What did you order or the post deliver? (Japanese N Gauge)

[keiman]

Sounds interesting, who makes it? Would be something interesting to have waiting at a level crossing.

Have got problems with camera at present but will post a new thread as soon as fixed.

do a search for "BICYC-LED" and that should bring up the manufacturers web site- uses Preiser figures .

[cteno4]

The manufacturer's site looks to be in some endless redirect loop right now for the page, but found a good review of them on a german site

 

http://www.1zu160.net/test/bicycled-fahrrad-motorrad-beleuchtet.php

 

quite cute, then would need to start on all the vehicles! probably easier to put a smd led in the trunk and run fiberoptic to all the lights on cars and trucks.

 

i have a dream of putting full fiber optic lighting on the 4 n scale dekatora trucks i have. would be a wild sight!

 

please do start a thread on these when you get them out and play with them!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[KenS]

The link worked for me earlier today.  They're interesting, but the photo of the N-scale version turned out to be a photo of the HO one (it's in the fine print), so it wasn't clear how the model looked close-up (the HO one looked great, with both a cone-shaped headlight offset from the frame slightly, and a tail light mounted to the mudguard on the rear wheel).

 

I don't really think I'd want a lit bicycle, unless I was doing a night scene with all the cars lit too.  I suppose you could come up with some scene that justified a lone bicyclist on an empty road, but it seems like it would look odd (as would a bike with lights when all the cars are dark).

[westfalen]

Sounds interesting, who makes it? Would be something interesting to have waiting at a level crossing.

Have got problems with camera at present but will post a new thread as soon as fixed.

do a search for "BICYC-LED" and that should bring up the manufacturers web site- uses Preiser figures .

All I get is links to full size LED bicycle lights.

[KenS]

That happened to me the first time, because Google helpfully substituted "Bicycle LED" for "BICYC-LED", but it put the other at the top as a link, and clicking on it gets a page with the correct link the seventh down:

 

http://www.ekmpowershop4.com/ekmps/shops/morrismodels/bicyc-led-cyclists-with-working-lights-164-c.asp

[westfalen]

That happened to me the first time, because Google helpfully substituted "Bicycle LED" for "BICYC-LED", but it put the other at the top as a link, and clicking on it gets a page with the correct link the seventh down:

 

http://www.ekmpowershop4.com/ekmps/shops/morrismodels/bicyc-led-cyclists-with-working-lights-164-c.asp

Got it now, thanks.

[Fenway Park]

Hi

 

Collected my Kato DD54 today from the Post Office. Purchased from E Bay. Arrived in excellent condition.

 

Ordered C11 304 from HS.

[KenS]

HS just accepted my payment for the preordered Rapit and 189 Ayano trains. Since both sold out within hours of appearing on the site, I'm really glad I preordered. If they're up to their recent performance, I should have these next week before the holiday.

 

I also just bought $50 worth of surface-mount tantalum capacitors, for my continuing experiments in de-flickering my train car lighting. Once I get beyond the prototype stage and have some results, I'll post something in the DCC & Electrical forum, but for the curious I posted about the first round of design/experimentation on my site last month.

[cteno4]

HS just accepted my payment for the preordered Rapit and 189 Ayano trains. Since both sold out within hours of appearing on the site, I'm really glad I preordered. If they're up to their recent performance, I should have these next week before the holiday.

 

I also just bought $50 worth of surface-mount tantalum capacitors, for my continuing experiments in de-flickering my train car lighting. Once I get beyond the prototype stage and have some results, I'll post something in the DCC & Electrical forum, but for the curious I posted about the first round of design/experimentation on my site last month.

 

Ken,

 

Enjoy, you will really like rapit!

 

hey really looking forward to your capacitor results. i have always wondered why there is not a simple circuit for doing this to even out power for lighting and engines like this. seems like it would not be all that hard to do.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[cteno4]

ok the post didnt bring it i picked it up...

 

my lighted magnifying glass was bothering me as it was sort of small (like 5" dia) and kind of deep so was not so easy to work with. light also was not as bright as i would have liked. happened to be at ac moores with a 50% off coupon and ran across the natural light 7" magnifyer on a arm. even at half off it was $70, but its really nice and very shallow and very bright! much easier on the eyes to manipulate small parts with! eyes are not what they were! not cheap and not planning on the purchase, but now that i have it im really glad as its so much nicer to use!

 

http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/EP86911152.htm?utm_medium=productsearch&utm_source=Google

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Mudkip Orange]

From MB Klein:

 

5x Atlas terminal joiners, 1x Atlas insulated joiners, 1x Xuron tool.

[David]

I received my learn to solder kit and the new Zephyr Xtra with some decoders.

 

On the soldering front I have a lot to learn. The kit is fairly good so far, though I think there should be more instructions for some of basics (there where no instructions for setting up the stand for the soldering iron, and some of the beginner activities require you to "tin" some pieces of wire before applying them to the board - it described how to tin the tip of the iron, but never explained how to do it with a piece of wire).

 

The Zephyr Xtra is good and bad. It will do what I want it to do (3 amps, 20 locos, all programming access and computer control), and I've been pleased so far in that it hasn't had obvious faults or parts that fail out of the box like so many other pieces of NA equipment. However Digitrax is still selling stuff that looks like it was made in someones garage: It's an obvious project box, with every label a sticker (even the window over the 4 character display is actually part of the adhesive overlay). The rear connections aren't flush with the box (some are inside, while others have visible green circuit board protruding). The box it came in is a literal white box you can buy at staples, with a single sticker wrapped over 2 sides to provide the labels. The sizing of the box isn't even right - width wise it has air bubble packing to fill the big gap, while height wise it is too short: The power supply, which is actually packed in a properly printed box, was crushed (the box was crushed, not the power supply).

