NCE Upgrade

[PaulCheffus]

 

 

1 year and two months on.................that is some delay!

What's happening here?

 

Hi

 

Not as bad as the Lenz upgrade to version 4 announced 2010 and unlikely to appear until 2013 from the last information I read. Something to do with the Lenz having problems on getting the LH100 to display the loco names.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[nimbamoss]

Has anyone heard anything more on this upgrade?

 

I was planning to contact NCE but if they are busy with the upgrade works wasn't going to bother them.

 

Ian

[Liddy]

Just a quick note to say that I emailed NCE last night after reading this thread and Larry replied today to confirm my registration

Super swift response!

[Brian]

Just a quick note to say that I emailed NCE last night after reading this thread and Larry replied today to confirm my registration

Super swift response!

And what info. re the anticipated and long awaited upgrade???

[autocoach]

There is an NCE-DCC Yahoo groups list that thrashes the PowerCab upgrade topic around all the time. Several of the contributors are NCE's beta testers and design consultants. When it appears we will know there first. The group is quite international with a lot of Ozzie and UK input. For DCC purposes HO and 00 are identical.

 

I bought an SB3 upgraded it to SB3a and an extra PowerPro hammerhead throttle. Up to six recalls. The original PowerCab is now used mainly for an unconnected programming track on my workbench. For my small layouts I will probably never need to go up to a PowerPro.

[nimbamoss]

Hi All,

 

Just had an e-mail stating the new chip has been dispatched, I was in contact with them in February and paid for the updated chip via e-mail at that point and now I have the dispatch e-mail I am one step nearer to the improvement.

 

If you are looking at getting this upgrade e-mail Larry at ncesupport@aol.com with some of your details and registration number and he will get back to you to arrange for payment.

 

Ian

[Mallard60022]

Forgot to mention that my upgrade arrived about 6 weeks ago.

P

[Ray H]

I have had my PowerCab for about 18 months and completed and posted the yellow card the day after purchase. I've not heard from them since. I appreciate that there is probably a backlog so I haven't pestered them.

 

Does anyone know if they've cleared the backlog or should I drop them a mail asking when I might see the upgrade?

[PhilH]

This is the email I received from them on 18th March after enquiring about progress:

 

 

Phil,

 

I wish we were more "caught up" with the upgrades, but it's really been difficult with the staff we have. We all need to do our daily chores as well as the added upgrade duties. It is taking a L-o-n-g time to get them done and we have many thousands to do. We are trying to get additional employees to help. Thanks for your patience and know that we are going as fast as we can.

 

Larry Larsen
NCE Customer Support

 

All good things come to those who wait.....

 

[tender]

I purchased the upgrade chip directly from my NCE retailer as my Power Cab is a few years old and didn't qualify for the freebie. Well worth the £24, just for the 6 loco recall stack.

[PhilH]

I didn't realise you could buy direct from a retailer - my PC is ancient as well, so I wasn't expecting a freebie. 

 

Thanks for the heads up.

[tender]

I purchased the upgrade chip directly from my NCE retailer as my Power Cab is a few years old and didn't qualify for the freebie. Well worth the £24, just for the 6 loco recall stack.

May have 'muddied' the waters with this post, I'm not sure if they are generally available from NCE retailers, mine just happened to have a 'spare' when I enquired.

[squeaky]

I would just like to add that I contacted Larry at NCE yesterday, today he confirmed that I was still registered, I paid my $25 via credit card and I'm now in the system to get the upgrade, not sure how long it will take, this is what he put in the email

 

"This should get you the software in a while. We have many thousands of these to get out, so it won't be tomorrow, but I hope soon."

[lilchris]

I wouldnt expect anything too soon,Nce don't seem to be in a hurry this is the reply I got from them when I asked about it. By the way I purchased mine last november,it came with the version 1.65 instructions and I sent off my registration card etc and have recieved acknowledgement they have recieved it.

This is there reply to me from larry.

 

Chris,

As soon as we can zero in on the costs to ship international, we will
begin shipping overseas.

Larry Larsen
NCE Customer Service



Subject: NCE Corp: powercab upgrade


This is an enquiry e-mail via http://www.ncedcc.com/ from:
chris hallows <

Hi there please could you advise me when you are shipping the powercab
uprade to
me. I bought and registered my power cab with you last year aprox Nov I
think.

[lilchris]

By the way I am still waiting. I spoke to jeremy from digitrains at the wigan show last weekend, it seems like some countrys have a single distributer but unfortunately not the UK so even the dealers have no idea when.

[squeaky]

I would just like to add that I contacted Larry at NCE yesterday, today he confirmed that I was still registered, I paid my $25 via credit card and I'm now in the system to get the upgrade, not sure how long it will take, this is what he put in the email

 

"This should get you the software in a while. We have many thousands of these to get out, so it won't be tomorrow, but I hope soon."

 

Well I'm still waiting, I emailed Larry about 4 weeks ago and he replied it should be in the next few weeks................

[lilchris]

I'm still waiting, not very good really is it. Might have to reconsider my upgrade options,I was thinking about the SB5 smart booster but will I have compatabilty problems till my power cab is upgraded ?.

[Les1952]

Was shopping at Digitrains the other week and mentioned the upgrade.  Walked out of the shop with it. 

 

Only issue with fitting it was stiff case screws being a bit of a hassle given my Repetitive Strain Injury.

 

Just one thought - I've never yet managed to work out why, when they've been in production for the thick end of thirty years  eproms etc always come with the pins splayed outwards to the extent they need bending inwards somewhat to fit their sockets.  Is there a perceived danger of making them straight that is bigger than the danger of a hamfisted clot like me straightening pins to fit the socket and breaking one?

 

Les

(who has straightened plenty of these things over the years and last broke a pin in 1991.....)

[squeaky]

Well I emailed Larry at NCE yesterday to ask if they had started shipping to the UK, this is the reply

 

"The boss is having me ship up to 20 in a week. This of course depends on my workload. I'm trying."

 

Les

There is a tool available to straighten the pins, so yes it is possible to send them out already straight!

[smokebox]

These are two pin straighteners that I use.  Obtained many years ago, might have come from RS originally and were quite expensive.

 

Cheapest available now that I have found:- http://www.techsupplies.co.uk/PCB060

 

[Les1952]

Actually I tend to find that using the flat bench in front of me is enough, chip placed on edge so pins are flat on bench, then apply just enough pressure to bend the pins so they nearer to being at right angles to the chip.  Repeat with other side as necessary- do it in increments alternating sides.

 

Only works where the chip has pins coming out of both sides- single-sided chips aren't strong enough.   I managed to upgrade a school's worth of Acorn computers from RiscOs2 to RiscOs3 this way without damaging a chip, and only ever broke 2 pins on chips, the first in the eighties and the last in 1991- and one of those was being re-used from a scrap computer.  A awful number of the things we put into early PCs arrived with pins that needed bending to be useable.

 

Not done many lately since eventually, like most schools do, we got a technician so IT teachers didn't need to do their own repairs and upgrades any more.......

 

Les

(showing his age..)