Compspeed Rambler Minor

[Frank Sharp]

I have bought an old Compspeed Rambler Minor. Push button control on a hand controller and the purpose of the buttons is clearly marked on the front. Once I got all the pins on the DIN connector extended to the same length it works. However there is a slide switch on the top which appears to be original but it doesn't seem to have any obvious effect. Anyone one still using one of these and knows what the switch does or is supposed to do please?

[WIMorrison]

Half wave/full wave rectification perhaps?

[kevinlms]

1 hour ago, WIMorrison said:

Half wave/full wave rectification perhaps?

I had one, but can't remember for certain - but 100% not full/half wave rectification.

 

I think it was direct and an inertia delay. With the latter activated, each press of the up/down buttons had a slight delay, but not much at all, so virtually no difference, which is what Frank reports.

[franciswilliamwebb]

I too had one of those, I'm sure it was to switch the feedback in and out?

[kevinlms]

51 minutes ago, franciswilliamwebb said:

I too had one of those, I'm sure it was to switch the feedback in and out?

No, there was the Compspeed 'F' for that, with a 3 position switch. IIRC this was added to the range, because the standard feedback controller, didn't work well with Portescap motors and so the reviews gave the standard Compspeed a poor result.

 

There's one here, but it doesn't say what the switch does, 0 is obviously OFF, but I or 11, I don't know as never had one, but presumably level of feedback.

 

https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2861

[franciswilliamwebb]

3 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

No, there was the Compspeed 'F' for that, with a 3 position switch. IIRC this was added to the range, because the standard feedback controller, didn't work well with Portescap motors and so the reviews gave the standard Compspeed a poor result.

 

I may well be getting muxed ip, it was a long time ago.  I just remember something ECM being the solution to running pancakes and proper motors on the same layout pre-DCC.  Wished I'd kept notes and taken photos back then!

[fulton]

I had one of these, very pleased with it, until it played up, back to ECM for repair, the company then went bust, new company emerged, the old/new owner did not want to know about my controller, said it was the old company, shame really good controller, never dealt with ECM again.

[kevinlms]

12 hours ago, fulton said:

I had one of these, very pleased with it, until it played up, back to ECM for repair, the company then went bust, new company emerged, the old/new owner did not want to know about my controller, said it was the old company, shame really good controller, never dealt with ECM again.

IIRC the original circuits got lost in a fire, just after takeover. Since the chips on the PCB had long had the numbers ground off, the new owners determined that it was just too hard to reverse engineer and so the design was lost commercially.

[kevinlms]

On 31/01/2023 at 20:05, kevinlms said:

I had one, but can't remember for certain - but 100% not full/half wave rectification.

 

I think it was direct and an inertia delay. With the latter activated, each press of the up/down buttons had a slight delay, but not much at all, so virtually no difference, which is what Frank reports.

I haven't found the manual, but here is a review of 2 Rambler versions from Model Railway Constructor 1981 May.

 

The switch works virtually as I suggested, but memory recalls that it made hardly any difference.

 

I hope this helps.

[Frank Sharp]

Thanks to Kevin Martin, Constructor review explains all I need to know.