| | Re: LEGO 9V Train Communication II
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(...) Brian, the more I read this, the more I am with you. I think I really need to re-think my LEGO budget for next year... Three trains sounds like fair enough to me, since our house is not supposed to grow and the trains need some space to be (...) (17 years ago, 19-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: LEGO 9V Train Communication II
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(...) I'm pretty sure the RCX could be programmed to throw PF control messages... and while this would be a lot cheaper from a HW standpoint at the moment, I'm not sure it would be long-term. Right now the RCX is cheap(er) on eBay, but as they (...) (17 years ago, 19-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: LEGO 9V Train Communication II
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(...) On second thought, that doesn't look all that bad actually. Provided there is a way to eventually control more than one train and set up several IR interfaces (for positions where the optical link would otherwise fail) with a single RCX, the (...) (17 years ago, 19-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: LEGO 9V Train Communication II
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(...) If there are "dead zones" that could be a problem, but we also get to run doglegs this way. There are trade-offs, and I know where I'd like to be: LEGO-certified DDC built-in that is usable with anything from a regular train controller, to a (...) (17 years ago, 19-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: LEGO 9V Train Communication II
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(...) Hi Jerry, I certainly agree that this might not be a cost-effective solution or a very efficient way to implement DCC (although there are surely those out there who will pursue it anyway). I was just trying to emphasize that there isn't reall (...) (17 years ago, 19-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: LEGO 9V Train Communication II
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(...) Hi Jordan, while this sounds like an interesting solution, it also sounds like a very expensive one as opposed to going for RF in the first place (yep, I know that RF remote controls have their own issues, power consumption being a significant (...) (17 years ago, 19-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: LEGO 9V Train Communication II
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(...) HiTechnic / LEGO now offer an "Infrared Link" for the NXT that seems to be exactly the sort of thing you're describing here - and it is advertised as being compatible with the Power Functions and train IR protocol. This would mean that no (...) (17 years ago, 19-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: LEGO 9V Train Communication II
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(...) Ummm.... except that you lose control when the train goes into a tunnel, or you have areas of unreliable control on your layout. Losing control in a tunnel would be a big deal for "serious" model railroaders that like off-stage "staging" (...) (17 years ago, 19-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Train Layout help needed
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(...) If you can't follow the electrical connections, think of it like this: If you can start two trains, one following behind the other, then simply by changing the points at the right moment cause a head-on collision, then there's something wrong. (...) (17 years ago, 17-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Train Layout help needed
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(...) Hi Anne, electrical damage is very difficult to achieve with LEGO 9V trains - usually it just doesn't work and you'll notice before any harm is done. However, your layout will work - electrically. I am somewhat curious how you plan to set the (...) (17 years ago, 16-Dec-07, to lugnet.trains)
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