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--- public:warwick [2020/03/15 20:33] – [2020 Meetings] MikeP
+++ public:warwick [2020/06/15 17:16] – [2020 Meetings] MikeP
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 This area group was formed in Jan 2016 to serve Warwickshire / North Oxfordshire and surrounding districts although we attract members who travel from further afield to join us for our meetings.\\
-The area group meet about six times each year for a full day at the club rooms of the Leamington and Warwick Model Railway Society www.lwmrs.co.uk.\\
+In Normal times, the WNO area group meet six times each year for a full day at the club rooms of the Leamington and Warwick Model Railway Society www.lwmrs.co.uk.\\
 Details of meeting dates and agenda are published in the Area Groups Section of the MERG Forum:
 https://www.merg.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=177
-**Mike Plowman (M5311)** is the convenor for this group who may be contacted through wno@merg.org.uk
+**<color #ed1c24>Since April 2020, the group have been holding fortnightly Virtual Area Group meetings using Zoom. All members who have opted to receive communications from the WNO group will receive an invitation to register for the meetings.</color>**
+Typically 40 to 50 members join the Zoom meeting on Wednesday evenings at 7pm.
+**Mike Plowman (M5311)** is the leader of this group who may be contacted through wno@merg.org.uk
 The group comprises skills from beginner to time served electronics engineers but all with an interest in applying electronics to model railways.
-The objective of the group is to ensure that the interests of the members are served by making use of the skills and knowledge inherent in the group, drawing on skills of the subject experts and to expand our skills and knowledge through active, open participation.
+The objective of the group is to ensure that the interests of the members are served by making use of the skills and knowledge inherent in the group, drawing on skills of subject experts and to expand our skills and knowledge through active, open participation.
 The group is growing strongly with many members volunteering to present or run workshops where there is the opportunity to learn new skills in practical hands-on sessions.
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 **MERG members** may contact Mike Plowman direct via his [[https://www.merg.org.uk/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4177|Profile page.]]\\
 This Group's Sub Forum is [[https://www.merg.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=177|here.]]
+==== Exhibitions ====
+**Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society Show**\\
+Saturday 6th March and Sunday 7th March 2021\\
+Due to the COVID-19 situation the viability of running an exhibition in 2021 is currently under review.\\
+Latest News at – www.lwmrs.co.uk\\
+Contact Exhibition Manager\\
+Email – exhibition@lwmrs.co.uk
 ==== 2016 Meetings ====
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 <color #ed1c24>**March 28th 2020**</color>
-This meeting was postponed due to the Covid-19 virus restrictions.
+This meeting was postponed due to the Covid-19 virus restrictions but replaced by a series of Virtual meetings using the Zoom application.
+<color #ed1c24>**Virtual Meetings**</color>
+<color #ed1c24>**April 2020 Meetings**</color>
+**Three meetings were held in April**.
+The first was a "set up" meeting, on **April 15th**, to ensure that all the members could logon and access the virtual space which most were able to accomplish, with about 30 members attending. **Alan Geekie** was invited to provide a "View from the Top of Merg" and was able to answer members questions. This meeting also enabled **Mike Collins** who is the Area Group moderator for the Zoom meetings to refine the registration process for members. This process is now in use and ensures the security and integrity of the meeting and its attendees. It allows members to register for a series of meetings then receive a confirmation email with an embedded link for use on the meeting day. Registered members also receive a reminder on the afternoon of the meeting.
+On **April 22nd**, 40 members attended to hear **Mike Plowman** give an "Introduction to DCC" followed by **Simon West** covering "Components of a DCC System". Simon's session was particularly interactive with members' questions being answered on the fly.
+On **April 29th**, 44 members came along to hear **David Roberts** and **Jeremy Mole** give advice about selecting and installing DCC Decoders.
+After these meetings, a "poll" was held to determine how the members wished to proceed. Overwhelmingly, the members wanted to continue with 90 minute meetings generally on a fortnightly basis.
+<color #ed1c24>**Meetings for May 2020**</color>
+**Again, three meetings were held in May**.
+**<color #00a2e8>Wednesday, May 13th</color>** at 7pm with over 50 members registered.
+**Keith Newton** gave a presentation on his design for a **Traverser driven by an Arduino**. He showed the detail of the the indexing system and how the Arduino was interfaced to the MERG CBUS system used to control the layout. With the assistance of **John Gowers**, he then demonstrated the system in operation. John was physically remote (in Bicester) and used a CANETHER connection for John to take control of the layout in Keith's railway room some 20 mile away.
+**Alan Ferriday** followed with a presentation on **Arduino DCC++**. Alan had built this low cost approach to loco control using readily available components and software (Arduino sketches).
+Members were able to raise many questions during both presentations.
+**<color #00a2e8>Wednesday May 20th</color>** at 7pm with 45 members attending.
+**John Gowers** used his experience of firing a real engine to explain how the various sounds available in DCC sound chips for steam engines should be used correctly. He talked about when it was appropriate to feed the fire, open drain cocks, switch on wheel squeal and the other sounds. It proved to be an eye opening talk for many members, who despite having sound locos had rarely thought about when to activate individual sounds.
+**<color #00a2e8>Wednesday May 27th</color>** at 7pm. with 43 members attending
+**John Fletcher** had previously written an article for the March 2020 issue of the MERG Journal. This presenation was to share with the members his **Progress with CANCOMPUTE**. John explained his test bed for the experimenting with this, new to most members, module. It is clearly a complex issue (although possibly less so now a GUI has become available) and as a result John was asked to come back in July to show his work in a railway context to which more members could relate.
+<color #ed1c24>**Meetings for June 2020**</color>
+**Two meetings were held in June**.
+**<color #00a2e8>Wednesday, June 10th</color>** at 7pm with over 50 members registered.
+**David Thomas** discussed the subject of **Stay (or Keep) Alive for DCC**. He showed various approaches and discussed the pro's and con's of adding this facility. Whilst the temptation is to provide as much as can be "crammed" into the space available this may not be the best approach when measured against decoder functions.
+**Tony Chamberlain** showed his very detailed work that he had done to provide a facility to change the configuration of the lights on a GWR guards van. Tony wanted to ensure that the GWR "Rules" were perfectly applied to his model.
+Both presentations encouraged much interaction from the members.
+The next meeting is scheduled for **<color #00a2e8>Wednesday, June 17th</color>** at 7pm
-Further Meetings are planned for the following dates but will be determined by Government restrictions in place at the time of the meeting:
+Configuring DCC Decoders - **David Roberts**
-  * May 23rd
-  * July 25th
-  * September 26th
-  * November 21st
-All meetings are held at the club rooms of the <color #00a2e8>**Leamington and Warwick Model Railway Society**</color> (www.lwmrs.co.uk)
+All meetings in normal times are held at the club rooms of the <color #00a2e8>**Leamington and Warwick Model Railway Society**</color> (www.lwmrs.co.uk)
+To attend a Virtual Warwickshire, North Oxfordshire MERG Area Group Meeting you must be a MERG member and opt for communications from the WNO Group. You will then receive invitations to register for the Virtual Meetings.
 More details are available on the Warwickshire, North Oxfordshire Area Group's Page of the Forum.
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 Saturday 6th March and Sunday 7th March 2021\\
-Leamington Spa College, Warwick New Road, Leamington Spa, CV32 5JE.\\
+Due to the COVID-19 situation the viability of running an exhibition in 2021 is currently under review.\\
-Opening Times – Saturday 10am – 5pm – Sunday 10am – 4pm.\\
 Latest News at – www.lwmrs.co.uk\\