Decoder troubleshooting and Gold Coast Show visit

This week I was just about to mail off by supposed dodgy Select decoder when I had a chat with my mate Mr Mackie. He suggested a few other troubleshooting tests. I didn't get any spare time at night during the week to do the tests (Masterchef and the Tour de France were getting in the way of my spare time!) but Saturday afternoon I started the first of the suggested tests. I went to my own layout and using my own NCE Powercab I started up the decoder. The popping noise was still present. So this ruled out a possible handset problem as I was using the Club's handset last week when I did the original install. I switched the layout over to DC to see if it is a DCC or DCC/DC based problem. The Select is an auto detect decoder so no problems there. However the popping noise was still present. Looking more and more like a decoder problem. The last test was to connect up my other Class 44 based Select to the speaker and EL pickups and see if the sound was still there. I did the required unsoldering of the current decoder speaker wires and soldering of the other decoder speaker wires on Saturday night. I didn't get around to testing this until late Sunday afternoon after our return from the Gold Coast Train Show. No popping sound. So it looks pretty much a 100% decoder problem. So now I can put all these troubleshooting tests down on paper and mail back to MRRC for replacement or fixing (I hope!).

On the subject of the Gold Coast Train Show, I took the family on a day trip down to the coast on Sunday. We had lunch by the Broadwater before heading back to Ashmore PCYC for the show. The club (RMCQ) had taken down the HO and N exhibition layouts. This was the first show for the Gold Coast Miniature Train Club (I hope that is correct?) and it appeared to be fairly well patronised. Quite a few layouts and retailers present. Only probably one or two layouts that I hadn't seen before but good to see our club's layouts in their splendour, as well as a good turnout of operating crew from the club. One of these days when my boys are older I will hopefully be able to contribute my time on these outings a bit more. A few of the lads apparently were a bit sluggish come Saturday morning as the previous night's chug-a-lug of red beat the previous record set at the Toowoomba show. Boys will be boys whatever their age!

Well this week will probably see me sorting out the dodgy decoder for mailing. I might also get in some scenery time on Illavearf and Lachlan's layout, but time (and catching up on Tour de France recordings from the last three weeks!) will tell.