftly along testing a selection of FA130 motors, no intention of boring the masses with the technical details, one shown below total non starter, along with a host of others, they too have been tossed into the junk box.
R130 Motor 0.63mA.jpg

The MTR2 (FA130) Motor as below, low voltage requirement, minimal mA current rating, smooth transition going both Up and Down the PWM scale, very little in the way of electrical noise that would affect attached electronic components, these will be used as a Benchmark against the one's supplied with the Crane.
MTR2 Motor 2.4V to 1.83V.jpg
MTR2 Motor 3.00V to 2.79V.jpg
MTR2 Motor 4.10V to 3.72V.jpg

Time to fire up the 3D printer, have a few ideas that need attending too..........and it's warm and dry indoors!
 
Recently got some bits n bobs from idlemarvel idlemarvel including 2 buildings. They were buikd but some loose parts had been thoughtfully sellotaped to the base with other loose bits in bags. Decided to return them both to kits so that I can maybes make a bespoke station out of them. Other parts sorted before use in the garden though the fouling point markers will be going to the loft railway. Not quite sure where the shunt signal will be used just yet, but it is such a nice piece tyat it must find a use somewhere.
IMG_7453.jpeg
 
A little more work on the Double Fairlie. A quick coat of primer to show up where more filler is needed and the cylinders have been printed and detailed caps fitted. 20230724_153040.jpg

I have purchased a couple of PDF motors and gearboxes, and these will fit nicely into the frames.
20230718_115421.jpg
 
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Today was one of those Doh! days.

Preamble, more or less given up dealing with Analogue, the vast majority of the usable and serviceable parts have been shipped to the South West to a pal of mine.

Long term goal was to start on the this, but every time a chassis was acquired, it was Blagged off me for the variety of indoor and window display layouts.

Not this time, three brand NEW chassis found their way into my possession, don't ask!

Diema DS60.jpg


Then the Doh! moment, had nothing to test them with!

Problem soon sorted............

DC Controller.jpg

Anyways got to dash, EVRI just arrived, which means The Crane is here................
 
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Whoop Whoop!, all complete, even came with the Batteries installed, tested, all working, one Happy Bunny. :)

Playmobil Crane.jpg
 
Not a lot to get excited about, mainly mundane run of the mill things.

Raided the junk box for the remnants of anything useful, the remainder, now well on it's way to the Local Incinerator.

'Herself' and the Girls are out to a ABBA Tribute night later, six hours of bliss!:giggle:

Well six hours to make a very loud racket, found a select collection of Electric Crane Sounds, going to give the Boom Box speakers a workout!:D

Bridge Rectifiers and Voltage Regulators.jpg
 
3 minutes of fame said:
A little more work on the Double Fairlie. A quick coat of primer to show up where more filler is needed and the cylinders have been printed and detailed caps fitted. View attachment 316242

I have purchased a couple of PDF motors and gearboxes, and these will fit nicely into the frames.
View attachment 316243
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Would you mind revealing the source of the PDF motors and gearboxes? Thanks.
 
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