For any model rail enthusiasts wanting to fit a camera to their rolling stock, one of the best I've found is known as the 808 Keychain Camera, or sometimes the 808 Keychain Spy Camera.
It's available from various places online, but the most reliable place I've found is Amazon; just follow this link: 808 Keychain Camera from Amazon
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What is the 808 Keychain Camera?
Simply put, it's a range of cameras that can take photos and video at a variety of resolutions, depending on the model, storing them on an on-board micro SD card.
The camera looks like a key fob, with an easily removable key chain at one end, some buttons and a small indicator light on top, and a lens and microphone at the other end.
It charges from USB, and USB can also be used to transfer photos and videos, although it's probably quicker and more reliable to unplug the micro SD card, and use a USB micro SD card reader.
Why is it Good for Model Rail Enthusiasts?
The camera is ideal for model rail, as it is small, light, and above all, cheap ($10-$20 for the cheaper models, and around $80 for the HD versions). The $20 versions are cheap enough that it's worth experimenting with them by taking them to pieces and fitting them inside rolling stock (i.e. containers or loads).
On the other hand, they're light enough that you can use double sided sticky tape, Velcro, or just an elastic band to attach them temporarily to rolling stock and locos.
The quality might not be the best, and they do need to be used in good light, but the trade-off is some great on-board rail-height video that you can't get any other way!
Getting the Most from Your 808 Keychain Camera
Here are some tips from bitter experience:
- they can take about 40 minutes of video at a time;
- when they're plugged in, they charge, but keep an eye on the light, and unplug it when it goes out, otherwise they overheat which kills the battery;
- don't press all the buttons at once, and use the Internet to research operating instructions, as the ones that come with it are less than perfect!
Finally, Chuch Lohr has everything you could possibly want to know on his dedicated 808 keychain web site. I'll also throw up some sample videos from my own layout if there's enough demand.
Meanwhile, check out these awesome videos taken with 808 keychain spy cameras placed on home-made rockets!
Happy New Year to all my readers and fans.
I'm starting this year with a story that shows that customer service is alive and well in model railroading.
Last year I bought a model from my favorite maker - Auhagen. If you're not familiar with the Auhagen name, they're a quality manufacturer of HO/TT and N buildings and accessories for European railroad modelers.
The kit in question was from their Stako System range - a metal footbridge that will find itself a place on my industrial layout. It's easy to build, realistic, and can be painted and detailed to look really authentic.
So far, so good. I opened the box and started building, without checking the contents beyond a visual estimation that everything 'looked' to be present. Sadly, I got near the end, and realized that there was a flight of steps missing.
The handrails were there, the supports, and everything else, but the actual steps seemed not to be.
So, I emailed Auhagen, explained the situation, and asked if they could forward the two missing pieces. After a bit of back and forth with the excellent customer service representative, and provision of a photo (not a scan, but a photo!) of the instructions, they offered to send them to me for free.
Two days later, and at their busiest time of year, the parts arrived, and I now have a top notch footbridge, which I'll photo in situ once it's installed on the layout.
Two things to take away from this feel-good story : one - check your bits, before you build, and two never be afraid to deal with customer service if you feel they've fallen short.
Yes, the contract is with the shop where you bought the kit, but any company worth their salt will help you out if you get stuck.
Thank you Auhagen, it's a great start to the 2012!
For first steps into DCC (digital command control for model trains) manufacturers like PIKO have produced relatively accessible solutions. The Piko Digi Fern controller, for example, is an IR device which can be used to wirelessely control trains, and looks rather like a standard TV controller.
Here's the catch - programming functions are limited to assigning addresses to loco, switch engine and other device decoders. So, a separate programming track will be required, despite the fact that there are about a hundred buttons on the PIKO Digi Fern, it is less capable than it might at first seem!
One of the key components of my DCC shelf switching (and eventual continuous layout, I've decided!) show-ready, modular railway layout is the possibility to not only control it 'live' but also using a computer.
This means, in my case, being able to schedule IR signals from a computer. I realise that there are other ways to do this, but this appeals to my inner geek, so it is the approach I have chosen, at least for now.
There's a bunch of things that you'll need if you want to play along on this journey:
- an IR transceiver (I chose one from the IguanaWorks)
- the LIRC or WinLIRC software (I have both, instructions here are for WinLIRC)
- a DCC, IR controlled model railway (mine happens to be a Piko Digital)
The first thing to to is install the IR transceiver. The IguanaWorks kit comes with nothing; the drivers and software must be downloaded from their site. The Windows drivers come in a self-installing executable, which must be done before the transceiver is plugged into the USB port!
The key to using this specific piece of equipment is to remember to always start the daemon software, which communicates with the USB connected hardware.
Next up is to install WinLIRC - and that just requires unpacking the archive to the hard drive. There are several steps that could follow, but for now, the WinLIRC software can be roundly ignored, as the Piko Digi-Fern controller needs to be set up.
Luckily that's pretty easy :
- start the IR daemon (found in the IguanaWorks install folder)
- in a 'cmd' window (Start->Run, enter cmd and hit enter) locate the WinLIRC folder
- type, without quotes, "IRRecord.exe -f -d IguanaPlugin.dll ..\piki-digi-fern.cfg"
Then, just follow the instructions, and five minutes later, a config file is created for the Piko Digi-Fern.
So, where does this leave me? Well, I can now communicate with the railroad, in theory, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that I need to either use the (Win)LIRC transmit application in a batch file, or write my own, fully functional, control center software package.
Watch this space - first I want to build the railway!
(I also have a LIRC file for fellow Piko Digi-Fern users to save you a bit of work!)
The fundamental decision whether to run trains (points, signals, and so on) using DCC or analogue control is one best taken at the start of the model railway design process. In my case, I decided almost immediately that I wanted DCC for two reasons:
- I didn't want to create track 'segments' to run multiple trains
- I'm a geek and wanted, eventually, to move to computer control
The second of these reasons also led to choosing DCC for points and signals, when analog would have been both cheaper and easier to implement. However, this being a portable, modular, shelf switching and show-ready design, the DCC approach made more sense.
The Piko Digital system (H0, or HO, with Piko A tracks) is also controlled by an infra-red remote control, which I intend to use to prepare a computer-controlled DCC system. Now, I'm aware that there are manufacturers that can give me a box to do this, but I'm a bit of a geek and want to build my own from the ground up:
- IguanaWorks IR transmitter/receiver
- Arduino Uno programmable sensor/activator unit
- PC-software design and control
I'll keep you posted as these things become a reality!
