New Auzzie Member

[Graham54]

G'day mate,
My name is Graham Arnold, 75 year old retired plumber. Started train modelling about 4 years ago by acquiring 8/4 1977 Hornby 00 incomplete table top display. Decided to complete and then extended out of my garage and across the back yard. This is when I changed from DC to RailPro. I am interested to contact any other RailPro users within Australia. I'm in QLD sunshine coast. my only problem has been with hand controller the screen has failed and replaced under warranty while it was being replaced I purchased as second controller, this also failed no luck with the warranty this time. My conclusion that both controller had been exposed to extreme sun light. The hand controllers where not in use lived in a cheap zipped purse.           

[William Brillinger]

G'day from Canada Graham! 

There are other Auzzie members here, I'm sure they will say hello soon.

Most of us, I think!, keep our HC's indoors, so hopefully ours do not suffer the same fate as yours.

Did Ring Engineering give a specific reason for not warrantying the second one?
Did they offer a reasonable repair fee?

[G8B4Life]

Hi Graham,

Welcome to the forum. I think I have seen posts of yours before (the name Graham rings a bell) questioning RailPro possibly over on Railpage. If it was you then I wondered if you would eventually show up here.

Anyway, I'm almost as far south of you as one can get without leaving the mainland, down in Victoria. I think we might be the only 2 RailPro users in the country.

Hard luck on 2 failed controllers, and disappointing that the warranty wasn't honoured the second time. I don't think anyone here's heard of a failed screen before though.

- Tim

[William Brillinger]

I don't think anyone here's heard of a failed screen before though.

Yeah, First I've hear of that problem. 

[Graham54]

Thank you for your quick response.  I have never sent a post before and I am very new to computers.  The situation with my H.C. were left on a work bench adjacent to a window during the middle of the day.  In hindsight, not a good thing to do.  Most of my track is outside in my yard but under cover from sun and rain.  Ring Engin  came to the party with a repair and an upgrade to H.C2  the problem is post both ways and time delay.  I can foresee a problem in the future with battery replacement.  If there is an alternative to sending back to Ring, please advise.      Graham.. 

[KPack]

Welcome Graham! 

In regards to your question about batteries in the HC-2, read these two threads:

http://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php?topic=24.0

http://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php?topic=25.0

Basically, you probably won't have any issues with your batteries for a very long time if you are aware of how to get the most life out of them.  Should you need to change the batteries you will want to replace them with the same spec batteries to avoid any issues.  Ring doesn't advise that due to obvious reasons, but in your case it's something to consider.  Again, you probably won't have a need to change the batteries for years.

-Kevin