The helix sensor factory is humming along. Building them in batches to reduce the repetitive nature of the work. The connector blocks and IC socket go in first followed by one-at-a-time placement of transistor, resistors, capacitors, and diodes. With 58 finished I am almost halfway done. After so many I think I could do this with my eyes closed!
Holy smokes, that’s a lot of repetitive benchwork. Doesn’t leave much time for running trains!
For some time now, I’ve been noticing that side projects and troubleshooting sound decoder inconsistencies/oddities are increasingly leaving the trains gathering dust.
I’ve been adding flicker-free LED lightstrips to my 12 car N scale Kato Morning Daylight coaches, tackling one car at a time. Each car only needs a couple resistors, bridge rectifier, voltage regulator and electolytic capacitor, so far simpler than what you are doing, but it still takes a lot of steps and a lot of time.
When do you think the helix will be fully functional?
Yeah, if people only knew how much time is invested to make something that when finished appears relatively simple. Most people think you lay track, set out little plastic houses, and then run trains in circles. But we know differently, eh Dwight?
I hope to install the completed helix on the layout before the weather breaks so sometime in April maybe.
“But we know differently, eh Dwight?” Don’t we, though! That’s why your blog is so interesting, Alan! Wouldn’t it be easier to mount a TV camera above the helix – if something falls, you’d see it AND hear it…har har
Clark
Breaking news! Train derails in helix. Details at 11:00. 😀