Welcome to the Cumbria & Scottish Borders Area Group Forum

 At  today's meeting of the North Wales Area Group, Alan Turner presented a basic introduction to the FCU ( FLim Configuration Utility) for controlling CBUS units. Alan began by describing the minimum requirements for a test board which is the best way to begin with CBUS so that you understand how things work before attempting to implement it on your layout. Starting with a push button operating a led that switched off when the pushbutton was released, Alan showed how this can be readily changed to a latched operation  by manipulating the Node Values. Depending on whether you use push buttons or normal switches you have the flexibility to choose either. Alan then added a new module , the CANMIOSVO which can control up to 8 servos. The end positions can  be set up and then controlled by switch or pushbutton. The beauty of CBUS is that a single event can actually trigger more than one output which would allow one switch to set a route of perhaps five points on a layout...

 At this mornings Virtual Area Group Meeting, Rob Thomas described how he uses  CBUS to control his OO9 layout.  He discussed the Pros and Cons of the various available systems including MERG's Automatic Train Controller, commercial offerings and Mike Bolton's Basin Speed Controller. Having opted for the Basin Speed Controller version as the basis of his project, he then looked at how he might add additional control using CBUS. Various versions were developed starting with a seven speed and stop initial project with subsequent modifications to overcome some of the problems associated with the different behaviours of individual train motors. Speed and Inertia were eventually  controlled using files created from a Python script and stored on an Arduino. He uses RFID to identify the locos so that the correct profile can be loaded to the controller. This is certainly not a beginners subject but the video is available on the Merg website for those interested.

 Some 15 members joined us for the second Zoom meeting of the Cumbria Area Group on  11/09/20 John Farrell (North Wales Area Group ) gave us his interesting presentation on the CBUS beginners kit 101 which he was test building prior to its Kitlocker release.  We were joined by Howard Watkins, well know MERG personality and creator of the build documentation for this kit.  The kit purposely contains boards from the original CBUS range including CANACC8  which requires some slight modification (additional parts are provided) , a CANACE8C  which is a 5 Volt module powered from the CANACC8, an Experimenters kit and a 12 Volt DC supply with mains lead. With the boards connected you are then able to create events without the need of a computer. A DIL switch on both main boards is used instead. John had purchased separately a CANGIZMO  board which is a very useful testing and debug tool. A most useful discussion ensued. It was suggested that we develop someth...

 Sunday's Scottish Border Zoom Meeting featured a talk by John Gowers on Control Panels.  Twenty one members joined from around the country with our normal group numbers swelling to over fifty as a result of Covid-19 and the adoption of Zoom meetings. John started his talk with how he used to do things with switch panels and complex wiring before turning to JMRI (Java Model Railroad Interface) an open source project that consists of JMRI, DecoderPro and PanelPro. These programs are available as a free single download from JMRI He predominately uses CBUS modules to transfer signals across the layout and they have designed their own PCB's to ensure switches and lights exactly match the laser etched front panel. This is made of a two colour layered acrylic sheet with the top black layer being etched away to reveal the white tracks underneath, Holes are drilled through to accommodate the push button led switches mounted on the PCB below. Some custom CBUS kits have been made by the...

For those using or thinking about using Digital Command Control ( DCC) on their layouts, a MERG kit CANCMD2 is available. At today's meeting of the Virtual Area Group, Martin Perry described in detail how this circuit worked. All DCC controllers work to an agreed NMRA standard  , which sets out how the required  control data is encoded and superimposed on the track power lines.  The original Rev A board ,CANCMD1 which ran off an ac supply was described and details given on how this could be modified to run off the safer dc power blocks that we are familiar with. The newer improved CANCMD2  board  which requires a 15 Volt dc supply, has additional leds to indicate when the board is powered up and also to show when track output is available.  Other improvements are in the design of the power supplies and in the PIC timing now working from an 8 MHz crystal rather than the previous less reliable resonator. A link will either pass power to the tracks using a CMO...