nigcuberail

Thanks for the replies It seems I did not look far enough On the other side of the board is the outline of the component marked Y1 - so must be a crystal? I assume it would be something to do with the display (which is not working)? The PIC reads: 16F872-I/SO

Item ringed - it is sleeved with heatshrink - I presume being metal cased?

Working on that one

Help Your assistance would be much appreciated in identifying & locating a component to repair a RRampMeter V1. The item is a small (8mm long x 3mm diameter) silver metal cylinder with 200AP6Z printed on it. I take it to be some type of capacitor as it's legs are (were!) soldered to the PCB at C4A. It was also heatshrunk for insulation. I have Googled 200AP6Z with no luck - can anyone assist with some information please? Thanks,

Interesting topic that I can relate to directly! I am (was!) right handed until just over a year ago when I lost the use of my right arm and hand. It started with a mild shoulder pain and developed over 3-4 weeks (see here for full details if interested http://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/parsonage-turner-syndrome/)into complete inability to lift or do anything with my right arm and no feeling in most of my hand. So I was immediately faced with having to become left handed to do anything - eat, wash, shave (and other personal admin. tasks!!), drink, dress etc. obviously came first, followed pretty soon after that by work - luckily I am a desk-jockey but just try a while to go to left handed mouse control - takes a bit of getting used to Anyway, hobbies had to take a back seat for quite a while - even trying to remove a loco body and fit a plug in decoder was pretty much impossible with only one hand, and that one being the wrong one I have a small shunting layout in build, but that had been sidelined a few months before due to household jobs & DIY demands. However, after 6-7 months or so the nerves started to recover/repair and I developed some arm movement. This meant I could 'plonk' my duff hand in places to hold things down and this allowed me to gradually do simple things in the hobby arena. However things like soldering that definitely needed 2(3?) hands were still way out of sight, plus I had been warned off hot things following a bad burn suffered when stir frying (no feeling in my finger ). The development of my 'left handedness' progressed quite quickly and soon I was using a cordless drill and had developed sufficient strength to use screwdrivers left handed. Use of a hammer was tricky though! After 9 months I pretty much considered myself left handed but there were still things that defied my ability - using scissors left handed (weird) for example. Attendance at the excellent Wessex Rehab at Salisbury Hospital stimulated me not only physically but also mentally to try tasks. Now I have more strength in my right arm, some in the wrist and a little grip, I am able to hold things in my right hand and so some modelling tasks are back on the agenda - I have embarked on a Scalescenes Boxfile layout as a form of rehab. I think I will be left handed for a while yet, then the challenge will be to start using my right again - hopefully I will then be ambidextrous So it is remarkable how we can adapt and find new ways to do things when challenged - motivation has lot to do with it and I am lucky that this hobby has helped me. I can now well appreciate the challenges faced by the left handed as well as those with disabilities, injuries, arthritis etc.. I can't think of anything I have felt the need to alter or move round at home since becoming left handed, the problems have mostly come from being one handed! I am able to drive now but thinking about it - just try getting the car key in the ignition with your left hand when the steering lock is on the right!!!

I can second that! Got there just after 10.00am and parking was already filling up. Actually went just to see Bournemouth West (no offence to the other exhibits) and was not disappointed. Very nostalgic to see the 'actual site' modeled and representative traffic in action. I thought the steam sounds were very well done and properly linked to speed/load etc.. I can echo the comments on the smoke generation - superb effect. Will add my congratulations to all concerned in the build and operation.

Mine (30089) arrived today and I am well impressed. Runs superbly on DC and FYI a Lenz Gold Mini+ JUST fits Silver Mini won't - they are 1.5mm - 2mm longer Firebox glow on F0 is quite effective in a subtle way.

Can any member help with a requirement for Hornby 8 wheel Pullman car boxes/inserts? Either: Bournemouth Bell train pack box/insert Bournemouth Belle coach pack box/insert Single Pullman car boxes/inserts Any help appreciated, postage covered.

One of BMC/BL's (in)famous J4 Pick-up's lurking over to the right of picture J3320 outside the warehouse building.

Hi Frank, Out of interest, this insignia was also used by The Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers). I was in C Coy. 1st Bat. TA 30 years (blimey) ago! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wessex_Regiment

I ordered mine around the same time, then cancelled (due to changes in the liveries or product numbers I think?) and re-ordered 19/07/2011 at £119.99. Email just received to say it is packed and in the mail room - Yippeeeeeeeee! Just the Class 41 (ordered at the same time) to wait for now .

Hello Stewart, Mike, Bill & even Tim! No seriously & firstly thanks for that information. So, the pulsing on the voltmeter could be PWM then? - good. The two switches could mean simulation - excellent! I found the website but was dissapointed not to find any references to their OLD products. Now, the reasons for nabbing this little beauty (sorry Tim V) were: 1. I run DCC, but I wanted/needed a sensible DC controller for my test track (I built a basic circuit controller from an internet article running through the MERG voltmeter & ammeter). 2. I remember Scalespeed from when I was modelling in my youth. 3. I reckon it looks "awesome" and the components are almost antique! I will post a picture of the underside in a day or so.

I have recently obtained an old Scalespeed controller from a well known auction site. I seem to remember them from years ago (60's - 70's?). Firstly, can anyone provide any information/notes on these controllers? (It is not one of the models with simulation - see picture). Secondly, a quick test shows that it does work, but at low speed settings the output pulses. There is a 250uf 25v axial capacitor in the circuit, and I was thinking of replacing this to start with. However, I cannot find any 250uf. Would a 470uf be suitable? Thirdly, I assume I can replace the old metal rectifier with a new silicon bridge type?