Differences

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--- public:westscotland [2017/03/27 19:55] – [Secretary] Bob Vetterlein
+++ public:westscotland [2020/06/20 13:16] – [Meetings] davy_dick
@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 [[:public:areagroups|Return to Area Groups News]]\\
 [[:public:start|Index to other public pages]]\\
-[[http://www.merg.org.uk/index.php|MERG Home page]]\\
+[[https://www.merg.org.uk/index.php|MERG Home page]]\\
 [[http://www.wosag.org.uk/|West of Scotland AG website]]\\
 ==== Email ====
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
-To send us an email, [[http://www.merg.org.uk/areagroup.php?area=8|use the MERG Area Group contact form]]\\
+To send us an email, [[https://www.merg.org.uk/areagroup.php?area=8|use the MERG Area Group contact form]]\\
-For MERG members, you might also like to look at our [[http://www.merg.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=86|area group forum.]]
+For MERG members, you might also like to look at our [[https://www.merg.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=86|area group forum.]]
 ==== Secretary ====
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ==== Meetings ====
-**Sunday 15th January 2017**\\
+We see ourselves as a mutual-assistance group, where members look to each other for advice, help and support.
-Venue Shawlands Scout Hall, Glasgow, G41 4AE
+Our members range from having little electronic knowledge to being fairly advanced.
+Interested members co-operate on their specific interests – e.g. everything from soldering skills and kit building to 3D printing and PIC and Arduino programming. The group aims to cater for all levels of skill.
+There is no specific commitments required from those who join.
+Members can put in and take out as much as they wish. None of us know everything and we can all learn from each other in a more informal manner than through the MERG forums and email groups.
+Of course, you don't have to participate in the Area Group, but you might find that we have a lot to offer - and learn - from each other.
-**January's morning sessions**\\
+We were very active prior to Covid-19, with all-members meetings in Glasgow on Sundays and fortnightly drop-in sessions on alternate Friday afternoons.  In addition, we ran a selection of training workshops on basic electronics, kit building, using oscilloscopes, layout planning software, etc.
-The morning session will have two presentations, each running from 10.30 to 12.00.\\
+Here is a typical members session.   Previous discussions included power supplies and cutouts, layout wiring, fault finding methods, automation, motors, servos and steppers, making control panels, PCB design software, etc.
-**A cloud over your layout?**\\
-You may have heard of "The Cloud", with domestic appliances, heating and the like
+Here is one of our demonstration layouts that show how to fit MERG kits to augment model railways.
-being monitored and controlled remotely via the internet. Chic Thomson will show
+{{:public:uppendoon.gif?400|}}
-you simple and cheap hardware and software means of controlling / monitoring
-aspects of your layout from a browser, both locally, and from anywhere.\\
-**Layout options**\\
+Here is our annual Open Day where we had demonstrations of building baseboards, track laying, point controllers, DCC, layout controls (CBUS and EzyBus), adding lighting, adding sound, Faller road systems, 3D printing, Arduino projects .......
-Starting a new layout? Do you know your dog bone from your folded figure-of eight?
+{{:public:open_day.jpg?400|}}
-When to use turntables, sector plates and traversers? Davy Dick looks at
-the options, benefits and drawbacks of different track layouts – from tiny 24” x 24”
+Here is a training workshops we ran on programming Arduinos.
-layouts to massive club layouts.\\
+{{:public:arduino_school.jpg?400|}}
-These sessions last all morning, so you have to choose which one you want to attend.\\
-Since we have to pay extra to hire the hall for the morning, there will be an additional
+At the moment, we keep in touch with each other through our national and our local websites.
-donation of £1 per attender, on top of the normal afternoon £3 donation.
+We also have fortnightly Zoom sessions on alternate Sunday afternoons.
-You might also want to bring along a packed lunch.\\
+Subjects covered included:
-**Afternoon sessions**\\
-The main Area Group meeting will run from 1pm to approx 5pm, depending upon the
+* Reusing parts salvaged from old printers and scanners
-amount of questions and discussion. As an experiment, we will have a slightly longer tea
-break around 3pm.\\
+* Resin 3D printing
-The afternoon session will have two presentations-\\
-**A Guide To Track Laying:**\\
+* Building animations
-Keith Shovelin will cover the basic aspects of track laying
-including gauge/scale , types of track, methods of fixing
+* Measuring voltage and current in DCC systems
-track, techniques for improving loco adhesion, ballasting,
-weathering and more...\\
-**The Faller road system**\\
-John Bowman and Donald McDonald will cover the
-model car system designed to work alongside model
-railways. The self-powered vehicles (cars, trucks,
-buses) run automatically and can stop at traffic lights,
-railroad crossings and stations.\\
-To meet fire regulations, members have to sign in on a table at the door. The sign-in sheet
-will also have a tick box indicating that the entry donation has been recorded.\\
-Please let me know as soon as possible if you are
-able to attend the January meeting.
-Also, please let me know which morning session you
-want to attend.\\
@@ Line 67: / Line 57: @@
-Email me if you are interested. Use the [[http://www.merg.org.uk/areagroup.php?area=8|MERG Area Group Contact form]] \\
-MERG Members may email or PM [[http://www.merg.org.uk/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=100|via the Forum]] \\
-Davy Dick \\
-WoSAG Leader
-==== Exhibitions with a West of Scotland MERG stand in 2017 ====
-Kilmarnock MRC 4/5 Feb Volunteer Rooms, Parterre, Irvine KA12 0BA\\
-Model Rail Scotland 25 to 27 Feb SECC, Exhibition Way, Glasgow G3 8YW\\
-Kyle MRC 20/21 May Auchenharvie Academy, Low Street, Stevenston, KA20 3JW\\