thegavs

Will there be a 2022 challange?

Cannot help but think that with covid 19 and social isolation if not forced isolation that might be coming now is the time to start a new competition? thoughts?

I think the arduino threads should live in computer control as they are not DCC (ok they can be but not always).

If I2C does not work you could look at wifi and the nodemcu ardrunios. Cheaper than the nanos, I have tested them at 200m range with no problems.

Assuming you are in the UK aldi currently do a 3d printer for £300. This is a clone of a wanhao i3 of which I have 2 with a few tweaks they do work very well. Not the fastest but can do some good printing. For smaller parts I use a Anycubic photon, there are threads on the forums for both of these printers. For CAD I either use Freecad or Tinkercad Hope this helps

Introducing openhab-trains an open source project combining the power of home automation systems and cheap arduinos to provide open source modules for running model trains. Designed for Garden railways where dcc running over tracks proves problematic but will work with smaller scales. The wifi modules have been tested at over 200 feet (60 metres) both inside and outside. All modules are designed to run off 12v stepped down to 5v on board. Most modules could also be modified to run on battery power. Using the home automation system allows for complex rules to be set up, allowing electronic interlocking to be used for route setting. The Aim for this project is for people to be able to build simple cheap modules to control their layout and develop and add other modules to expand the system. The code and schematics and all info to build your own modules are freely available at. https://github.com/thegavs/openhab-trains 3 modules are published now, one to read the position of signal box levers, another to work semaphore signals and the last to move points. Am hoping that other people will add modules to expand the system. Interested in views, thoughts and feedback.

I have an anycubic Photon and after a steep learning curve it is now working well. I was looking at a D7 but the photon seemed to be more reliable. Like any 3d printers they are not consumer ready like say an inkjet printer. They take fiddling to get working well.

I use Freecad which as the name suggests is free. Bit of a steep learning curve but seems to do everything I need it to do.

If using shapeways they add a wax support automatically which is then removed before sending it out

The body is around 350mm long and printed in 5 parts to fit on the bed I have 2 printers one is near stock with a glass bed and a dii cooler as the only mods. The other is more heavily modified with a glass bed, dii cooler, microswiss hotend and z braces. Both seem to print about the same quality so am not planning upgrade any further. Printing something that large takes hours! just the Cab alone is 44 hours. but the quality is great.

It should be able to go to 0.04mm as it is a clone of the Wanhao i3 plus

134 hours so far!

Whilst not printed on the ALDI printer but the Wanhao i3+ which is near identical this shows what the ALDI printer could do with a few simple modifications. A gauge 3 BR 08 body

an old version of Cura comes on the SD card but must be installed on a PC to use.

It does seem to be a clone of a Wanhao I3 plus, but there is a an ongoing debate as to if the ALDI version has a USB port or not. The version sold in Australia did but the one in the aldi video does not. I have a I3 plus and am very happy with it so am tempted to get the ALDI one as I do need a 2nd printer as I cannot keep up with demand for bits printed on it.