public:eastmids
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| public:eastmids [2016/12/15 19:03] – [MERG East Midlands Area Group News] Bob Vetterlein | public:eastmids [2024/03/03 07:45] – Add March 24 meeting PeteB | ||
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| ====== MERG East Midlands Area Group News ====== | ====== MERG East Midlands Area Group News ====== | ||
| - | [[:public:areagroups|Return to Area Groups | + | [[https:// |
| - | [[:public: | + | [[https:// |
| + | **This is the public page, members please check here for the latest news | ||
| + | [[areagroups: | ||
| - | Joint area group coordinators - Brian Norris and Pete Brownlow | ||
| + | Joint area group coordinators - Pete Brownlow and John Gowers | ||
| - | To send us an email, use the [[http:// | ||
| + | To contact us, use **[[https:// | ||
| - | For MERG members, you might also like to look at our [[http:// | + | For MERG members, you might also like to look at our [[https:// |
| ---- | ---- | ||
| - | ====== | + | ====== |
| - | **Saturday 10th December 2016 from 10:00** | + | Here is the agenda for our March 2024 area group meeting. |
| - | Kindly hosted by Lincoln & District Model Railway Club (L& | + | **Saturday 16th March 2024 from 10:00** |
| - | at Scampton and Aisthorpe Village hall, near Lincoln. | + | |
| - | Thanks to Richard Joyce for organising | + | This meeting is Kindly hosted by the The Bassetlaw (North Notts) Railway Society at their clubrooms on Retford Railway Station. |
| - | Tea and Coffee will be available all day, please bring your own packed lunch as there are no other facilities nearby. | + | Thanks to MERG and Bassetlaw Railway Society member Julian Pratt for arranging the venue for us. |
| - | **AGENDA** | + | The Bassetlaw Railway Society are not charging us for the use of the room, but we will ask for a donation of £2 per head to cover the cost of teas & coffees and biscuits, and make a donation to the Society. |
| - | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | + | Access is step free, but the entry door to the clubrooms is probably not wide enough for a powered wheelchair. |
| - | * 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | + | For those coming by train, there are reasonable arrivals from east (9:50), west (9: |
| - | * 10:30 Introductions | + | |
| - | * 10:45 A test and development CBUS. Godrey Stuart will describe how he put together a number of CBUS modules to test, develop and learn about CBUS | + | Parking is now: £6.25 at the station, £4.95 at [[https:// |
| - | * 11:15 MERG kit news by Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, what is coming. | + | There is a Costa Coffee |
| - | * 11:30 Short coffee break | + | There is no Wi-Fi at the venue, so a Zoom connection will not be possible. If presenters need to access something online, we may be able to use mobile phone hotspots, 4G coverage permitting. |
| - | * 11:45 The MERG DCC system - John Gowers will describe | + | More details of parking |
| - | + | ||
| - | * 12:30 Automation with JMRI - Pete Brownlow will describe | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * 13:30 Lunch – Bring your own packed lunch | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * 14:30 Practical session: Our usual problem solving clinic and continued demonstrations of DCC and JMRI on Missenden St Mary' | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * 16:30 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our host | + | |
| ---- | ---- | ||
| - | |||
| - | Kits will be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, | ||
| - | |||
| - | For the clinic session, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. If you know in advance what you would like to get sorted, let us know in advance so we can gen up on it. | ||
| - | |||
| - | For those who would like to come by train, we can arrange to collect you from Lincoln station, which is about 6 miles from the venue. | ||
| - | |||
| - | If you would like to come to the meeting, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply soon with full address details and directions to the venue. | ||
| - | |||
| - | If you have already let us know that you will be coming, you should have received a confirmation email. If you have not, then please email again. | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | ---- | ||
| - | |||
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| - | |||
| - | ====== NOVEMBER 2016 MERG East Midlands area group meeting ====== | ||
| - | |||
| - | **Saturday 5th November 2016 from 10:00** | ||
| - | |||
| - | Kindly hosted by the Historical Model Railway Society (HMRS) at their Museum and Study Centre located at The Midland Railway Centre, Swanwick Junction. | ||
| - | (See http:// | ||
| - | |||
| - | Thanks to the HMRS for hosting us at their study centre. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Collection can be arranged from a nearby station for those who would like to come by train. | ||
| - | |||
| - | We will ask for a donation of £2 per head to cover teas/ | ||
| - | |||
| - | The buffet on site will be open on that day, serving refreshments, | ||
| - | |||
| - | Steam trains will be running on the day between Butterley and Swanwick Junction, however the first train is not until 11:00 so too late to use it as transport to the meeting. Details of the timetable can be found here http:// | ||
| - | |||
| - | In the evening, The Midland Railway Centre have a fireworks event with regular shuttle trains between Butterley and Swanwick Junction, between 5.30pm and 9.30pm. I don't know if these will be steam or diesel. I suspect you have to buy a ticket for the fireworks event to use those trains. It might make an interesting evening if you want to stay on after our meeting. Details here: http:// | ||
| - | |||
| - | The meeting room is upstairs, but HMRS have just had a new stair lift installed which I am advised is all tested and working, so step free access is available as long as you can transfer to the stair lift. | ||
| **AGENDA** | **AGENDA** | ||
| Line 92: | Line 49: | ||
| * 10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | * 10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | ||
| - | * 10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions * | + | * 10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions |
| - | * 10:45 -“DesignSpark – quick and dirty” by Alan Turner | + | |
| + | * 10:50 - MERG news - John Gowers (MERG chairman) | ||
| + | * 11:00 - The CANXIO - Pete Brownlow | ||
| + | * 11:45 - Tea/coffee break | ||
| + | * 12:00 - The Raspberry Pi Pico - David Jones | ||
| + | * 12:45 - Kit locker update - Judi Rastall | ||
| + | * 13:15 - LUNCH BREAK | ||
| + | * | ||
| + | * 14:00 - 16:30 ish - Demonstrations | ||
| - | Alan will show how to design your own Printed Circuit Board (PCB) from a circuit design, using the popular free Design Spark program. He will take a useful model railway circuit and design a PCB for it. For those who then want to take it on to the next level, this is a useful precursor to Martin Perry' | + | During the afternoon our chairman, John Gowers, will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about MERG committee matters etc. |
| - | * 11:30 - Short tea/coffee break | + | The Bassetlaw Railway Society modelling rooms will be open, where the main 00 gauge layout |
| - | * 11:45 - Design Spark Continued by Alan Turner | + | |
| - | * 12:30 - Design Spark - Taking | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Judi will show how to take the PCB design that Alan has created, process the design | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * 13:00 - Lunch - at the Buffet on site or bring your own. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * 14:00 - CBUS Update - Pete Brownlow | + | |
| - | * 14:15 - MERG Kit locker Update - Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, | + | |
| - | * 14:30 - 16:30 ish - Making it work - Practical session and problem clinic | + | |
| + | We will of course have our usual problem clinic providing General help on problems with kits or other electronic projects, building, testing, problem solving etc. | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, a week or so before the meeting, you will get a reply with full details, directions to the venue and parking information. Even if you are not sure yet whether you can get along, please let us know anyway so we can plan for likely numbers. | ||
| - | * During introductions, | + | (Those who have already |
| - | + | ||
