GrumpyPenguin

Not a bad method - I have done something similar using a 7aH SLA & a 55w headlamp bulb pausing at every stage to allow any dry joints to heat up.

The "coin test" proves nothing if the problem is a dry joint & you cannot be doing your controller any favours by shorting it out so many times.

Very nice. I remember seeing some similar G1 models at the Nurnberg Toy Fair a long time ago - may have been the same make as they also had potatoes/sacks modelled in the kitche !

Sorry, I read "input" as "output".

Before you start adding boosters double check the integrity of your bus &/or wiring. Easy enough to do using a simple multimeter/voltmeter & a "load" such as a 12v 21w indicator bulb. Connect the bulb (rememberb that it will get hot) in parellel with the meter (set to, IIRC AC volts 25v + setting)**. Check & note the voltage as close as you can to the output of your controller, keep taking readings round the layout - that will pinpoint any defective joints/connections. If all proves well, then look at the possibility of a heavier bus to the far side of the layout. ** Forget the "can't measure DCC voltage with a basic multimeter" guys, what you are looking for is consistant readings with a load (you can also forget the "short out the track with a coin" method too - the controller will probably trip before any dry joint heats up).

DC - a capacitor cannot "store" AC. Crude solenoid based point devices don't care if it's AC or DC anyway.

Would you care to expand on that please ?

Fire axe with wooden handle/rubber gloves it is then !

Another backwards step.

Problem with those green cabinets is that they tend to be away from the curbside so it will encourage trailing leads accross the pavement - if I see any I'll unplug them ! It won't be longe before we hear the "tripped over an EV charging cable & it was not your fault" calls when we answer our phones.

Less than £20 to have access to a well developed App' - where is the problem ? Not even the cost of a basic decoder. I suppose those that complain also have "bootleg" version of MS Office on the PC's.

Having looked at the quoted figures it seems to me that it's around a 10% saving to what a UK dealer could achieve (with some bargaining of course).

& there lies the problem "isn't present in respect of these devices in RTR OO" - there is no excuse in this day & age. Clearly, you did not read the last sentence of my post - I would love to return to UK modelling (probably Souther Region Steam/EMU) but until the standards of RTR OO are equal to RTR HO it will not happen. And yes, I'm prepared to pay for that (wheras it would appear to me that the OO market will not).

Depends on the standards you are willing to expect for your money.

I'm sorry,that's a load of twaddle & a waste of words - I said "properly engineered" which negates all of the objections you managed to come up with. And people wonder why every time I consider returning to UK modelling I see what's on offer & stick with European HO.

Thanks - I'll look at the figures later for comparison.

That's where you are well wrong - https://gb.snooper.eu/collections/truckmate I have an earlier one that I paid around £250 for - only got to "save" you once & it's paid for. Before inputting your destination you input the size/weight of your truck - easy peasey. Mine came with "updates for life" & can also be used for motorhomes/cars/motorbikes/pedal cycles & on foot.

Not quite answered my question so I'll split it into 5 & add it up myself ; Item number. Cost of the item. Shipping we know. 12.9o euros. VAT added. Any handling charges from anyone ?

Whilst agreeing that the tooling would be costly, with a littl bit of thought the coupling/connector could be used throughout the range as locomotives are produced or upgraded. Would be useful on MU's or coaches even, so the costs over time would pale to nothing. Still, all the time UK modellers accept what is on the table things won't change much.

It's an industry standard for connecting "device's" to chargers &/or data transmission - using it on models ? Just waiting for some numpty to plug the wrong things in & causing damage.

What is "clear and unambiguous" is that I suggested that the end user had a choice of which way he/she wanted to go if they had a warrenty issue - not exactly diffecult to get your head round.

Why would you need/want to adjust a properly engineered close coupling mechanism ?

As a matter of interest whould you mind quiting what the item was & the total cost to get it to your door please ?

Absolutly no excuse for substandard couplings/connectors or close coupling (apart from maybe the "Thanet Disease"). Image shows how it can be done - close coupled & 8-pole.

Apologies is this has been covered elsewhere. The rollout continues & our phone line has been converted to Digital Voice (DV)as part of installing full fibre. One of the issues with DV is that in a power cut you telephone will not work ! I raised this issue with BT (as Mrs Penguim is disabled & we have other vunerable people in the house) & was told to "make sure that we had a fully charge mobile phone for emergencies". That's all very well I told them but we are on EE (surprise, surprise now part of BC or is it the other way round ?) & we only get a signal in cerain rooms. BT do provide small battery backups for the modem but it's quite clear that they will only provide them after a fight to the death. I gave them a choice, provide a batter back up or install the modem in my office which has a 2.2kw UPS for the computers. Installing the modem in my office (the other side of the property that the existing service was) involved 4 x visits, 5 x engineers, 1 x surveyor & 1 x cherry picker - that mustr have cost them more than a small UPS. Anyway, the real point is that BT should make the fact that phones will not work during a power cut crystal clear to their customers & provide the UPS/battery backup without a fight. AFAIK there have already been a couple of preventable deaths due to phones/alarms not working through lack of power. As an aside we had a short (maybe less than a minute) power cut yesterday & just after it came back on recieved a recorded message on the landline from UKPN tlling us ! A bit late but it did show that UKPN are on the ball.