Guest Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 ...I have two in mind but need to fully brush up on the standards so I have something to shamefully fall short of. Unless you're planning to have the next meet in a fortnight, count me in (hopefully)... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Love to make one myself, but I can't commit right now. It's #3 on the list, and time constraints etc... Though since project #2 is an American HO industrial switcher to freemo standards it might at least fit with this system. Even if it would look a bit odd... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BlueLightning Posted June 29, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 29, 2015 I have at least 2 ides for future modular layouts that haven't been revealed yet. I see myself becoming a serial layout builder once my knee has been sorted. Gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 I'm so glad you had a great time. I've been away for the weekend so it was a nice start to the week reading this thread on the way to work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 I'll start a new thread shortly - but am thinking perhaps mid April so as to avoid easter weekend (25/28 March 2016) and 2/30 May bank holidays. Clearly the enthusiasm is still bubbling high and it seems a shame not to take advantage of it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Clearly the enthusiasm is still bubbling high and it seems a shame not to take advantage of it!But we need more areas and more volunteer organisers (it isn't fair on you to do all the work - even if you are able and have a good track record) Somehow even March seems a long way away and I know already that I'll not be available that weekend in May (but remember modules are not about one individual module but the collection on the day) I'd just like to see an event alongside an existing show and think it would be a great advert for the concept and encouragement for others to join in. As we have shown, all you need is a venue - some space to fill. It really doesn't take much to join in, nothing needs to be fancy a piece of OO track, some wire, 4 legs and any shape flat surface with end plates and you are in. What excuse can anyone have? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 TVNAM runs (this year at least) a freemo alongside the show, and I believe the S&S show in Redhill will also have a freemo layout, so such a project as part of a show is clearly popular in the American scene. And I guess there's nothing to stop anyone else hiring the village hall for a day... I'm well up for this modular lark. Even though I own no UK outline trains... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 It seems that there is some redevelopment of the hall due in the Spring so I can't book any date until the autumn when they have an idea of a timeline for the work - but we have plenty of time to work on stuff in the meantime Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 If you are having trouble with the system crashing - it is probably not JMRI but more likely the Lenz. Using a different command station should not be a problem if you are all wireless. Workarounds to alleviate the crashing problems with Lenz include:- 1. Use a serial interface so that you can restart the LZV100 (power it off and on) without having to restart JMRI which is an issue with the USB interfaces (don't know about the Ethernet interface). 2. Don't allow MultiMausen to be connected. Nothing wrong with the MultiMaus but the LZV100 does not like them. LokMaus2 are OK but only for driving trains with 2-digit addresses! These are not the only things that can cause a LZV100 to crash, just generally making the ExpressNet busy will crash it as well. These things only show up when you are using the Lenz in anger and are rarely seen in ordinary single operator day to day operation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted June 29, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 29, 2015 TVNAM runs (this year at least) a freemo alongside the show, and I believe the S&S show in Redhill will also have a freemo layout, so such a project as part of a show is clearly popular in the American scene. And I guess there's nothing to stop anyone else hiring the village hall for a day... I'm well up for this modular lark. Even though I own no UK outline trains... And some of those On30 modules will also be at the Seeboard Southern show this September - I will be helping to operate them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted June 29, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 29, 2015 I have occassional problems with our WI Throttle set up and JMRI at some venues and its normally been a confilct on the wifi channel with other wifi systems. I used to have my wireless router set on ' auto' but now i have fixed it to one channel. This may or may not have been the case on the day but worth checking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 2. Don't allow MultiMausen to be connected. Nothing wrong with the MultiMaus but the LZV100 does not like them. LokMaus2 are OK but only for driving trains with 2-digit addresses! We did have at least one Roco controller plugged in so I wonder if that might have been it? I do have the old serial interface but my laptop doesn't have a serial port so I have a USB > RS232 converter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 A USB to serial converter is fine because you can just restart the Lenz without affecting the USB convertor. It is probably worth getting a modern good quality N600 router as well rather than just relying on an old one that might not be as good as is required in difficult conditions to rule that out as a problem. Often with these things just a little glitch somewhere can escalate to become a bigger problem. If you are just using the basic features of the LZV100 think about using the Multimaus as the command station instead - if 4A track power is enough it may prove to be more reliable! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markw Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 The problem we had was with the connection from JMRI to the LZV100, after resetting the computer interface (XnTcp) and JMRI, although it appeared to connect ok, as soon as any command was sent the connection failed. Eventually by unplugging several throttles I was able to get it connected again. Since returning I have been able to recreate the fault. If I have 4 throttles connected then connect the computer interface it does not work With only 2 two throttles connected the interface then connects and works ok This made me think it is a power issue, so I found a 12v 1.7a power supply and used this to power the ExpressNet instead of the LZV100, this allowed the interface to work correctly when plugged in with 4 throttles allready connected We need to try this at another meet but I think it will solve at least some of the problems we had. As for the Multimaus, I know other people have reported problems using them with LZV100s but I have been using it for several years with my LZV100 in combination with LH90, LH100, LokMaus2, LIUSB and XnTcp and have never had any problems. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Nice work Mark - I hadn't even thought it was down to the amount of controllers causing a power issue; I know there must be some limit as to what the xbus can cope with "as is" - but hadn't realised it was only just a couple of controllers. I will try a similar solution here as I'm sure I have a 12v supply somewhere that will do the job. I assume you've just plugged it into one of the patch panels somewhere in the network and that's all is needed? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRC Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Great work on finding that Mark. Nice to know thas one potential problem we had resolved. I don't think anyone really used the wired controllers apart from the yards so something that keeps the wifi connection up is all good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FelixM Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 A modular layout powered with DCC behaves like a giant transmitting antenna, this can cause interferences with other remote control devices on a seemingly random basis. I don't exactly know whether this may have been the cause of the problems you experienced but this cannot be experimented with at home due to the nature of the problem I'm afraid. Myself tried to get to work remote controlled switches for mains electricity at our own meeting the week before last and failed remarkably. I initially thought to be exceptional clever and can use simple lights with them to emulate signals controlled from some distance but it was not to be. The remote controlled switches have been cheap ones and I couldn't get them to work even from a distance of 10 cm, so I did'nt bother two minutes and packed them away, accepting that they won't work. Although WLAN and other wireless control equipment aren't cheap equipment in any sense, the basic physical principles are the same and you cannot have the tracks of a modular layout not behave like an antenna. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 An interesting thought Felix - maybe repositioning the wifi router in the hall would have made a difference although the range (20 metres) clear line of sight should have been well within the router's capabilities. Something else to try, alongside Mark's suggestion, for next time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted June 30, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 30, 2015 (or use DC) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 (or use DC) Serious question, how do you work DC on a modular setup? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 @Tim: working with DC on a modular layout is complex. So much so that Fremo, who pretty much perfected their DC control methods, have all but abandoned their Z-Cab DC system in favour of DCC I was thinking it was complicated, that's why I asked. However I now know to google for Z-Cab, so thanks. (Not that I want to do DC modular, just morbidly curious) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted June 30, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 30, 2015 Serious question, how do you work DC on a modular setup? K.I.S.S. The modular layout at Taunton relies on feeds at either end of the 'U', i.e. the fiddle yards, with simple connections between each module. Mike (Sidecar Racer), builder of said fiddle yards, reckons it's a simple set-up, but despite on-the-job training, operators still get it wrong occasionally frequently Goodness knows what would happen if we tried to go DCC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 K.I.S.S. The modular layout at Taunton relies on feeds at either end of the 'U', i.e. the fiddle yards, with simple connections between each module. Mike (Sidecar Racer), builder of said fiddle yards, reckons it's a simple set-up, but despite on-the-job training, operators still get it wrong occasionally frequently Goodness knows what would happen if we tried to go DCC. How do you cope with 10 people driving trains at once? Pretty certain that this kinda number was what happened at the last Freemo event. I've googled Z-Cab, the principle is pretty simple, but when you scale to lots of cabs it gets to be a lot of wiring. Edit: sorry for the thread hijack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted June 30, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 30, 2015 (or use DC) Glad you said that very quietly!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 30, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 30, 2015 K.I.S.S. The modular layout at Taunton relies on feeds at either end of the 'U', i.e. the fiddle yards, with simple connections between each module. Mike (Sidecar Racer), builder of said fiddle yards, reckons it's a simple set-up, but despite on-the-job training, operators still get it wrong occasionally frequently Goodness knows what would happen if we tried to go DCC. I think it's really a matter of semantics - understanding the difference between 'send' and 'receive' helps a lot (I think ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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