| - | For the practical sessions, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | If you already know what you want help on for this session, please email the details in advance so we can gen-up on it and look like we know what we are talking about! | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | If we didn't quite have time to get your project properly sorted at the last meeting, please bring it along again and you will be top of the list. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message | + | |
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | ====== January 2024 East Midlands ONLINE area group meeting ====== | ||
| - | ====== SUMMER 2016 MERG East Midlands | + | Here is the agenda for our January online Zoom area group meeting. |
| - | **Saturday | + | **Saturday |
| - | Kindly hosted by Judi Rastall at her place in Sutton on Sea. | + | This meeting will be online using Zoom. |
| - | Come to the seaside for our Summer meeting! | + | As before, we have found that regular breaks of roughly 10-15 mins worked well, to avoid people getting fatigued from staring at their screens, so we will plan to do the same again. |
| - | The venue is about 5 minutes walk from the Prom, so you might like to bring the family for a day by the seaside, whilst we get on with the far more important stuff! Partners and families are welcome to use the other room for teas/ | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| - | + | ||
| - | Judi can accommodate up to 20 people, so bookings are first come first served. If we become fully booked, we will keep a waiting list in case of cancellations. Note that the 20 limit is for the room where we have the meeting, any partners or family who would like to come along for a day at the seaside are additional to the 20 limit. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | If you would like to come, please let us know as soon as possible. If you do decide at the last minute, it is still worth getting in touch as, with the longer distance that most have to travel, the numbers are usually less than more centrally located meetings. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Most of you will know that Judi is our Kit Sales Manager. This is an opportunity to see the huge MERG kit operation, how Judi manages the stock, processes the orders and sends out all those kits. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Sutton on Sea is on the east coast of Lincolnshire between Skegness and Grimsby. Parking is available on street near the venue. We have scheduled this meeting before the start of the peak summer season. Once the school holidays start, from late July, parking becomes much more difficult and there will be long queues on all roads into the resort on a Saturday morning – so come and enjoy the seaside before the mad summer rush. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | This venue is less convenient for arrival by train. The nearest railhead is Skegness which is at the end of a long branch line and is an hour round trip from Sutton. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Tea and Coffee will be available, lunch can be purchased from local fish and chip shops, or bring your own if you prefer. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Weather and " | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ---- | + | |
| **AGENDA** | **AGENDA** | ||
| Line 158: | Line 92: | ||
| The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | ||
| - | * 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | + | * 10:00 - Get connected, Informal chat |
| - | * 10:30 Introductions and group news | + | * 10:30 - Welcome, |
| - | * 10:45 CAN4DC and CCMR by Ian Hogg – A CBUS system to operate analogue DC trains ++ | + | * 10:45 - Essex Brick part 2 - getting into using YAAT for automation - Eddy |
| - | * 11:45 Short coffee break | + | * 11:30 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!) |
| - | * 12:00 CBUS developments – Pete Brownlow | + | * 11:45 - My initial exploration of the Hornby HM7000 system - David Page |
| - | * 12:30 MERG kit news by Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, | + | * 12:15 - QnA on the above talks |
| + | * 12:30 - Kit and other news | ||
| + | * 13:00 - LUNCH BREAK | ||
| + | * 14:00 on - General QnA and help clinic | ||
| - | * 13:00 Lunch - Fish and chips from the local shops or bring your own | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| - | * 14:00 The MERG kit locker by Judi Rastall – guided tours | + | For the help clinic session |
| - | in parallel with: | + | |
| - | * 14:00 Making | + | |
| - | * 14:00 Help with soldering | + | |
| - | * 16:00 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks | + | If you would like to join in, please go to the MERG website, select the menu option MEMBER LINKS-> |
| - | * 16:15 onwards – continue | + | |
| - | ++ Ian will provide an update on progress of CAN4DC and CCMR. This will cover the system design, hardware choices and firmware of a CBUS module to control Analogue DC layouts along with the software to manually and automatically operate the layout. | + | Please don't share the Zoom links with anyone outside MERG, or post them on any public social media or web page. |
| - | ---- | + | If you cannot see the details for East Midlands area group meetings, go to https:// |
| - | Kits will, of course, be available for purchase. | + | If you still can't get the Zoom link, send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk and I'll email you the Zoom link. |
| - | For the clinic session, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. If you know in advance what you would like to get sorted, let us know in advance so we can gen up on it. | + | I will send out the usual reminder email, it will go automatically to everyone |
| - | The venue is reasonably accessible, there are a couple of shallow steps up through the front door and a step down into the kitchen of 5". The width of the kitchen doorway is 29". Please advise if you need any assistance. | + | ---- |
| - | Please note that Judi is owned by her two Kit Cats who will be in attendance, so anyone who has any feline allergy or intolerance should be aware of this. | ||
| - | If you would like to come, and have not already done so, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply in due course with full address details and directions to the venue. | ||
| - | ---- | + | ====== December 2023 East Midlands ONLINE area group meeting ====== |
| - | ---- | + | |
| - | ====== NOVEMBER 2015 MERG East Midlands | + | Here is the agenda for our December 2023 online Zoom area group meeting. |
| - | **Saturday | + | **Saturday |
| - | Kindly hosted by the Nene Valley Railway in their modern | + | This meeting |
| - | Thanks | + | As before, we have found that regular breaks of roughly 10-15 mins worked well, to avoid people getting fatigued from staring at their screens, so we will plan to do the same again. |
| - | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| - | ---- | + | |
| **AGENDA** | **AGENDA** | ||
| Line 207: | Line 136: | ||
| The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | ||
| - | * 10:00 Members arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | + | * 10:00 - Get connected, Informal chat |
| - | * 10:30 Introductions and group news | + | * 10:30 - Welcome, |
| - | * 10:45 Types and positioning of signals | + | * 10:45 - Essex Brick a lockdown to exhibition layout - Eddy |
| - | * 11:30 Short coffee break | + | * 11:30 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!) |
| + | * 11:45 - Update on my developments with DCC, CBUS and JMRI - Pete Brownlow | ||
| + | * 12:45 - QnA | ||
| + | * 13:00 - LUNCH BREAK | ||
| + | * 14:00 on - General QnA and help clinic | ||
| - | * 11:45 Leamington Spa - Pete Waterman' | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| - | * 13:00 Lunch - bring your own or use the Nene Valley Railway cafe | + | For the help clinic session in the afternoon, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please be ready to wave it at the camera, and we'll see what help and advice we can give from afar. |
| - | * 14:00 MERG Kit news - Judi Rastall | + | If you would like to join in, please go to the MERG website, select |
| - | * 14:30 Practical session: Our usual problem solving clinic - bring along anything | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * During | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * 16:30 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting | + | |
| - | ---- | + | Please don't share the Zoom links with anyone outside MERG, or post them on any public social media or web page. |
| + | If you cannot see the details for East Midlands area group meetings, go to https:// | ||
| - | We will ask for £2 per head to cover the room hire cost and £1 each in the " | + | If you still can' |
