It really irks me... (Intro to DCC)

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kstrong

HJ,

Speaking from the perspective of someone who has written a "comparison" article, it's very difficult to make sure you include everybody. When I did the power supply comparison (June or August 2002), I dug through a year's worth of GR advertisements trying to figure out who made what and how many. (Thank goodness for the really boring court case I was covering at the time--plenty of time for research.) Inevetibly, products do get missed for one reason or the other. Rene can attest to this--she did all the contacting for me, and dealt with the odd stragglers.

As authors, the best we can do is run with the information we find during our research. If a company doesn't advertise their product, or is notoriously difficult to get hold of, we can't force them to contact us. If I send a company an e-mail or leave a phone message outlining what it is I'm trying to do, the onus is on them to get back in touch with me to be included. Even in my regular job, I generally don't have the time to repeatedly call sources to get them to get them to agree to an interview. If the phone messages and e-mails I leave get no response, I'm left to assume that the parties simply aren't interested.

In the case of my power supply article, GR was very quick to later mention the omitted products. In fact, we followed up with a full product review of one of them. Rest assured, there's no conspiracy afoot. It's simply a matter of time, effort, and deadlines. Sometimes things get missed, and it's good to have folks like you who are willing to fill in the missed information. I do ask--as an author--that you recognize that such ommissions are usually quite benign in origin, and certainly not intentional. Please remember that we all do the best we can with the time and information available. We're not out to slight anyone.

Later,

K

Hi Kevin,

Duly noted![;)][:)] Subject resolved.

[kstrong]

HJ,

Speaking from the perspective of someone who has written a "comparison" article, it's very difficult to make sure you include everybody. When I did the power supply comparison (June or August 2002), I dug through a year's worth of GR advertisements trying to figure out who made what and how many. (Thank goodness for the really boring court case I was covering at the time--plenty of time for research.) Inevetibly, products do get missed for one reason or the other. Rene can attest to this--she did all the contacting for me, and dealt with the odd stragglers.

As authors, the best we can do is run with the information we find during our research. If a company doesn't advertise their product, or is notoriously difficult to get hold of, we can't force them to contact us. If I send a company an e-mail or leave a phone message outlining what it is I'm trying to do, the onus is on them to get back in touch with me to be included. Even in my regular job, I generally don't have the time to repeatedly call sources to get them to get them to agree to an interview. If the phone messages and e-mails I leave get no response, I'm left to assume that the parties simply aren't interested.

In the case of my power supply article, GR was very quick to later mention the omitted products. In fact, we followed up with a full product review of one of them. Rest assured, there's no conspiracy afoot. It's simply a matter of time, effort, and deadlines. Sometimes things get missed, and it's good to have folks like you who are willing to fill in the missed information. I do ask--as an author--that you recognize that such ommissions are usually quite benign in origin, and certainly not intentional. Please remember that we all do the best we can with the time and information available. We're not out to slight anyone.

Later,

K

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Rene S

HJ,

We did contact Fred Hughes about this matter. He emailed us saying that he had been trying, unsuccessfully, to reach ZIMO for about two years. When he wrote the recent article for us, he tried again to contact the North American distributor, without success. Fred felt it wasn't fair to list a company that was difficult to contact.

However, we have recently received an email from Art Luescher, the North American contact. Art says there are 12 dealers who carry and support ZIMO's products. Their English manuals can be downloaded from their web site at: http://www.mrsonline.net/html/manuals.html or http://w3.zimo.at/web2003/index2E.htm

I hope this provides all the information you'll need.

Hi Rene,

Thank you for following up on this.

As far as contacting Art at MRS is concerned; I can't comment on how well the longdistance calls from Colorado to BC work, however I know that I can reach MRS at the number which is listed on their website at any time I like. Yes, it is a longdistance call from Coldstream to Kelowna.

Queries to the email address are also replied to very promptly. And if for some reason..??? one is unable to reach MRS by these two methods, one can always post on the ZIMO Forum http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zimo-DCC/. Questions on the ZIMO Forum are being followed by both Art Luescher of MRS and Dr. Peter Ziegler of ZIMO.

It is regrettable that less exposure is given to an excellent DCC system with first class features. ZIMO is the manufacturer that offers the most features to integrate almost seamlessly with the wares offered by LGB. And as everyone knows - who's been around the block more than once - LGB has plenty of proprietary "features" to make the integration more difficult. Case in point: the infamous serial F function protocol, for which ZIMO developed features in the LS decoders which will understand and convert those serial commands from MTS (required prior to the most recent "P" version!).

[Anonymous]

I think I might be gettimg the better of the lousy LGB instructions in English, I am learning German and i am sure they are not the same as the English ones. Sometimes I have got so frustrated with the English instructions that i have despaired and gone to trying to understand the French version.


Rgds ian

Rgds ian

[Rene Schweitzer]

HJ,

We did contact Fred Hughes about this matter. He emailed us saying that he had been trying, unsuccessfully, to reach ZIMO for about two years. When he wrote the recent article for us, he tried again to contact the North American distributor, without success. Fred felt it wasn't fair to list a company that was difficult to contact.

However, we have recently received an email from Art Luescher, the North American contact. Art says there are 12 dealers who carry and support ZIMO's products. Their English manuals can be downloaded from their web site at: http://www.mrsonline.net/html/manuals.html or http://w3.zimo.at/web2003/index2E.htm

I hope this provides all the information you'll need.

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Rene S

Guys,
Zimo IS mentioned in the article, both on p. 57 (in the text) and p. 58 (in the sidebar on systems that meet NMRA standards). No address for any of the companies was provided--only a web site and a phone number (US phone numbers only).

