Crosland

I've been away :) There seems to be some confusion. The JMRI error is "not found" not "in use" or "not in use". The device manager screen shot seems to show that show hidden devices option is selected (some of the devices are greyed out) so COM5 and COM7 have been used for something in the past, but COM3 is not allocated to anything. As other have said, simply edit the JMRI connection preferences to COM4 and then use the same physical USB socket each time you connect the SPROG. Andrew

They are wired in series so the current drawn by the juicer is being detected. You know this, just stating it for clarity. They are still in series (or should be if connected as recommended) but the current flows through the juicer and then the detector. When the crossing is occupied the detector should respond just as it would if no juicer were involved.

Switch ratings are more to do with the current they can interrupt (i.e., when the switch opens), hence the same switch will have a much higher rating for AC. Opening a switch when a high current is flowing causes an arc. In extremis it will destroy the contacts, within spec it's fine, in-between will lead to greater and greater degradation of the contacts over time. The AC rating for a switch will always be higher than the DC rating as AC current decays to zero twice every cycle, extinguishing any arc. The much higher switching frequency of DCC (compared to the usual 50Hz switch rating) means any arcing will be extinguished even quicker. For as long as the contacts remain closed, it will probably handle a much higher current that that which it is rated for.

Please! Stop digging yourself even deeper! The ONLY current flowing in a DCC system is that which is drawn by the locos being operated. If there is no loco on the frog then there is NO current flowing through the switch.

Assume the voltage at the function outputs will be the same as the track voltage, less a couple of volts. A single resistor for 6 - 18V operation will result in some variation in brightness, at different voltages. DCC track voltage will typically be towards the upper end of the range, but could be higher. They're cheap, so try one. If they work for you, fine, otherwise you may need to replace/augment the resistors. Add an extra resistor for dimmer, replace with a lower value for brighter).

What are you modelling? The "iron silk road"? 😀

It was, but threads drift and my last post was in response to your statement Which is just wrong. You can have one system for programming in service mode on a programming track and one system for running. The system for running can program on the main, if it's a decent system. That's exactly what programming on the main is intended for. Your response still makes no sense 🙂 I've never used the Program button from a throttle, so I don't know what that does, and it doesn't seem to be enabled for SPROG command station or for the NCE simulator (I don't have any NCE hardware). Programming on the main in JMRI can be done through the comprehensive programmer interface and any changes saved to the roster, just as you do in service mode on a programming track. The only difference is that the read buttons are not available. In PanelPro Tools>Programmers>Ops-Mode Programmer, select the loco in the roster drop-down, select the Programmer format and open it.

I still don't get what you are trying to say. Any system that can operate should also be able to do POM, whether via JMRI or system hardware.

Of course you can, if the system supports it. In the case of the SPROG it uses service mode in programmer mode and POM in command station mode, both driven by JMRI. I can't think of any "real" DCC system that does not support POM with JMRI.

I remember one poster on another forum who insisted using 7/0.2 (or it might have been 1/0.7) for DCC droppers through the baseboard would cause layouts to catch fire 🤣

Is this a ploy to raise interest and get the kit produced again 😀

Thanks, that makes perfect sense.

Except that it's not quite duplicated code. It's two different functions that inherit from the same base class. Almost every other system, if not all, will also inherit the same code in JMRI and will need the same changes with system specific tweaks.

The fix for SPROG command station mode should be in the next test release. Apologies for that. It completely slipped my mind that the two connection profiles have different throttle code. Andrew

Thanks, I'll try it next time I have a problem.

[Resin Printing] I have been in the habit of leaving resin in the tank for weeks if not month and it has not been a problem until now, stirring well and typing up as necessary before each print. I am printing very repetitively, 3mm columns being drawn out of the resin (in groups of 3 x 4 on a baseplate) and had a failure where only half the length of the columns were printed. After using fresh resin in a new tank with new FEP and re-leveling, the next few back-to-back prints were OK. I can however see a ghost of the prints on the FEP. I wonder if the repetitive nature of the prints means I should be cleaning after every print, to ensure there's no residue. I also thought about moving the model around on the build plate for each print. Any advice welcome!

Has anyone used it? I hadn't even realised it existed until I was searching for advice on cleaning the FEP after a few printing issues. It doesn't seem to be documented very well. I have read various comments: - It works, - It's a waste of resin, - It's difficult to get the cured resin of the FEP after running the clean function. I am looking for others' experience of it.

Ah, that is interesting. I can't find the embarrassed emoji :) Watch this space...

Once it's set up you do not need a monitor, whether attached directly or on a remote machine, for running trains. You do need a 'phone or tablet running EngineDriver or WiThrottle. What commands? It's easy to set it up so that JMRI and the WiThrottle server start at power up. You don't need to go anywhere near the command line.

Entering the address must be fun.

Ian, If you simply open a new throttle, without going through the roster, how many buttons do you see? They should be disabled. Then if you select a loco from the roster in the same throttle window, does the number of buttons and appearance change?

On windows it only lists up to 28 but the throttles diplay up to F31, so I doubt that is the issue. The timestamp on ThrottlesPreferences.xml is old, so it hasn't been updated by 5.1.2. Andrew

😀 If the roster entry defines fewer functions for the loco then I think the throttle display should adjust. I saw that one one occasion but now I'm not 100% sure. Yes, it does, along with SPROG II, all versions. Pi-SPROGs will require a firmware upgrade in due course.

Eileens's have a range of holding tools. They include the crappy Modelcraft one (or a lookalike) but also some that look better.

Hi Ian, That's disappointing, but...it seems to work at my end... If you highlight the loco in the roster view and then click on 'Labels & Media' how many functions do you see defined? If I create a new loco from an ESU Loksound 5 I see 0 - 31 and I get all the function buttons in a throttle. I'm guessing now, but it may be that the functions are limited in the old roster, due to the lack of support in the old version, and you may need to recreate the roster entry in 5.1.2. Save you existing roster file somewhere safe first! :) Can you try that? Andrew