| - | + | ||
| - | Kits will be available for purchase. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | The NVR cafe will be open from 8:30 for bacon butties or full breakfast, and also open at lunchtime. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | One NVR engine, probably a Black 5, will be in steam as it is a driver experience day on the NVR. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | The meeting room was built from new last year and is step-free accessible. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | For those who would like to come by train, we can arrange to collect you from Peterborough station or, if you can get there early enough, I can collect from Wellingborough station on my way to the meeting about 8am. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | If you need collection from Peterborough station, please plan to arrive before 9:30 so that the person picking you up does not have to miss any of the meeting. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | If you would like to come, please | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Members from outside the East Midlands are always welcome at our meetings, as are visitors. Please just let us know you are coming so we can plan for the numbers expected. | + | |
| + | I will send out the usual reminder email, it will go automatically to everyone who is subscribed to this area group. | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | ---- | ||
| + | ====== OCTOBER 2023 East Midlands MERG Area Group FACE to FACE meeting ====== | ||
| - | ====== AUGUST 2015 MERG East Midlands area group meeting ====== | + | **Saturday 21st October 2023 from 10:00** |
| - | **Saturday 15th August 2015 from 10:00** | + | The meeting is Kindly hosted by the Nene Valley Railway at Wansford. Thanks to MERG and NVR member Russ Jenner for arranging the venue for us. |
| - | Kindly hosted by David Straker at his place in Leicester. | + | We will ask for a donation of £5 per head to cover both the venue hire and teas/ |
| - | As we won't be having | + | The venue has level step free access and good parking. If you need a disabled space reserved, please let us know. |
| - | Those who came to the last meeting at David' | + | There is a cafe on site, I will confirm arrangements, but most likely we will pass the menu around in the morning so you can order lunch if you wish. |
| - | Collection can be arranged from Leicester station | + | If the Wifi at the venue is working well enough, we will endeavour to have a Zoom connection for the morning meeting, |
| - | + | ||
| - | Tea and coffee | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | The meeting is on the ground floor and easily accessible with no steps. | + | |
| ---- | ---- | ||
| - | ** AGENDA ** | + | **AGENDA** |
| The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | ||
| - | * 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | + | * 10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members |
| - | * 10:30 Introductions | + | * 10:30 - Welcome to NVR and housekeeping - Russ Jenner |
| + | * 10:35 - Group news and Introductions | ||
| + | * 10:45 - CBUS and JMRI at Gwynne Junction - James Cunningham - including some or all of CANMIO Rev K, JMRI semaphore signalling, my JMRI touchscreen signal box and Railcom | ||
| + | * 11:45 - Tea/coffee break | ||
| + | * 12:00 - MERG & kit locker updates - Judi Rastall | ||
| + | * 12:30 - The Universal Experimenters Module - Pete Brownlow | ||
| + | * 13:00 - LUNCH BREAK | ||
| + | * | ||
| + | * 13:30 - 16:30 ish - Demonstrations and practical problems help clinic | ||
| - | * 11:00 Designing PCBs using Design Spark - Mike Collins | ||
| - | * 11:45 Short coffee break | ||
| - | * 12:00 CBUS - setting up the CANMIO using SLiM - Pete Brownlow | ||
| - | |||
| - | * 12:30 Lunch - Bring your own packed lunch (tea and coffee provided) | ||
| - | |||
| - | * 13:00 A chance to view and operate David Straker' | ||
| - | * 13:00 Making it work - our usual problem solving clinic | ||
| - | |||
| - | * 16:00 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our host | ||
| - | |||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | During the afternoon, as well as our usual help and problem solving clinic, Russ advises that the railwayana shop at NVR will be open which now has quite a lot of double 00 and a few N and O gauge second hand stock. | ||
| - | Judi will be on holiday, and cannot make this meeting, so we will not have our usual stock of kits for sale at the meeting. If you want kits, you will have to order them and get them posted to you from the kit locker as usual. | + | If he can get the 00 layout running |
| - | For the clinic session, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. If you know in advance what you would like to get sorted, let us know in advance so we can gen up on it. | + | Short trips to the NVR shed will be available during the afternoon. |
| - | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply, in due course, with full address details and directions to the venue. | + | It is a running day at NVR with 3 trains, pulled by W D Austerity. |
| - | If you would like to come by train, please | + | If you would like to come, please |
| - | Visitors, and MERG members from outside | + | Let us know if you need a lift from Peterborough station. Please plan to arrive at Peterborough station no later than 9:30am, so whoever picks you up does not have to miss any of the meeting. |
| - | ---- | + | (Those who have already let me know that you are coming, I have noted you and I will be sending out confirmation emails in the week before the meeting.) |
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | ====== JULY 2015 MERG East Midlands area group meeting ====== | ||
| - | |||
| - | **Saturday 11th July 2015 from 10:00** | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | Kindly hosted by Judi Rastall at her place in Sutton on Sea. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Come to the seaside for our Summer meeting! | ||
| - | |||
| - | The venue is about 5 minutes walk from the Prom, so you might like to bring the family for a day by the seaside, whilst we get on with the far more important stuff! Partners and families are welcome to use the other room for teas/ | ||
| - | |||
| - | Judi can accommodate up to 20 people, so bookings are first come first served. If we become fully booked, we will keep a waiting list in case of cancellations. Note that the 20 limit is for the room where we have the meeting, any partners or family who would like to come along for a day at the seaside are additional to the 20 limit. | ||
| - | |||
| - | If you would like to come, please let us know as soon as possible. If you do decide at the last minute, it is still worth getting in touch as, with the longer distance that most have to travel, the numbers are usually less than more centrally located meetings. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Most of you will know that Judi is our Kit Sales Manager. This is an opportunity to see the huge MERG kit operation, how Judi manages the stock, processes the orders and sends out all those kits. | ||
| - | |||
| - | We also have the rare treat of a double act from our kit team, Judi Rastall and Martin Perry, describing the new PTP-Lite layout control system. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Sutton on Sea is on the east coast of Lincolnshire between Skegness and Grimsby. Parking is available on street near the venue. We have scheduled this meeting before the start of the peak summer season. Once the school holidays start, from late July, parking becomes much more difficult and there will be long queues on all roads into the resort on a Saturday morning – so come and enjoy the seaside before the mad summer rush. | ||
| - | |||
| - | This venue is less convenient for arrival by train. The nearest railhead is Skegness which is at the end of a long branch line and is an hour round trip from Sutton. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Tea and Coffee will be available, lunch can be purchased from local fish and chip shops, or bring your own if you prefer. | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | ====== JULY 2023 East Midlands MERG Area Group FACE to FACE meeting ====== | ||
| - | ** AGENDA | + | **Saturday 8th July 2023 from 10:00** |
| - | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | + | Due to Judi's building work not being complete in time, we have swapped the venues for our July and September meetings. |
