HO scale train sets are the worlds' most popular sized model railways for a number of reasons. cost, space requirements, and ease of component availability figure highly amongst these.In a perfect world, I'd be modeling in On30, but the reality of my own situation - present and likely future is that HO - that is, a 1/87th scale representation of the real world - is the track I'll follow for pretty much those three reasons I listed above.Bachmann, the world's biggest maker of model trains has an extensive range of American prototype locomotive and rolling stock for the train fan.For the newcomer, Bachmann's HO train sets, ready to run out of the box, offer the perfect starting point.Big.And not so big.Size - a good place to start.By far the most popular of the big train sizes is O gauge - that's trains built to a scale of 1/48th the size of the real thing, running on rails spaced 1.25" apart.Historically, O gauge has some impressive claims to be the parent of all current model railroad scales and gauges.The first model trains, produced in Germany around the beginning of the 20th century were close to 1/48th scale and ran on 1.25" wide tracks.When model train manufacturing got under way here in the USA, those iconic brands Lionel and American Flyer built their trains to run on those very same 1.25" spaced tracks.The little trains began to appear in numbers after World War Two and by the 1960s, commercial production of small-sized, HO gauge trains far outstripped production of O gauge.Initially, it was the British who came up with the idea of this smaller size - trains that could run on tracks spaced just 0.65" apart.German manufacturer Marklin launched its range of small trains running on 0.65" (or 16.5mm) spaced tracks in 1935, but unlike British and German rival train-makers, Marklin chose to make its trains to scale of 1/87th the size of the real thing.Since Marklin's O gauge trains were built to a scale of 1/43rd, this new, smaller size was very conveniently half the size of the big 'uns - hence Half O gauge, or HO as it is universally known today.Approximately 66% of all model train lovers rate HO as their favorite scale.HO gauge - the more bangs for your bucks interface.The main reason for the popularity of HO amongst modelers is the perception of what you can achieve in this scale in a given space.Look through the pages of any of the well-known magazines devoted to the hobby and you'll see vast basement railroad empires with a staggering amounts of nano-scenic detail, beautifully rendered and weathered locomotives and rolling stock.The overall impression can be breathtaking and a close-up and personal scrutiny - often known as "rivet-counting"- shows just how much miniature detail can be incorporated even at this degree of shrinkage.Inspiring indeed, but there are plenty of us who don't have and are never likely to have basements.HO model-railroading is flexible and adaptable enough to cater for the space-deprived modeler, who has to make do with maybe just 8-10 feet of wall space, maybe 12" wide - just enough to represent the end of the line of some long-forgotten spur of the Hooterville Central RR in its glory days.These railroaders often outdo us all when it comes to atmosphere, rivets, warts and all.The industry, has of course, responded to the market.For the HO gauge modeler, there is a huge array of off-the-shelf train sets, locomotives, cars, buildings and track.As you progress through the hobby, more specialized manufacturers supply everything to cater for scratch-building or kit-bashing needs.If you want it, you can source and buy everything from a more authentic brake-wheel for your favorite caboose right up to a gorgeous, and seriously expensive, hand-built, brass locomotive.Perhaps the final reason for choosing HO ahead of the larger alternatives is the cost.Yes, there are some surprisingly cheap O gauge items out there - Bachmann's lovely On30 2-8-0 Consolidation is a give-away at around $137.00 - but the fact remains that model-railroading in HO, part for part and piece for piece, is going to be a lot cheaper than opting for any of the bigger scales.Next time you look at an HO gauge layout that really gets your heart pounding, just remember that to do the same thing in O gauge is going to take twice the space and the cost of all the components will be considerably higher as well.
Showing posts with label Cheap Lego Sets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheap Lego Sets. Show all posts
Sunday, September 9, 2012
HO Scale Train Sets - Size is Everything, But Big Isn't Always Better
HO scale train sets are the worlds' most popular sized model railways for a number of reasons. cost, space requirements, and ease of component availability figure highly amongst these.In a perfect world, I'd be modeling in On30, but the reality of my own situation - present and likely future is that HO - that is, a 1/87th scale representation of the real world - is the track I'll follow for pretty much those three reasons I listed above.Bachmann, the world's biggest maker of model trains has an extensive range of American prototype locomotive and rolling stock for the train fan.For the newcomer, Bachmann's HO train sets, ready to run out of the box, offer the perfect starting point.Big.And not so big.Size - a good place to start.By far the most popular of the big train sizes is O gauge - that's trains built to a scale of 1/48th the size of the real thing, running on rails spaced 1.25" apart.Historically, O gauge has some impressive claims to be the parent of all current model railroad scales and gauges.The first model trains, produced in Germany around the beginning of the 20th century were close to 1/48th scale and ran on 1.25" wide tracks.When model train manufacturing got under way here in the USA, those iconic brands Lionel and American Flyer built their trains to run on those very same 1.25" spaced tracks.The little trains began to appear in numbers after World War Two and by the 1960s, commercial production of small-sized, HO gauge trains far outstripped production of O gauge.Initially, it was the British who came up with the idea of this smaller size - trains that could run on tracks spaced just 0.65" apart.German manufacturer Marklin launched its range of small trains running on 0.65" (or 16.5mm) spaced tracks in 1935, but unlike British and German rival train-makers, Marklin chose to make its trains to scale of 1/87th the size of the real thing.Since Marklin's O gauge trains were built to a scale of 1/43rd, this new, smaller size was very conveniently half the size of the big 'uns - hence Half O gauge, or HO as it is universally known today.Approximately 66% of all model train lovers rate HO as their favorite scale.HO gauge - the more bangs for your bucks interface.The main