DCC INVESTIGATION

[pdj49]

We need 1000 volunteers to give the biggest DCC investigation ever undertaken to prove a thought about runaways.

 

PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST BE OVER 18 TO TAKE PART.

 

We will NOT sell or use your phone number or email for any other purpose.

 

This investigation is being conducted by Taunton Controls Ltd. and is NOT a back-door ad campaign.

 

For this investigation please only use this email address – bigdccinvestigation@gmail.com.

 

This is for ALL DCC users and ALL DCC controller makes.

 

This will not cost you anything except some time to answer a few questions about your layout.

 

First step – please send an email to register that you are happy to help, include your email address, your first name, your phone number and your answers to the questions below.

 

Part 1. Questions

1. Your controller make and type?
2. Your layout size i.e. length, breadth?
3. The max number of locos you run at any one time?
4. The max number of operators?
5. If you have zones, how many zones do you have?
6. Is your layout indoors, outdoors or both?
7. What gauge is your layout?
8. Have you ever had an uncontrolled loco movement on your layout?

Please give details

1. Would you say this happened once only?
2. Happens just once a session?
3. Or happens more often?

 

Thank you for your help.

 

[WIMorrison]

What is the purpose of this ‘investigation’ and the desired outcome of any findings that you hope to make?

[njee20]

Is there more to it, or are those the only questions? What will you conceivably gain about runaways from a single question where the only answers available are basically "it never really happens" or "it happens all the time"?

[GoingUnderground]

And will you make your anonymised data and conclusions freely available to all RM Webbers?

 

At the moment it looks like a potential marketing campaign for Taunton/ZTC.

[F-UnitMad]

It could easily be done as a Poll on here; without the "need" (for what purposes??) to provide personal info such as email addresses and phone numbers.

 

& no, I've never had an 'uncontrolled loco movement' on DCC anyway, so the rest of the info is superfluous. 

[Andy Y]

We need 1000 volunteers to give the biggest DCC investigation ever undertaken to prove a thought about runaways.

 

 

 

Graham,

 

It will help if you let readers know who you are and why you're seeking the information; I know, but it would be best to come from you if you want maximum participation.

[RAF96]

My answer is Yes I have.

stick that in the pot.

And I know why.

Edited February 13, 2018 by RAFHAAA96

[John K]

It's no secret that Taunton Controls Ltd is the current incarnation of ZTC.

It would have been nice if the OP had signed it with a name.

John K

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

I rarely venture either opinion or experience to this sort of gathering of otherwise sensitive data for an uncertain purpose.

 

It is made worse by the revelation several posts down that this is for some commercial purpose.

 

I will gain no benefit and am not sure how the hobby will be enhanced for others either.

 

On that basis and the fact that I have not had an uncontrolled movement on my layout that I wasn't aware of why it had happened, I do not believe that my input will be forthcoming.

[Oldddudders]

This is all most odd. Why must participants be over 18? Are we to be shown pics of a naked DCC packet? And why would telephone numbers be passed across? 1000 of them? The sales team is gonna be busy!

[WIMorrison]

I suspect that the OP is now realsing that people arent quite as gullible as they used to be and is probably regretting phrasing the post in way it was

[Andrew P]

I've never had a runaway in N, OO or O Gauge, when I stop a Train / Loco, I ensure the controller is at ZERO, a good controller and a good operator should have no runaway issues as far as I can see, or am I just a lucky Guy?

Edited February 15, 2018 by Andrew P

[Nigelcliffe]

I've never had a runaway in N, OO or O Gauge, when I stop a Train / Loco, I ensure the controller is at ZERO, a good controller and a good operator should have no runaway issues as far as I can see, or am I just a lucky Guy?

 

Lucky.  

But the specific class of runaway I sometimes experience is a weirdo,  its down to temperature and a particular decoder design (happens with multiple brands of control system, multiple locos with same decoder type on multiple layouts, but temperature is demonstrably a factor).   I doubt information on it would help Taunton Controls much.  However, as their survey is very poorly explained, I'll be ignoring it. 

 

- Nigel (who happens to be professionally qualified in an area which includes survey design). 

[Butler Henderson]

I remember an amusing incident on an American HO layout when a point was thrown one loco would set off at full speed!

