oldgregg

DC is definitely a lot more reliable. DCC simplifies the wiring of a layout in that you just have to ensure every bit of track has constant power and that polarity is correct and it doesn't require lots of switches to isolate things. But DCC requires lots of pickups on locos, that joints between pieces of track are soldered, that the track and loco wheels are always spotlessly clean and even then you really need a 'keep alive' module (a capacitor) on each loco chip to ensure power and data comms aren't lost even for a fraction of a second as it causes issues. Also, if stock isn't used for a period of time, it can forget the ID it had so you end up having to reprogram the chip again when you come to use it. The idea is sound, but I think DCC is a really crap implementation of it and they should have waited for better wireless technology. I'd bin it and start again. Give power to the rails, and do everything else over wireless ethernet. Also, the decoders for locos are ludicrously expensive when you consider how insanely primitive they are. Manufacturers get away with it because most people don't realise just how simple the electronics are. DC is more complicated to wire, but it just works.

I mean I wouldn't know about such things, naturally, but I hear there's a FB group called British Railway Modelling.... So I'm told.

Never (ever ever ever, ever) run electric heating on an inverter... I have had to explain this to so many syndicate owners!

I had hoped that boat was the first of many to be built by Haines for Ferry but sadly it wasn't to be. Since the demise of the likes of Brister Craft (who built boats for many yards), there's sadly not really been many yards doing hire-spec fitouts for others which unfortunately means that some yards which don't really have the talent are trying to do things themselves and the results are rarely awesome. There's always Silverline, though. They build tons of stuff (usually it doesn't have their name on it) for others.

The oil rads are good and usually have a safety switch which shuts off the power if they tip over. Most electric radiant heaters don't have that so probably aren't safe on boats.

Zircon was built by Haines and they did all of the work to redesign the moulding and make it more appealing. It's not a boat I'll ever desire to own, but the aft cabin and shower room do appeal.

It didn't. The app is built by a third party and supports lots of different types of forum software so it's not quite the same experience as using the forum software here and doesn't support a lot of the forum features. At some stage there will be a completely new App, but that's a way off yet.

I'd say that's pretty unlikely - But of course you can visit forum.norfolkbroadsnetwork.com on your mobile and you'll find this latest version works even better on it. And of course you could always hotspot off your phone and use laptop / tablet etc.

Yeah, disabling the plugin for the Apps has made pretty much everything work now. Unfortunately it does mean we can't turn the Apps back on until there's a fix for the service that runs them.

There were some issues with the App, and some issues with the forum partly caused by the plugin that feeds the App. Because of that, the App is currently disabled while we make sure everything else is working. This upgrade has been a complete mare and is making us think about our platform and the way we do updates.

This does give us a problem as obviously the mobile app is quite popular and not working at present, but we're working on it.

They are, yes. Emissions tests are well-known to be total balls. But the article also pointed out that they're still at least a third cleaner than regular vehicles. I'll take that and having driven a proper hybrid recently I would have to say they're pretty good.

It seems to have fixed a lot of things.

The service which runs the mobile app seems to be causing a lot of trouble, so for now it is switched off until we can get things working again.

Yeah, there are a lot of issues with that. I think there's a pretty major bug that they need to sort.

I think that was kind of the point I and others made above? Actually, while battery density is indeed quoted in wh per litre, the experimental Samsung batteries are claimed to be close to the same figure per kilo. If you look at the development of vehicle batteries over the last ten years, energy density has dramatically improved. Look at the first-gen leaf and the current one, then compare the battery capacity and the vehicle's overall weight. But yes, as mentioned earlier it is likely that fuel cell is the answer. What I was talking about is the potential of having a decent (say 100KWH) battery pack on a boat in order to provide domestic and propulsion power for a time (say proper overnight electrics, and power below 4mph) but with a fuel cell there to keep thing topped up during daytime hours and when the boat is moving faster. Think of the noise benefit. People say diesel isn't a problem but I bet if you had a near-silent cruiser you'd love it. We all would.

I think basically the toolbar is missing on mobile, which would cover most of those issues. And yeah, the most recent posts are lagging behind considerably which makes it very difficult to see what's going on.... I have raised that.

I assume you're using a mobile device?

I would like that..... but I can't

Hi Steve This is related to the forum upgrade and one of many things we're looking into...

Hmmm.... Yes there should be a hamburger icon at the top left. I'll raise that as well!

Yeah, that's still broken, unfortunately. When I came into the office this morning I updated our (lengthy) support ticket to say that needs fixing.

Well I think that's a new feature, as you say if they're not seen when viewed they're unread...

Hi folks Having had extensive problems over the last few days, having worked with our hosting company in the US we now have most of the forum back to relative normality. There is a slightly different look to the page, and that's something which is here to stay. With each major update we expect to see visual changes in the software and for the most part they're a welcome improvement. If any of you are still experiencing problems, please can you reply to this thread. If all is good, then no need to post as it'll keep things easier for us to keep track of. Thanks for your patience!

The interior is impressive, actually. Mrs OG was very keen on the look of the bedroom and shower room on Zircon Emblem (essentially the same but a Haines fitout). I reckon Zircon will be a nicer boat, though NBD are not half bad. I did point out that it was 2.5 times the price of Major Gem for a long weekend, though, and suddenly Major Gem is back in favour for some reason?