| - | * 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | + | This meeting will now be at Aisthorpe Village Hall, near Lincoln, Kindly hosted by Lincoln & District Model Railway Club (L& |
| - | * 10:30 Introductions and group news | + | |
| - | * 10:45 MERG kit news by Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, | + | Thanks to Richard Joyce for organising the venue for us. |
| - | * 11:15 CBUS developments – Pete Brownlow | + | |
| - | * 11:45 Short coffee break | + | |
| - | * 12:00 PTP-Lite by Judi Rastall and Martin Perry | + | |
| - | * 13:00 Lunch - Fish and chips from the local shops or bring your own | + | Tea and Coffee will be available all day, please |
| - | * 14:00 The MERG kit locker by Judi Rastall – guided tours, in parallel with: | + | We will ask for a donation of £5 per head to cover the venue hire and teas/ |
| - | * 14:00 Making it work - our usual problem solving clinic | + | |
| - | * 16:00 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting | + | The venue has level step free access |
| - | * 16:15 onwards – continue with practical clinic | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | | + | |
| - | ---- | + | Provided the Internet connection at the venue is working well, we will have a Zoom connection for the morning meeting, for those who cannot come in person. I will add a Zoom link to the meeting info, so that it appears in your upcoming meetings on the MERG website. |
| - | | + | More details of parking and how to find the venue will be included in your confirmation email when you book your place. Please remember to book a place and not just turn up on spec, in case there are any changes we need to let you know about. |
| - | Kits will, of course, be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| - | + | ||
| - | For the clinic session, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. If you know in advance what you would like to get sorted, let us know in advance so we can gen up on it. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | The venue is reasonably accessible, there are a couple of shallow steps up through the front door and a step down into the kitchen of 5". The width of the kitchen doorway is 29". Please advise if you need any assistance. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Please note that Judi now has a couple of resident cats (see [[http:// | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply, in due course, with full address details and directions to the venue. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | ---- | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | ====== SPRING 2015 MERG East Midlands area group meeting ====== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | **Saturday 21st March 2015 from 09:00** | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | At the Nottingham Model Railway Exhibition, Hadden Park High School, Harvey road, Bilborough, NG8 3BB. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | MERG member and exhibition organiser Graham Clark has kindly arranged this venue. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | The exhibition is located at a school, and we have been allocated a whole classroom. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | This classroom will be closed to the public for the first part of our meeting in the morning. We will then open to the public for the main talk. Then we will have our usual clinic session in the afternoon, whilst also being open to the public as the " | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | We will be joining MERG gurus Gordon Hopkins and Bob Vetterlein who regularly exhibit at this show. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | We will set up the usual MERG exhibition stand and demos in the same room as well as having our meeting there. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Our meeting will start a little earlier than usual at 9:00 in order to ensure that we can get the room open to the public at a reasonable time. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ---- | + | |
| **AGENDA** | **AGENDA** | ||
| - | * 09:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | + | The meeting will be informal |
| - | * 09:30 Introductions, Group news, future meetings etc. | + | |
| - | * 09:45 Kit locker update - Judi Rastall | + | |
| - | * 10:15 ATC dual mode - Gordon Hopkins | + | |
| - | * 10:45 Short break and open to the public | + | |
| - | * 11:00 Controlling points - types of point motor and how to control them - hardwired vs DCC vs CBUS - Pete Brownlow | + | |
| - | * 12:00 Lunch - bring your own or use the exhibition facilities | + | * 10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members |
| + | * 10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions | ||
| + | * 10:45 - Introduction to the Lincoln & District Model Railway Club - Richard Joyce | ||
| + | * 10:50 - The CANPROG - what it is, building one, using it to program PICs - Pete Brownlow | ||
| + | * 11:30 - Tea/coffee break | ||
| + | * 11:45 - Update on FCU development (CBUS FLim Config Utility) - Julian Pratt | ||
| + | * 12:15 - Kit locker update - Judi Rastall | ||
| + | * 13:00 - LUNCH BREAK | ||
| + | * 14:00 - 16:00 ish - Demonstrations and practical problems help clinic - including FCU tutorial if requested | ||
| - | * 12:45 Re-arrange | + | There should also be a chance to see some of the L&DMRC layouts. |
| - | * 13:00 Our usual " | + | We will of course have our usual problem |
| + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||
| - | The afternoon session | + | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, in the week before the meeting, you will get a reply with full details, directions to the venue and parking information. Even if you are not sure yet whether you can get along, please let us know anyway so we can plan for likely numbers. |
| - | ---- | + | Please book a place rather than just turning up on spec, if there are any last minute changes we need to know who is coming so that we can contact you. |
| - | The arrangement we have with the exhibition organisers is that members | + | (Those who have already let me know that you are coming, |
| - | If you book to come later than 2 weeks before, we will still try to squeeze you in, but you will not be able to get the reduced entry fee as there will not be time to get you added to the early entry list. | + | ====== May 2023 East Midlands ONLINE area group meeting ====== |
| - | Please let us know promptly if you would like to come by posting on the East Midlands | + | Here is the agenda for our May 2023 online Zoom area group meeting. |
| - | If you would like to come by train, there is a frequent bus service, no. 28, from Upper Parliament Street in the city centre, to the show venue. | + | **Saturday 27th May from 10:00** |
| - | However, Upper Parliament Street is about 3/4 of a mile, 15-20mins walk, from the station, so if you are unable to manage that distance, or are bringing too much stuff to lug that distance, then we can arrange a pickup. In that case, please let us know what train you will be arriving on. As the meeting starts at 9:00am, if you do need a pick up, please arrange to arrive at Nottingham station by 8:30 so that those doing the pick up do not have to miss part of the meeting. | + | This meeting |
| - | On the Sunday | + | As before, we have found that breaks |
| - | There is no reduced admission for MERG members on the Sunday, so unless you are helping to man our exhibition stand all day, you will have to pay the normal exhibition admission price. | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| - | + | ||
| - | ====== FEBRUARY 2015 MERG East Midlands area group meeting ====== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | **Saturday 7th February 2015 from 10:00** | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Kindly hosted by the Syston Model Railway Society at their clubrooms at The Old School Community Centre, Thurmaston, Leicestershire | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Thanks to SMRS and MERG member Mike Collins for arranging this venue for us. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | We have the use of the smaller meeting room downstairs during the morning, because the larger room is in use by a coffee morning. We can move into the larger room for the practical session in the afternoon. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | The benefit of this arrangement is that Tea and Coffee will be available to purchase from the coffee morning during the morning. Last time we did this, bacon butties were also available, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Please either bring your own packed lunch or alternatively, | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Collection can be arranged from Syston station for those who would like to come by train. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | We will ask for a donation of £2 per head to cover the room hire. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | The meeting room is on the ground floor and easily accessible. The clubrooms housing the SMRS layouts are upstairs. | + | |