[Oldddudders]

I remember an amusing incident on an American HO layout when a point was thrown one loco would set off at full speed!

 

Exactly the scenario some of us have encountered, and seek to mitigate via CV29. 

[Crosland]

I had an uncontrolled movement after a chicken vindaloo

[pdj49]

The DCC Investigation.

 

A big thank you to those who have helped so far.

 

Sorry that some of you feel we are doing this for commercial gain, we are hoping the results will help all DCC users and therefore the hobby.

 

As well as running Taunton Controls Ltd. Graham and I also run Taunton Town Model Railway Club, a club for beginners. We have been experiencing runaways on the layout and on making enquiries have found a multitude of possible answers being suggested. We thought an investigation into the problem may show up some common denominators which would point to a solution. The results will be freely available to everyone.

 

So we are asking for your help.  The answers to the 8 questions are being logged and will undoubtedly lead to more questions which is why we asked for contact details. We will not sell your private details or use them for any other purpose and at the end of the investigation they will be destroyed.

 

Pat and Graham

 

 

 

 

 

[F-UnitMad]

So why not just do it as a Poll sort of thing on here? Or just simply even ask the question, in the DCC Section!!

No need for emails & phone numbers etc.

[Bob Reid]

I feel a massive breach of the Data Protection Act in the offing here.  I'd drop the personally identifiable stuff and then it's just a list!

[ELTEL]

In the words of DRAGONS DEN

I’m out

[Oldddudders]

 

As well as running Taunton Controls Ltd. Graham and I also run Taunton Town Model Railway Club, a club for beginners. We have been experiencing runaways on the layout and on making enquiries have found a multitude of possible answers being suggested. We thought an investigation into the problem may show up some common denominators which would point to a solution. The results will be freely available to everyone.

Dump the cloak and dagger stuff, stop asking for people’s personal details and just use the forum’s existing threads to establish a dialogue. You will learn just as much - and avoid putting Taunton Controls under suspicion of ulterior and undisclosed motives.

[Phil S]

Apart from the need to rephrase the question(s) ....as mentioned there is no need to harvest data which is then at risk of hacking etc.... Because by using a poll on here, and then layer simply resurrecting the same thread, or even a new thread of similar title in the same section should attract back the same participants as previously.

 

And why the need for 1000? That is more than some opinion polls take !

 

Also, if for example, a correlation is found that those who do not suffer runaways 'ever' (?) also have disabled analogue running by CV29 setting, does not solve the problem ... It only avoids the problem. Not the same thing.

 

Ztc in earlier days advocated a switch to allow the user to delay powering the track.... But if this was necessary, then it should have been built in to the controller so that it was automatic. When I started with DCC in 00 ( having it already in g scale as MTS ), because I had zero-1, I also started with some of the ztc dual standard decoders (soon realising how uneconomc that was), and the their later releases up to the 255 ( which now seem inactive 8-( ). But once the Encoder lenz1000 was released I started using lenz decoders mostly, but I also changed to using roco multimaus as master .... So what change stopped runaways or simply avoided he combination that suffered?

[Taunton Controls]

We ask for your HELP and a number of good modellers have answered the questions, without your fun reply's above.

The reasons we asked for your help is to arrive at a definitive answer which we will make public for all to use.

The reasons for the age limit is so we do not get charged with grooming in 20 years time.

The reason for your first name ( not your surname ) is to have a name to call you if we need to chat further about your layout and how you wired your layout.

The reason for asking the questions is to obtain straight answers.

WE need All types of controllers to be represented and owners who have never had a runaway to ask how you set up you wiring and your system.

We still need your help so please, please, please join in and help

Data protection is covered and we do not need or want your surname just your help

Ok so I am pleading yes pleading for your help

Taunton Controls Ltd is conducting this investigation for the benefit of all who want to use a DCC system.

My name is Graham (no surname) Director of T.C.  

[Dagworth]

Used to get runaways when I used a pair of ZTC 511s, never had one since I ditched them. No other changes made on the layout.

 

Andi

[WIMorrison]

Can you provide the confirmation that you will be meeting the forthcoming GDPR requirements?

 

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/

 

If you are not going to meet them fully then you will be in contravention and leaving yourself open to legal challenge. I suggest that as a small company you seriously reconsider the manner in which you are collecting and using this information.