Hi Rene,

I believe I have been very specific as to what was missing:

QUOTE: Phone numbers for everyone on the list except ZIMO!
A NA website for everyone on the list except ZIMO!

It wasn't that ZIMO wasn't mentioned, it is the incomplete information that irks!

Anyone who would be interested in providing the pertinent information would simply go to Google, add "ZIMO" in the search criteria and there it is: in position 6 "Model Railroad Solutions has been appointed by ZIMO to be their sole importer to the US and Canada"
Going to the website will provide all the information an author or prospective customer may desire!
For instance the english language versions of the ZIMO manuals are available as PDF.

I find it most interesting that I can find almost anything on the Internet regarding NMRA-DCC, but it seems Fred Hughes - I would presume he is this http://www.dcc-bitswitch.com/to_order.htm Fred Hughes - can't find the info. Kind of hard to believe, but perhaps not surprising. (For those interested I simply googled using Fred Hughes+DCC and there it was!)

Is it possible that ZIMO would be of less interest since they offer so many features already built into the units that many of the add-ons required for other systems are superfluous???

BTW it would be very nice if GR would see fit to add a correction/addition notice in the next issue. At least in my book: errors of omission are just as bad as those of commission. [;)][:)][;)]

[Rene Schweitzer]

Guys,
Zimo IS mentioned in the article, both on p. 57 (in the text) and p. 58 (in the sidebar on systems that meet NMRA standards). No address for any of the companies was provided--only a web site and a phone number (US phone numbers only).

[Anonymous]

I remember looking at all the options when I was trying to get into DCC.I actually wanted the Zimo system instead of MTS.However I couldn't find any info on it.The website'senglish section was not working and I gave up trying to find someone in the UK that stocked it.I did not want to import a system that I would have no backup on and have to translate all the intructions.(mind you even in German they would be better than the LGB ones in English.)
I would still like to install the Zimo decoders in my stuff rather than LGB but have never found a local source.
HJ,you're right.They should include all manufacturers.What's right for one is not suitable for others.

[Marty Cozad]

I hear ya HJ, But I also agree with cacole. It would be great to afford all the ones to test.
Many articals are only about what the writter is doing.

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

They didn't mention the AirWire900 Wireless DCC system from CVP Products either --

This is about the 4th or 5th DCC or battery power article that has mentioned only what the author has used.

It's a simple case that authors can't possibly know about and test every system there is.

Wellllllllll, that the author may only know his own system is one thing, but to neglect to find out what the contact information and the starter package for ZIMO is, is an entirely different matter.
Of course it also begs the question why it would be called "Intro to DCC", "Selective Intro to DCC" would have been more accurate!

BTW you're absolutely right, CVP didn't get mentioned as a basic system either. But at least they had their phone number listed.

OTOH it's possible that I'm too picky and expect other people, too, to find out the nitty-gritty. Which I know consumes extra time when one does an article!

[cacole]

They didn't mention the AirWire900 Wireless DCC system from CVP Products either --

This is about the 4th or 5th DCC or battery power article that has mentioned only what the author has used.

It's a simple case that authors can't possibly know about and test every system there is.

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by iandor

HJ

Don't feel so bad mate it willbe a brighter day tomorrow or you could have had all the trouble i had because of incorrect people.


rgds Ian

Ian,

Don't worry!

It's been a perfectly good day. I'm just in the habit to vent when it's fresh in my mind. If I write a letter to the editor it may get filed in the "Big Round One". [;)][:)]

[Anonymous]

HJ

Don't feel so bad mate it willbe a brighter day tomorrow or you could have had all the trouble i had because of incorrect people.


rgds Ian

[RhB_HJ]

Hi all,

Picked up GR this afternoon, got a 15% discount because the mag looked like half the town read it already. [;)][}:)][:)] Have to talk to the librarian and see that they put it on the circulation list, like they do MR

Anyway ......... what irks me is the omission of the required information on the ZIMO DCC control. Missing from the listing of "Current basic large-scale DCC systems"!
Well I have you know ZIMO has a MX1EC Starterset for G approx.US$ 950.--, comes with one MX69 decoder. The ZIMO decoders have the reputation of being the most advanced and the biggest bang for the buck!

Then I have a look at the "Manufacturers providing NMRA DCC compatible products for large scale in the USA" list.

Phone numbers for everyone on the list except ZIMO!
A NA website for everyone on the list except ZIMO!

Well, let me correct that oversight!


The importer/distributor for ZIMO i.e. Zimo Agency for North America is

Model Railroad Solutions
1195 Velrose Dr.
Kelowna B.C.
V1X6R7 Canada
250-765-7017

Their website is http://www.mrsonline.net

Sooooooooooooooo why am I irked?

1. Because I believe when one writes an article one treats all of the listed manufacturers equally. That means listing equivalent information for everyone of them!

2. I'm a bit flabbergasted that this wasn't caught in the editing process or do the contributors now provide their own editing?

3. Writing an article means - at least in my book - that one does the required research, lists the basics and makes mention of where the respective systems fit on the versatility, features etc. etc. scale.

Yes I'm a ZIMO user - use it for any of the scales from N to LS - and yes, it just so happens that the ZIMO agent for NA is a friend of mine! BUT I would be just as irked if it was Tom, *** or Harry for the simple reason that I believe in a level playing field! I also believe that GR can do better and can provide more accurate information on the subject of DCC.

OK end of rant!
Back to pondering if Eastern Mountain Models Ltd. should advertise in GR .
Yes ...........No....................Maybe!?!