 

I'm happy with the product, but Digitrax's inability to grasp the concept of manufacturing ensures I won't be buying anything more expensive from them (they have wireless throttles for example, but there is no way I'll buy one for that much when this is what I'll get for my money).

 

As for the decoders, I've only installed the Kato decoders on my E127-0 and E127-100. Thanks to the instructions on this board I had no problems at all programming them (4 digit address), and I just need to play with the speed tables to get more prototypical speed and a 'compressed' prototypical acceleration and braking. My only comment is the FL12 decoders are amazingly hard to get in - I didn't have the issues with them not working (only 1 failed to work the first time, and was fixed in 5 seconds with a nudge), but actually pushed them into the slot required a huge amount of force - I had to take apart the entire car in order to reduce the pressure on the pickup so that they would go in. By contrast the EM13s where a 10 second install, with no force required - I was only a bit concerned at how close that shaft is to the top of the chip.

[Bernard]

David - Congratulations on your purchase. The good thing about the Zephyr system (if you live in the USA) is almost every LHS carries it and if you have problems can instruct you what to do. I have the Lenz 100 and none of my LHS carry it so it's all online for me.

 

For your 1st install I highly recommend you do it to a Kato set where the center car is the motor. It's fairly simple (you don't use the light control wires from the decoder) and there are a lot of "photo step by step" examples here at the forum that you can follow. Basically the majority of installs for the Kato models are the same.

I don't recommend a Tomix train as your first install, the interior design varies from model to model and it can be confusing.

Once you get the hang of soldering it will be a breeze and the installs will be more secure than the slide in decoders. Have fun!

[David]

David - Congratulations on your purchase. The good thing about the Zephyr system (if you live in the USA) is almost every LHS carries it and if you have problems can instruct you what to do. I have the Lenz 100 and none of my LHS carry it so it's all online for me.

 

For your 1st install I highly recommend you do it to a Kato set where the center car is the motor. It's fairly simple (you don't use the light control wires from the decoder) and there are a lot of "photo step by step" examples here at the forum that you can follow. Basically the majority of installs for the Kato models are the same.

I don't recommend a Tomix train as your first install, the interior design varies from model to model and it can be confusing.

Once you get the hang of soldering it will be a breeze and the installs will be more secure than the slide in decoders. Have fun!

 

In addition to the drop in decoders (I've installed 2 sets, the third will go into one of my 10 car commuter sets), I received a single DZ125 and some DS51K1 decoders. My plan is after I've completed the soldering kit, I'll move on to installing a DS51K1 into a #6 switch - it's a very straight forward install with everything isolated, big pads on a flat surface, and only 4 wires). Once I've done the #6 and #4 switches I'll try installing the DX125 into my Microace MCR600 - the model is very basic, and there is only the motor to wire up (no lights). After that I can start looking into the harder installs.

 

After I've done some of the harder Kato installs (I'll need the 6 function decoder to wire up my powered Kiha 110, since I want to control room lights in addition to individual control over the other 4 lights, so it can turn off the right lights when in a consist) I'll get to my one Tomix locomotive, the ED75-1000. If I can do the install on that without ruining it I will probably buy some more, as it is an absolutely fantastic model.

[marknewton]

Sorry, I'd already replied earlier to this.

[marknewton]

Likewise! I've been off work for a couple of days with a middle ear infection, and the drugs are making me a bit dopey!

[marknewton]

Nice lineup there, Mark.  We seem to share the same tastes in rolling stock 

What's that old saying, "Great minds think alike"? 

 

I intend to purchase a couple of the MicroAce kiha 52 when they reissue it in the earlier JNR paint schemes, including non-powered versions.  I also have an eye on the Tomix Kotoden unit- I'm not an electric modeler, but I have a vision of a station scene where a private line has its terminus next to the JNR station headhouse, as is so common in Japan.

I think you'll be very happy with both models, BB. I like your idea for the private line adjoining the JNR - the best of both worlds as it were.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Mudkip Orange]

From Hattons:

 

1x Peco Code 80 Medium LH Electrofrog

1x Peco Code 80 Medium RH Electrofrog

1x Peco Code 80 Medium Y Electrofrog

1x T.A.R.D.I.S.

[marknewton]

A Tardis, eh? Interesting. Has the Doctor ever been to Japan? 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Mudkip Orange]

Has the Doctor ever been to Japan? 

 

He has now.

 

 

 

"Something is wrong with time. This railway should have been completed by now!"

[angusmclean]

I recently ordered a Microace C51.20 steam loco, due for release in April 2011, presumably to coincide with the commissioning after overhaul by JR East of the full-scale version for use in hauling tourist and charter trains, along with their C58 and D51.

 

Angus

[ShinCanadaSen]

Funny Mudkip,

 

I just picked up a TARDIS as well ! That and 2 HO Austin minis for my mini collection were the only interesting things I found at a local train show :(

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I collected a Nankai Rap:t from the local parcelforce depot today! Hooray!  :blob5:

 

It went nowhere near the JR Eastern section of the Chuo line, but I don't care...it is going to be a serious crowd-pleaser at our next exhibition showing...

[Claude_Dreyfus]

A Tardis, eh? Interesting. Has the Doctor ever been to Japan? 

 

 

Funnily enough he's paid a visit to Yamanouchi Oshika in the past as well!

[Mudkip Orange]

From Hattons:

 

25-pack Peco concrete tie flextrack

 

(same order, shipped separately)

 

Now the real fun begins...