QUOTE (Brian @ 11 May 2007, 23:12)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Here Here MMAD
Pity some have to go off at tangents and possibly confuse/frighten/ bewilder the novice!
I don't think anyone has said this??? What has been stated, to a novice, is
Its not essential. the points WILL work without any modifications straight from the box! What has been said is.... 'TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE' then do..... etc.
Cutting the closure rails on a code 100 point and fitting some form of insulated insert into the slit to prevent the two haves of rails touching again and then cutting away a piece of underside webbing and soldering on two wires linking the adjacent switch and stock rails isn't one of the easiest jobs for a novice to undertake! Simple frog switching from a point motor operated switch is perhaps a little easier but still a little advanced for a novice!
I think were agreeing on the final choice of preferred working, but remember the original question came from someone who's own words were "
I'm getting a bit confused about how to connect electrofrog turnouts in to a DCC layout at the simplest level."
All the time I give people the best possible advice so that they can get total reliability, we get people coming along saying 'oh, he's only a novice, it doesn't matter, he just wants to get things running' and then we get this nonsense about confusing, frightening people off, bewildering and making things to hard for them!
What right do we have to assume their relative capabilities ? Why should a 'novice' be given advice which is anything less than the best ? Aren't they entitled to get it right first time ? Aren't they entitled to learn the correct ways and be helped ?
There are already two messages in this thread which demonstrate eactly the point I was making about 'dumbing down'! In my opinion, a 'novice' should be given the same best possible advice as anyone else so that they can get the best reliability from their investment in the hobby. It is not up to us to provide them with a compromised solution based on the assumption that things need to be dumbed down to suite their abilities. Don't assume that they can't learn!
Graham Plowman