| **AGENDA** | **AGENDA** | ||
| Line 445: | Line 274: | ||
| The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | ||
| - | 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | + | * |
| - | + | | |
| - | 10:30 Welcome to SMRS - by Mike Collins | + | |
| - | + | | |
| - | 10:35 Introductions * | + | |
| - | + | | |
| - | 11:00 MERG kit news by Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, | + | * 12:15 - From the MERG chairman - John Gowers |
| - | + | * 12:45 - MERG AGM event - possible East Mids Area group involvement | |
| - | 11:30 Short break (or recovery time if we are running late) | + | * 13:00 - LUNCH BREAK |
| - | + | * 14:00 on - General QnA and help clinic | |
| - | 11:45 What is a PIC? and how to get firmware onto a PIC by various methods | + | |
| - | 12:45 Lunch - Bring your own or find a local cafe | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| - | Also a chance | + | For the QnA sessions, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please be ready to wave it at the camera, and we'll see what help and advice we can give from afar. |
| - | 13:30 Making it work - practical sessions using members projects, MERG kits or anything else. | + | If you would like to join in, please go to the MERG website, select the menu option MEMBER LINKS-> |
| - | 16:00 Wrap-up discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our hosts | + | Please don't share the Zoom links with anyone outside MERG, or post them on any public social media or web page. |
| - | 16:15 Carry on with anything else we havn't fixed yet! | + | If you cannot see the details for East Midlands area group meetings, go to https:// |
| - | 17:00 Finish | + | If you still can't get the Zoom link, send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk and I'll email you the Zoom link. |
| + | I will send out the usual reminder email to everyone subscribed to the area group, it will go automatically to everyone who is subscribed to this area group. | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | ====== APRIL 2023 East Midlands MERG Area Group FACE to FACE meeting ====== | ||
| + | **Saturday 8th April 2023 from 10:00** | ||
| - | * During introductions, | + | Here is the agenda for our April meeting. |
| - | For the practical sessions, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. | + | This meeting is Kindly hosted by the The Kingsway Model Railway Society (KMRS) at the Kingsway Centre in Wellingborough. |
| - | If you already know what you want help on for this session, please email the details in advance so we can gen-up on it and look like we know what we are talking about! | + | We will ask for a donation of £5 per head to cover the venue hire and teas/ |
| - | If we didn't quite have time to get your project properly sorted at the last meeting, please | + | The venue has level step free access and good parking. |
| - | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. | + | You can either bring a packed lunch or nip out to somewhere locally, the town centre is about 5 minutes drive away and there is a co-op shop a few minutes walk away. |
| - | ====== NOVEMBER MERG East Midlands area group meeting | + | Provided the Internet connection at the venue is working, we will have a Zoom connection for the morning |
| + | More details of parking and how to find the venue will be included in your confirmation email when you book your place. Please remember to book a place and not just turn up on spec, in case there are any changes we need to let you know about, and so we now how many people to cater for. | ||
| - | **Saturday 1st November 2014 from 10: | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| + | **AGENDA** | ||
| - | Kindly hosted by the Nene Valley | + | * 10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members |
| + | * 10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions | ||
| + | * 10:40 - Introduction to the Kingsway Model Railway | ||
| + | * 10:45 - CBUS update - what has been happening | ||
| + | * 11:30 - Tea/coffee break | ||
| + | * 11:45 - The new improved MERG ATC system - Mike Collins | ||
| + | * 12:30 - Kit locker update - Judi Rastall | ||
| + | * 13:00 - LUNCH BREAK | ||
| + | * 14:00 - 16:30 ish - Demonstrations and practical problems help clinic | ||
| + | The Kingsway Model Railway Society 00 gauge layout will be open and partially running (one corner currently has an engineering possession for relaying the track). This uses the MERG DCC system and CBUS. The N gauge layout will also be set up. Pete will also have the Missenden St Mary's layout set up and running. | ||
| - | Thanks | + | Feel free if you want to bring something to run, the 00 layouts are DCC, the N gauge layout is analogue. |
| - | \\ | + | |
| + | We will of course have our usual problem clinic providing General help on problems with kits or other electronic projects, building, testing, problem solving, techniques such as soldering etc. | ||
| + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||
| + | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, before the event, you will get a reply with full details, directions to the venue and parking information. Even if you are not sure yet whether you can get along, please let us know anyway so we can plan for likely numbers. | ||
| - | __**AGENDA**__ \\ | + | Please book a place rather than just turning up on spec, if there are any last minute changes we need to know who is coming so that we can contact you. |
| - | \\ | + | Regards, |
| - | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | + | |
| - | The theme of this meeting is layout control using the JMRI software package.\\ | + | Pete |
| - | \\ | ||
| - | 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members\\ | ||
| - | 10:30 Introductions and group news\\ | ||
| - | 10:45 Quick update on CBUS developments - Pete Brownlow\\ | ||
| - | 11:00 Demonstration of Raspberry Pi running JMRI - Charles Orr\\ | ||
| - | 11:30 Short coffee break | ||
| - | 11:45 Towards Automation - Doug Harper will describe the progress with his layout with the eventual aim of automatic running using JMRI | ||
| - | 12:45 MERG kit news by Judi Rastall | ||
| - | 13:00 Lunch – Bring your own or use the Nene Valley Railway cafe. | ||
| - | 14:00 Eagle PCB design Q&A session - Pete Brownlow - following on from last week's talk, for those who have had a go and have some questions. \\ \\ | + | ====== SEPTEMBER 2022 East Midlands MERG Area Group FACE to FACE meeting ====== |
| - | 14:30 Practical session: Our usual problem solving clinic - bring along anything you need help with | + | **Saturday 3rd September 2022 from 10:00** |
| - | During | + | Here is the agenda for our September meeting. |
| - | 16:30 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting | + | This meeting |
| + | We will ask for a donation of £5 per head to cover the venue hire and teas/ | ||
| - | ---- | + | The venue has level step free access and good parking. If you need a disabled space reserved, please let us know. |
| - | We will ask for £2 per head to cover the room hire cost. | + | You can either bring a packed lunch or nip out to somewhere locally, |
| - | Kits will be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, | + | Provided |
| - | + | ||
| - | The NVR cafe will be open from 8:30 for bacon butties or full breakfast, and also open at lunchtime. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | One NVR engine will be in steam for 3 service trains starting at 10:00. At moment it is rostered as 6041 the big American 2-6-0 loco. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | The meeting room is new and is step-free accessible. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | For those who would like to come by train, we can arrange to collect you from Peterborough station or, if you can get there early enough, | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | If you would like to come, please send an email to [[eastmids@merg.org.uk|eastmids@merg.org.uk]] or post a message | + | |
| - | // | + | |
| + | More details of parking and how to find the venue will be included in your confirmation email when you book your place. PLease remember to book a place and not just turn up on spec, in case there are any changes we need to let you know about. | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | **AGENDA** | ||
