EZ Crossover Shorting Out Layout

[kdgrant6]

HoModeler,

Thanks for the details.  

Your use of air compression to power your turnouts sounds very effective, but from your description, you're not using your NCE DCC controller to activate the turnouts.  Instead, you're flipping a toggle to engage the compressor to mechanically switch the points.  

However, your system sounds as if it is much more user-friendly than an actual DCC-operated one that requires you to push a number of buttons to operate just one turnout--unless you can somehow program macros.

What brand of turnouts are you using?

Maybe someone can enlighten us on this topic.

[HoModeler]

I think you mean, Trainmanbrian, no?

How do you like Windows 10 compared to 8?

Yes that's me lol..

[jbrock27]

How do you like Windows 10 compared to Windows 8?

[Mdaskalos]

How do you like Windows 10 compared to Windows 8?

Although I can't contribute much on the crossover matter, I can offer my thoughts on your Windows 10 vs. Windows 8 question, although for me it is inherently a Windows 7 vs. 8 vs. 10 question:

About 15 years ago, I heard a computer expert on his radio help call-in show characterize Windows Me (Millenium Edition) as "It's the worst. It's like a sharp stick in the eye." And he was right. I would say that Windows 8 is like a sharp stick up the...(ummm, well, I guess there are any number of places we wouldn't want a sharp stick up or in. Pick one that offends neither your mental imagery nor your sensibilities.)

I've been a Windows 7 guy, and my wife has purchased two Windows 8 laptops in the last 8 months, and I have detested them both. Hate the things. Don't WANT my Windows Desktop to behave like my mobile screen.

About 3 weeks ago, I bit on the free offer to upgrade my home desktop from Windows 7 to Windows 10. The installation took a couple of hours (using a standard hard drive), but it pretty much drove itself; I didn't have to ride the machine the entire time - I had coffee, breakfast, watched TV, talked with the family. When it was done, I could immediately see that the interface had less of the Windows 8 EVIL to it, and I could deal with it better. Even at that, I downloaded a program called "Classic Shell" that makes the Start Button menu and other areas work alot more like Windows 7. And I've been happy.

Windows 10 uses slightly less machine resources (memory, disk space, runs slightly faster, etc.) than windows 8 or 7. And, if you've done the upgrade and selected the right options, all your files remain, and you can roll back to Windows 8 or 7 if you choose.

Happy I was, except for my hardware. I realized it was time to upgrade the whole machine (I build my own), and now I have. I made it natively Windows 10. (Along with the Classic Shell program). A very fast solid state drive was part of the upgrade, and Windows 10 was on and running in only 20 minutes from intitial motherboard powerup.

My old computer had the occasional lockup (in only one program - iRacing) after the upgrade to Windows 10, whereas it didn't before. The clean installation on the new machine doesn't suffer the lockups.

In short for most folks, if you like Windows 7 and don't want an alien computing experience, skip 8 and migrate to 10, and consider downloading "Classic Shell". If you like Windows 8, you can move on to Windows 10 without culture shock issues. Windows 10 will be easier on system resources than 7 or 8. If you're on old hardware, a clean installation of Windows 10 is likely to perform better than the upgrade (The free upgrade offer from Microsoft does support both both the clean install and upgrade approaches).

If any among you are into computer programs (mainly games) where DirectX9, 10 and 11 implementation affect performance, look into those issues before moving on to Windows 10...it may be better for you to wait until programmers get caught up to DirectX 11.

If any of you out there build your own systems , be aware that more motherboards are coming out now lack "built in" driver support for installing Windows 7; you can get the necessary drivers from the manufacturers' websites, but it makes getting a new build up and running, an extended process.

[Len]

Or you can avoid the whole Microsoft mess altogether with Linux Mint 17.3!

Len

[jbrock27]

Thank you Len I appreciate your response and the information  Particularly as it concerns Windows 10 and computer gaming.

A PS-BTW, I've had no complaints about 8.1, but I consider myself flexible and adaptable .  

[Mdaskalos]

Thank you Len I appreciate your response and the information  Particularly as it concerns Windows 10 and computer gaming.

A PS-BTW, I've had no complaints about 8.1, but I consider myself flexible and adaptable .  

I only convey the gaming aspect, as it is the sole area that has Windows 10 weaknesses in my usage world, which is probably not that uncommon. Everything else, e-mail, spreadsheets, tax returns, writing, whatever - has no issues.

And I'm as flexible as a bronze casting, thank you.

[jbrock27]

Thank you Cap'n