imagine...coming soon?

It'll be just like new cars - a light will come on telling you that something's wrong and you'll have to go to an authorized dealer and pay 50 bucks for him to plug it into a diagnostic machine to find out why. Any half the time it will be a bum sensor and nothing is actually wrong, but it will cost you another 50 to replace the sensor. 

 

Bloody marvellous. 

"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've created..." -Darth Vader

 

Rusty

Wow, were do you take your car? It always costs me a ton. I wish it was just a simple fix. Rust and corrosion are taking my Chev truck. I guess the sensors have done their job. 12 years old and still sensing. Tough little buggers.

For trains, a universal standard for electronic control can't be too far away; eventually folks will tire of the limits of proprietary systems and demand something that will let them seamlessly run multiple manufacturers (and multiple gauges) from a single tablet app.  Obviously this would be open source and would be developed by innovative, tech-savvy users, not the big manufacturers.

 

The MIDI standard for musical instruments is the closest equivalent I can think of.  Or perhaps, like UNIX is to Windows/iOS. Seeing that innovation happen in this hobby will be my signal to move from conventional to electronic control.

It's aready here. 

 

It's called Digital Command Control, or DCC.  Folks from G to N use it.  I'm not sure about Z.

 

MTH already added DCC compatiblility to DCS.

 

Lionel's even putting DCC compatibility in the new American Flyer SD70ACe's.

 

Rusty

That may be coming sooner then you think.  Verizon has applied for a patent to put a camera in DVRs to video folks in their homes.

 

http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire...2012/12/05/id/466531

 

All those digital devices we surround ourselves with to watch TV and videos or listen to music may soon be watching and listening to us, gleaning information about what we’re doing to relay back to advertisers. It’s not far-fetched.

Verizon is just the latest digital provider to seek a patent on the kind of technology that can make it happen. Verizon wants to use the digital video recorders sitting in many homes to film and record viewers so it can send targeted ads to their TVs.

 

Earl

Just what I want, my TV watching me...

 

Oh, well, a little electrical tape over the camera lens should do the trick.

 

Rusty

I too would like to see DCC or something come to O gauge trains, because we have battling command(each one only user/company compatible) sysytems right now.

 

Even WBB has a remote control system for their operating cars, don't know if it's just for use with WBB only or if it can be accessed by Legacy or DCS comman control systems.

 

K-Line before buying bought out by Lionel had their own handheld remote control for some things.

 

Lee Fritz

A little FYI on technology; the laser light was originally developed in the 1930's by T. Edison, the telephone camera is a 1960's item, I remember seeing a photo in a AT&T brochure with a camera on a now old fashioned rotary dial phone. Only recently has the usage been made more accessible because of newer electronics and/or the fear of the people being scared by new technology.

 

Lee F.

Laser?  Thomas Edison, 1930s?  He died in '31, so I guess its technically possible he invented something in the 1930s.  But I know they weren't used in WWII, and I was always taught the laser was first devleoped and the name created around '57 by Gould, Townes, and maiman.  although the principle was confirmed by a physicist named Ladenberg.

Enginear-Joe,

Rust and corrosion are taking my Chev truck.

so does that mean the chicken wire is up to bat like we did in the 40-50's era?

sorry to break in the thread but I couldn't resist.

 

as to the electronics communicating with the manufacturers  good idea except we have a world full of folks that would rather figure a way to mess it all up.

 

$oo

That is too funny.

I guarantee that wont last long.

Verizon and its advertisers will figure out really quick that they dont want to see what their viewers are doing while watching TV.

Lee-

You are correct, Edison did not have anything to do directly with the laser, that came out of Bell Labs in the late 50's, and its predecessor, the Maser, was from the late 40

s-early 50's....

 

I think the other poster with the camera phone was talking about a Bell Labs attempt at a video phone, they were working on prototypes back then, I remmeber seeing one of these 'science on  the march' type videos that showed that (I also saw a prototype of the first cell phones bell labs was working on, C1975 or thereabouts, up close and personal, neighbor of ours was working on it).

 

I thought Bush already did that? Is he selling off the rights?

Techie stuff always scares people in theory. Then everyone uses it, so it must be OK. It wasn't long ago that people would not use a microwave. Then computers scared some. I'm still struggling with these tablet touch screens that are too touchy. I'm going to end up ordering something that I don't want. I've got to write on a keyboard that I can feel. I'll get used to it.....someday.

 Go Lionel.... doin' DCC ! How about some KD pads....

I still run my trains with my own two hands

 

"It's aready here.  It's called Digital Command Control, or DCC.  Folks from G to N use it.  I'm not sure about Z"

 

Did you know there are now over 1,000 books and publications telling us that DCC IS EASY!  Kinda makes ya' wonder doesn't it?    Good thread, I like it!  Russ

Thanks, ya sure. My fav. That idiot light. I shot my foot off again.....