Author: Ted Becker

By Ted Becker

The topic for this month is Scratchbuilding, presented by Ron Hopkins. Ron is an excellent modeler and if the preview I’ve seen of his results are any indication, this will be a first rate program. Don’t miss it.

Next month in March the topic will be The Northern Pacific in Sedro Woolley presented by Kent Sullivan. Kent is an expert on Northern Pacific history. The amount of railroading done by the NP in Sedro Woolley was a surprise to me and Kent does an excellent job of presenting the material with lots of photos and maps.

Future plans include a special event and resumption of in-person clinic in a hybrid format. To make the hybrid format work we need a volunteer to act as the “director” to manage the computer hosting the Zoom link for the meeting, directing the camera, etc. Also a second computer is needed to host the Zoom meeting. If you want to help out contact Ted Becker rail.bird@att.net.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Mount Vernon Clinic, Feb. 2022
Time: Feb 21, 2022 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82002980872?pwd=d21PdEFTY283eVluTmJCNStmU3ZMdz09

Meeting ID: 820 0298 0872
Passcode: 657918

By Ted Becker

Topic this month is the Mount Vernon Terminal Railroad by Al Carter. The MVTR is an active local shortline within the city of Mount Vernon. Al will cover some history plus current operations with photos and information from interviews with current owners of the railroad.

The future of the Mount Vernon Clinic is in your hands. We need clinicians. If you can prepare a slide show that can be displayed on your computer screen you can present that slide show on Zoom. Show us what you have been working on. Share any new tools or techniques. Doesn’t matter how short or how long. Email Ted Becker rail.bird@att.net with your ideas. Help is available with your presentation and trial sessions are easy to set up.

At this time we are not predicting when in-person clinics will resume.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Mount Vernon Clinic, Jan. 2022
Time: Jan 17, 2022 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89808373809?pwd=U2pBakNCZnE2am9ENDNLU1dKN0tKUT09

Meeting ID: 898 0837 3809
Passcode: 183451

By Ted Becker

The original presentation for this month has been postponed until January because more material is being added to make it a better program.

This month the clinic is an open forum. Share photos of what you have been working on. Show us any new tools and tips you have come up with. Ask questions on all subjects model railroading, there is a lot of expertise available to help.

In the holiday spirit bring some holiday treats and a favorite beverage.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Mount Vernon Clinic, December 2021
Time: Dec 20, 2021 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89636549727?pwd=dzJTaTlUakdFUW1JMXZwcWtiZXJOdz09

Meeting ID: 896 3654 9727
Passcode: 302241

By Ted Becker

Topic this week is bit, bytes, words, the corresponding lingo and how to do “bit fiddling” or “bit banging” with emphasis on how Ted uses it to build action codes to be transmitted on his network.

This will be the last session for 2021. We’re taking a break until next year. January 11 is the most likely date we will resume.

I’ll be honest, I am pretty much out of ideas on what to present. You are reading this because you are interested in Arduino. What is it you want to know? Are you wanting to apply Arduinos but can’t over some hump? Let me know what it is you want to know.

Subscribe to: https://groups.io/g/MR-Duino for more information and discussions from these sessions.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Arduino Session
Time: Dec 14, 2021 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83982669069?pwd=WXdYcmZ2Z0NRSThVMU1CSThRVVVQZz09

Meeting ID: 839 8266 9069
Passcode: 743223

By Ted Becker

Topic this week is reading VL6180 distance measuring devices for end-of-track detection for dead-end hidden tracks. Mounting considerations will be discussed. Software example will include coverage of how messages are sent on Ted’s homegrown SIMBAAB network.

Subscribe to: https://groups.io/g/MR-Duino for more information and discussions from these sessions.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Arduino Session
Time: Dec 7, 2021 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88314498583?pwd=SGhqNENSRkRXU3VYdmJLUTFkdk5nZz09

Meeting ID: 883 1449 8583
Passcode: 764568

By Ted Becker

Topic this week is reading sensors and displaying their status on a display panel with suggestions on expanding into a signalling system.

The next session will be held Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at 4:00 via Zoom.

Subscribe to: https://groups.io/g/MR-Duino for more information and discussions from these sessions.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Arduino Session
Time: Nov 30, 2021 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86821693344?pwd=RWNYQ3Q5RWk5VzEvK1FRbHlLYU90Zz09

Meeting ID: 868 2169 3344
Passcode: 430003

By Ted Becker

Topic this week is a servo tester built with a commonly available UNO and UNO shield. In the code examples a couple of the built-in Arduino functions will be covered. This device will aid in determining the values to make a servo stop where you want it.

The next session will be held Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 4:00 via Zoom.

Subscribe to: https://groups.io/g/MR-Duino for more information and discussions from these sessions.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Arduino Session
Time: Nov 23, 2021 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84959778826?pwd=SmpuNHdaWDNkRmFPeHluYUR0Nkdtdz09

Meeting ID: 849 5977 8826
Passcode: 792751

By Ted Becker

Topic this week will be pushbutton route control. One pushbutton aligning several turnouts to the selected route. We will also cover a basic method for saving turnout positions and restoring those positions.

The next session will be held Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 4:00 via Zoom.

Subscribe to: https://groups.io/g/MR-Duino for more information and discussions from these sessions.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Arduino Session
Time: Nov 16, 2021 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87341595666?pwd=MWZZQW5pTFRINnlmbk1ZWFNGdHMxdz09

Meeting ID: 873 4159 5666
Passcode: 856069

By Ted Becker

The Mount Vernon Clinic for November 2021 will be held via Zoom at 7:00pm Monday November 15, 2021. Topic this month is Thomas Keyes’ presentation on Railway Express Operations in Seattle. Zoom session will open sometime between 6:30 and 6:45.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Mt Vernon Clinic, Nov. 2021
Time: Nov 15, 2021 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89055024606?pwd=UmI2VkZOUDZ4Y3ZFV25EVG5yZTl6dz09

Meeting ID: 890 5502 4606
Passcode: 146425

By Ted Becker

Topic this week will be a repeat of the session that didn’t get recorded a couple weeks ago. First example will be a method for servo slow motion using the Arduino servo library. The remainder of the session will be a review of the PCA9685 operation with an example of slow motion servo and variable brightness LED. The same example will be presented with a set of functions not requiring the use of libraries.

The next session will be held Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 4:00 via Zoom.

Subscribe to: https://groups.io/g/MR-Duino for more information and discussions from these sessions.

4dpnrOrganizer MountVernon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Arduino Session
Time: Nov 9, 2021 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82610303792?pwd=azg2dE9wTEhjQlNneHM3cUJPeHNwQT09

Meeting ID: 826 1030 3792
Passcode: 004442