| - | ---- | ||
| - | |||
| - | ====== AUTUMN 2014 MERG East Midlands area group meeting ====== | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | **Saturday 20th September 2014 from 10: | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | Kindly hosted by Lincoln & District Model Railway Club (L& | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | at Scampton and Aisthorpe Village hall, near Lincoln. | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | Thanks to Phil Busby and Paul Ransome for organising the venue for us.\\ | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| - | Tea and Coffee will be available all day, plus hot bacon rolls at lunch time. | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | The theme of this meeting is designing and making printed circuit boards (PCBs). Several members will show different PCB design programs, and we'll etch some real PCBs during the afternoon practical session. | ||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | __**AGENDA**__ \\ | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | ||
| + | * 10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | ||
| + | * 10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions | ||
| + | * 10:40 - Introduction to the Kingsway Model Railway Society - Roger barker | ||
| + | * 10:45 - Turntable Tales - My journey so far with the Peco Turntable and MERG Turntable Controller - kit John Wood\\ (Also includes using Julian' | ||
| + | * 11:15 - Tea/coffee break | ||
| + | * 11:30 - DCC and CBUS new developments with live demo - Pete Brownlow\\ (Including new features in CANCMD, CANCOMPUTE and development news on CANMIO (Universal) ) | ||
| + | * 13:00 - LUNCH BREAK | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| - | 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members\\ | ||
| - | 10:30 Introductions and group news\\ | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| - | 10:45 Designing a PCB by Pete Brownlow | ||
| + | * 14:00 - 16:30 ish - Demonstrations and practical problems help clinic | ||
| - | * Taking a very simple design, we will go through drawing the schematic, laying out the PCB and preparing the board for either home etching or commercial manufacture, | ||
| + | The Kingsway Model Railway Society 00 gauge layout will be open and running, this uses the MERG DCC system and CBUS. The N gauge layout will also be set up. Pete will also have the Missenden St Mary's layout set up and running. | ||
| - | 11:45 Short coffee break | + | Feel free if you want to bring something |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 12:00 Using DesignSpark | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | * A summary of the main features when designing PCBs using the DesignSpark program | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 12:30 Using DipTrace | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | * A summary of the main features when designing PCBs using the DipTrace program | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 13:00 Lunch – Bring your own and/or bacon rolls cooked for us by Linda Busby. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | * Phil and John also hope to set up some working | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 13:30 MERG kit news by Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | * We'll have a go at etching some circuit boards from the design created in the first session | + | |
| - | * Our usual problem solving clinic | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 16:00 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our host | + | |
| + | We will of course have our usual problem clinic providing General help on problems with kits or other electronic projects, building, testing, problem solving, techniques such as soldering etc. | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| - | Kits will be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, | + | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | For the clinic session, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. If you know in advance what you would like to get sorted, let us know in advance so we can gen up on it. \\ \\ For those who would like to come by train, we can arrange to collect you from Lincoln station, which is about 6 miles from the venue. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | If you would like to come, please send an email to [[eastmids@merg.org.uk|eastmids@merg.org.uk]] | + | |
| + | Please book a place rather than just turning up on spec, if there are any last minute changes we need to know who is coming so that we can contact you. | ||
| + | (Those who have already let me know that you are coming, I will be sending out confirmation emails in the next few days). | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | ====== JULY 2022 East Midlands MERG Area Group FACE to FACE meeting ====== | ||
| + | **Saturday 9th July 2022 from 10:00** | ||
| - | ---- | + | The meeting is Kindly hosted by the Nene Valley Railway at Wansford. Thanks to MERG and NVR member Russ Jenner for arranging the venue for us. |
| + | We will ask for a donation of £5 per head to cover both the venue hire and teas/ | ||
| - | ====== SUMMER 2014 MERG East Midlands area group meeting ====== | + | The venue has level step free access and good parking. If you need a disabled space reserved, please let us know. |
| + | There is a cafe on site, we will pass the menu around in the morning so you can order lunch if you wish. | ||
| - | **Saturday 28th June 2014 from 10: | + | If the Wifi at the venue is working well enough, we will endevour have a Zoom connection for the morning meeting, for those who cannot come in person. However, the meeting will be optimised for those who manage to get along, who will get the best experience. |
| - | + | It is a running | |
| - | Kindly hosted by Judi Rastall at her place in Sutton on Sea. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Theme - Control Panels | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Come to the seaside for our Summer meeting! | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | The venue is about 5 minutes walk from the Prom, so you might like to bring the family for a day by the seaside, whilst we get on with the far more important stuff! Partners and families are welcome to use the other room for teas/ | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Judi can accommodate up to 20 people, so bookings are first come first served. If we become fully booked, we will keep a waiting list in case of cancellations. Note that the 20 limit is for the room where we have the meeting, any partners or family who would like to come along for a day at the seaside are additional to the 20 limit. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | If you would like to come, please let us know as soon as possible. If you do decide at the last minute, it is still worth getting in touch as, with the longer distance that most have to travel, the numbers are usually less than more centrally located meetings. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Most of you will know that Judi is our Kit Sales Manager. This is an opportunity to see the huge MERG kit operation, how Judi manages the stock, processes the orders | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Sutton on Sea is on the east coast of Lincolnshire between Skegness and Grimsby. Parking is available on street near the venue. We have scheduled this meeting before the start of the peak summer season. Once the school holidays start, from late July, parking becomes much more difficult and there will be long queues on all roads into the resort on a Saturday morning – so come and enjoy the seaside before the mad summer rush. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | This venue is less convenient for arrival by train. The nearest railhead is Skegness which is at the end of a long branch line and is an hour round trip from Sutton. Please let us know with plenty of notice if you need a pick up from Skegness station. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Tea and Coffee will be available, lunch can be purchased from local fish and chip shops, or bring your own if you prefer. | + | |
| Line 671: | Line 421: | ||
| - | **AGENDA** | + | **AGENDA** |
| The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | ||
| + | * 10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | ||
| + | * 10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions | ||
| + | * 10:40 - Developing FCU - progress and challenges, David Radcliffe | ||
| + | * 11:20 - Tea/coffee break | ||
| + | * 11:30 - Colin Head - Demo and progress report on my layout (which has no name yet!) | ||
| + | * 12:10 - MERG & kit locker updates - Judi Rastall | ||
| + | * 12:30 - LUNCH BREAK | ||
| - | The theme of this meeting is control panels. Several members will describe and demonstrate their approach to building control panels. | + | * 13:30 - 16:30 ish - Demonstrations |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 10:30 Introductions and group news | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 10:45 Pentre Road control panel by Howard Watkins | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 11:30 Short coffee break | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 11:40 Locketown control panel by Nick Locke | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 12:20 Deting control panel by Richard Spoors | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 13:00 Lunch - Fish and chips from the local shops or bring your own | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 13:30 MERG kit news by Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 14:00 The MERG kit locker by Judi Rastall – guided tours | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | in parallel with: | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 14:00 Making it work: | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | * Our usual problem solving clinic | + | |
| - | * Further discussions and demonstrations of the various control panels | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 16:00 "Wrap up" discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our host | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 16:15 onwards - continue with practical clinic | + | |
| + | Note: " | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message here in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, in due course, you will get a reply with full address details, directions to the venue and parking information. Even if you are not sure yet whether you can get along, please let us know anyway so we can plan for likely numbers. | ||
| - | Kits will, of course, be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, | + | Let us know if you need a lift from Peterborough station. Please plan to arrive at Peterborough station no later than 9:30am, so whoever picks you up does not have to miss any of the meeting. |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | For the clinic session, as we have done before, | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | If we didn't quite have time to get your project properly sorted at the last meeting, please bring it along again and you will be top of the list. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | The venue is reasonably accessible, there are a couple of shallow steps up through the front door and a step down into the kitchen of 5". The width of the kitchen doorway is 29". Please advise if you need any assistance. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Please note again that this meeting | + | |
| + | Those who have already let us know that you are coming, you should have received a confirmation email with directions, parking, lunch details etc. If you have not received your confirmation email, please get in touch. | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | ====== APRIL 2022 East Midlands MERG Area Group FACE to FACE meeting ====== | ||
| + | **Saturday | ||
| - | ====== SPRING 2014 MERG East Midlands area group meeting | + | This meeting |
| + | We will ask for a donation of £5 per head to cover the venue hire and teas/ | ||
| - | **Saturday 15th March 2014 from 09: | + | The venue has level step free access and good parking. If you need a disabled space reserved, please let us know. |
| + | You can either bring a packed lunch or nip out to somewhere locally, the town centre is about 5 minutes drive away. There is a co-op shop a few minutes walk away. | ||
| - | Pictures from this event can be found [[http:// | + | We will have a Zoom connection for the morning meeting, for those who cannot come in person. I have added the Zoom link to the meeting info, so that it appears in your upcoming meetings on the MERG website. |
| + | More details of parking and how to find the venue will be included in your confirmation email when you book your place. | ||
| - | At the Nottingham Model Railway Exhibition, Hadden Park High School, Harvey road, Bilborough, NG8 3BB. | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| + | **AGENDA** | ||
| - | MERG member Graham Clarke has kindly arranged this venue. | + | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: |
| + | * 10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | ||
| + | * 10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions | ||
| + | * 10:35 - Introduction to the Kingsway Model Railway Society - Roger barker | ||
| + | * 10:45 - My CBUS & JMRI journey - Julian Pratt (held over from the previous meeting) | ||
| + | * 11:30 - Tea/coffee break | ||
| + | * 11:45 - Kit locker update - news about MERG kits - Judi Rastall | ||
| + | * 12:15 - CBUS update - developments and things I am working on - Pete Brownlow | ||
| - | The exhibition is located at a school, and we have been allocated a whole classroom. | + | * 13:00 - LUNCH BREAK |
| + | * 14:00 - 16:30 ish - Demonstrations and practical problems help clinic | ||
| - | This classroom | + | The Kingsway Model Railway Society 00 gauge layout |
| + | We will of course have our usual problem clinic providing General help on problems with kits or other electronic projects, building, testing, problem solving etc. There will also be the chance to operate the Kingsway 00 gauge layout using the MERG DCC system. | ||
| - | On Sunday, we're looking for volunteers to continue the good work, manning the MERG " | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | We will be joining MERG guru Gordon Hopkins who regularly exhibits at this show. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | So we will set up the usual MERG exhibition stand and demos in the same room as well as having our meeting there. Gordon will have the ATC demo and Colin will have his Silicone Valley BC3 controlled layout. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Our meeting will start a little earlier than usual at 9:00 in order to ensure that we can get the room open to the public in the afternoon at a reasonable time. | + | |
| + | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, in a day or two, you will get a reply with full details, directions to the venue and parking information. Even if you are not sure yet whether you can get along, please let us know anyway so we can plan for likely numbers. | ||
| + | (Those who have already let me know that you are coming, I will be sending out confirmation emails in the next day or two). | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | ====== FEBRUARY 2022 East Midlands MERG Area Group FACE to FACE meeting ====== | ||
| + | **Saturday 26th February 2022 from 10:00** | ||
| - | **The agenda for the day is as follows: | + | This meeting |
| + | Thanks to MERG and Bassetlaw Railway Society member Julian Pratt for arranging the venue for us. | ||
| - | 09:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | + | The Bassetlaw Railway Society are not charging us for the use of the room, but we will ask for a donation of £2 per head to cover the cost of teas & coffees |
| + | Parking is available in the station car park at a cost of £5. You can of course come by train to Retford Station. | ||
| - | 09:30 Introductions< | + | If we can get a Wi-Fi connection at the venue, we will have a Zoom connection for the morning meeting, for those who cannot come in person. However, I understand we are reliant on the LNER hosted Wi-Fi at the station, so we don't yet know if this will be possible. |
| + | Numbers will be limited to 20, to ensure reasonable separation. Mask wearing is now optional, please make your own choice. We would recommend that everyone takes a lateral flow test before coming. | ||
| - | 09:45 Group news, future meetings etc. | ||
| + | ---- | ||
| - | 10:00 Some new CBUS developments - Pete Brownlow | ||
| + | **AGENDA** | ||
| - | 10:15 Kit locker update - Judi Rastall | + | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: |
| + | * 10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members | ||
| + | * 10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions | ||
| + | * 10:40 - The Bassetlaw (North Notts) Railway Society - Julian Pratt | ||
| + | * 10:50 - Different cabs for the MERG DCC system - Simon West, John Gowers & Pete Brownlow | ||
| + | * 11:30 - Tea/coffee break | ||
| + | * 11:45 - Different cabs for the MERG DCC system - continued | ||
| + | * 12:15 - Kit locker update - Judi Rastall | ||
| + | * 12:30 - My CBUS & JMRI journey - Julian Pratt | ||
| - | 10:30 Short break | + | * 13:00 - LUNCH BREAK |
| + | * 14:00 - 16:30 ish - Demonstrations, | ||
| - | 10:45 Developments of the ATC DC shuttle kit - Gordon Hopkins | ||
| + | The cabs session will cover basic how to use the MERG DCC system, circuit designs, the standard MERG CANCAB and other variations designed by members. | ||
| - | 11:45 Re-arrange | + | During |
| + | We will of course have our usual problem clinic providing General help on problems with kits or other electronic projects, building, testing, problem solving etc. | ||
| - | 12:00 Lunch - bring your own or use the exhibition facilities | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| + | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, in a few days, you will get a reply with full details, directions to the venue and parking information. Even if you are not sure yet whether you can get along, please let us know anyway so we can plan for likely numbers. | ||
| - | - | + | (Those who have already let me know that you are coming, I will be sending out confirmation emails in the next few days.) |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | 13:00 A quick intro to basic soldering techniques | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Then our usual " | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | (and a chance to look round the exhibition) | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | The afternoon session | + | |
| ---- | ---- | ||
| + | ====== JANUARY 2022 East Midlands ONLINE area group meeting ====== | ||
| + | Here is the agenda for our January 2022 online area group meeting. | ||
| - | The arrangement we have with the exhibition organisers is that members coming to the meeting on the Saturday, will get a special reduced admission price of £5 compared to the usual £8 entry fee. To get this special price, you must book to come to the meeting at least 2 weeks in advance. You will then be sent a free pass for entry, which will get you in before the main show starts so that we can start the meeting promptly. We will then collect the £5 per head during the meeting. | + | **Saturday |
| + | This meeting will be online using Zoom. | ||
| - | If you book to come later than 2 weeks before, we will still try to squeeze you in, but you will not be able to get the reduced entry fee as there will not be time to send you the special entry pass. | + | As before, we have found that breaks of roughly 10-15 mins per hour worked well, to avoid people getting fatigued from staring at their screens, so we will plan to do the same again. |
| + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||
| - | So please let us know promptly if you would like to come by posting on East Midlands area group forum or by email to eastmids@merg.org.uk The deadline for getting the reduced admission is that you must book by Friday 28th February. | + | **AGENDA** |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | If you would like to come by train, there is a frequent bus service, no. 28, from Upper Parliament Street in the city centre, to the show venue. | + | |
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| - | + | ||
| - | However, Upper Parliament Street is about 3/4 of a mile, 15-20mins walk, from the station, so if you are unable to manage that distance, or are bringing too much stuff to lug that distance, then we can arrange a pickup. In that case, please let us know what train you will be arriving on. As the meeting starts at 9:00am, if you do need a pick up, please arrange to arrive at Nottingham station by 8:30 so that those doing the pick up do not have to miss part of the meeting. | + | |
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| - | ====== NOVEMBER 2013 MERG East Midlands area group meeting ====== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | ===== Saturday 16th November 2013 from 10:00 ===== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Kindly hosted by The Rushden Historical Transport Society at Rushden Station, Northamptonshire.\\ | + | |
| - | (See [[http:// | + | |
| - | \\ | + | |
| - | The theme for this meeting will be the pocket money projects, as designed by Davy Dick and featured in recent journals. | + | |
| - | + | ||
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| - | Collection can be arranged from Wellingborough station for those who would like to come by train. | + | |
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| - | I'm hoping that, once again, we have the buffet car open serving tea, coffee and refreshments, | + | |
| - | + | ||
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| - | Full details will be confirmed to those attending. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | ---- | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | \\ | + | |
| - | AGENDA | + | |
| The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times: | ||
| + | * 10:00 - Get connected, sort out any microphone/ | ||
| + | * 10:30 - Welcome and Introductions | ||
| + | * 10:45 - - CBUS miscellany - Pete Brownlow | ||
| - | \\ | + | * Latest CANMO (Universal) firmware release |
| - | 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members\\ | + | * Using RFID and Railcom in JMRI |
| - | 10:30 Introductions< | + | * CBUS control panels for Burnden Park |
| - | 10:45 Group news, future meetings etc.\\ | + | * Any other CBUS updates |
| - | 11:00 The MERG pocket money projects - led by Pete Brownlow but with input from all those who have had a go at these | + | |
| + | * 11:30 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!) | ||
| + | * 11:45 - Kit locker update - Judi Rastall | ||
| + | * 12:00 - Lunch break | ||
| + | * 13:00 - QnA and anyone looking for advice and help on any projects | ||
| - | 12:00 Lunch - From the buffet car, or bring your own. RHTS bar should also be open. | + | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| + | For the QnA sessions, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please be ready to wave it at the camera, and we'll see what help and advice we can give from afar. | ||
| - | - - Rushden high street is close by if anybody wishes | + | If you would like to join in, please go to the MERG website, select the menu option MEMBER LINKS->MY UPCOMING EVENTS, or go directly |
| + | Please don't share the Zoom links with anyone outside MERG, or post them on any public social media or web page. | ||
| - | - - There may also be a chance | + | If you cannot see the details for East Midlands area group meetings, go to https:// |
| + | If you still can't get the Zoom link, send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk and I'll email you the Zoom link. | ||
| - | 13:00 Making it work - practical sessions building packet money projects or working on any other members projects, MERG kits or anything else.\\ | + | I will send out the usual reminder email to everyone subscribed to the area group soon, it will go automatically |
| - | 16:00 Final discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks | + | |
| ---- | ---- | ||
| - | During introductions, | + | ====== Details |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Judi is unable to make it to this meeting, but I will have some of the pocket money kits available to purchase on the day. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | Please note that if you wish to purchase any other MERG kits, please pre-order these online NO LATER THAN 6th November, enter the option for collection and specify the East Midlands | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | For the practical sessions, the theme will be the pocket money projects but not excluding all else. As always, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | + | ||
| - | If we didn't quite have time to get your project properly sorted at the last meeting, please bring it along again and you will be top of the list. | + | |
| - | The venue is accessible, with disabled parking close by. If you need a disabled parking space reserved, please let us know. | + | [[areagroups: |
| + | and [[areagroups: | ||
| + | NB. These links are for MERG members only. | ||
| - | If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply with full address details, directions to the venue and parking information. Let us know if you need a lift from the station. | ||
| + | {{tag> | ||
public/eastmids.txt · Last modified: 2024/05/03 21:37 by PeteB