reason for the popularity of HO amongst modelers is the perception of what you can achieve in this scale in a given space.Look through the pages of any of the well-known magazines devoted to the hobby and you'll see vast basement railroad empires with a staggering amounts of nano-scenic detail, beautifully rendered and weathered locomotives and rolling stock.The overall impression can be breathtaking and a close-up and personal scrutiny - often known as "rivet-counting"- shows just how much miniature detail can be incorporated even at this degree of shrinkage.Inspiring indeed, but there are plenty of us who don't have and are never likely to have basements.HO model-railroading is flexible and adaptable enough to cater for the space-deprived modeler, who has to make do with maybe just 8-10 feet of wall space, maybe 12" wide - just enough to represent the end of the line of some long-forgotten spur of the Hooterville Central RR in its glory days.These railroaders often outdo us all when it comes to atmosphere, rivets, warts and all.The industry, has of course, responded to the market.For the HO gauge modeler, there is a huge array of off-the-shelf train sets, locomotives, cars, buildings and track.As you progress through the hobby, more specialized manufacturers supply everything to cater for scratch-building or kit-bashing needs.If you want it, you can source and buy everything from a more authentic brake-wheel for your favorite caboose right up to a gorgeous, and seriously expensive, hand-built, brass locomotive.Perhaps the final reason for choosing HO ahead of the larger alternatives is the cost.Yes, there are some surprisingly cheap O gauge items out there - Bachmann's lovely On30 2-8-0 Consolidation is a give-away at around $137.00 - but the fact remains that model-railroading in HO, part for part and piece for piece, is going to be a lot cheaper than opting for any of the bigger scales.Next time you look at an HO gauge layout that really gets your heart pounding, just remember that to do the same thing in O gauge is going to take twice the space and the cost of all the components will be considerably higher as well.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Cheap Lego Sets The Cheapest Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0 Online
cheap lego sets See Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0 Details
List Price : Price :
as of 2012-08-03 06:24 AM
Product Description
The LEGO MindStorms Robotics Invention System is easy enough for kids, but powerful enough for high school and university-level students to makeimpressive use of it. Now you can create programmable robots that navigateobstacles, follow trails, or react to
Editorial Review
Many high-tech toys start with a fun and fascinating idea only to make it frustratingly complicated in the execution. Leave it to LEGO to make a technologically advanced toy fun to play with. The enormous 718-piece LEGO Mindstorms Robotic Invention System lets you construct a variety of moving robot vehicles and then program them from your Windows 98- or Windows Me-compatible computer. The robots are all based around a bright yellow basic unit, which serves as the functional heart of whatever is being built. The brick receives commands from the computer via an infrared tower unit. The computer interface is incredibly user-friendly and intuitive. What's most impressive about the system, however, is the variety of robots that can be built. There are detailed instructions for each one, and since these are LEGOs, builders are free to come up with an endless variety. --John Moe
- No programming experience is necessary
- multi-tasking operating system (up to 10 simultaneous tasks), three eight-bittimers, three 500 mA outputs, and three inputs
- The devices are intelligent enough to follow paths (via markings on the floor), and movearound obstacles
- EachRCX unit can store five programs so one robot can do multiple things
- The instruction booklays out step-by-step plans for seven robots
Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0 Reviews
cheap lego sets : Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0 Reviews
| 329 of 334 people found the following review helpful  Learn while having Fun! Fun! Fun!, By = Durability: = Fun: = Educational: This review is from: Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0 (Paperback) Lego Mindstorms is a phenomenal toy. Your kids -- and probably you! -- will learn programming, logic, math, etc., while have hours and hours of fun. I cannot say enough about how impressed I am with this product!FOR YOUNG USERS This product will immediately engage young users in building and programming the layouts that come with the kit. This alone makes it worth twice the cost. The programming environment is easy, yet the possibilities it offers will draw your kids into thinking and problem-solving. Learning and having fun at the same time: What a great idea! FOR ADULTS Lego robots are used in graduate courses at MIT and Indiana University, among other schools. The programming environment is robust enough that it can support exercises in artificial intelligence. Check the NET: there are people out there posting advanced code for the Lego OS, writing new operating systems for the Mindstorms platform, and posting instructions for their own robotic creations. It is fun and... Read more 164 of 167 people found the following review helpful The Best Toy I have Played with in 40 Years, By = Durability: = Fun: = Educational: This review is from: Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0 (Paperback) This system is phenominal. We own version 1.5, purchased a year ago and we have not put it down. And trust me, this is not for kids only. I only wish there was something around like this when I was 12 - I was stuck with Robbbie the Robot replicas.When my son opened it for Christmas, we knew it would be a big hit. We have spend uncountless hours working on this together (quality, quality time) and the problem solving skills he has gained have put him in a position that he can now program a computer in Visual Basic at 12 years. (Not that this system teaches you VB, but it sure teaches you logic and structure, necessities for any program language) We have since bought all the expansion kits, a few books and have built robots capable of some unbelievable feats. Keep in mind that older Technic sets work well with these sets as well as many of the other Lego sets you have. I would recommend this set to anyone, especially those who longed for a real robot as a child, not... Read more 41 of 42 people found the following review helpful  Great kit despite XP issues, By = Durability: = Fun: = Educational: This review is from: Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0 (Paperback) As many others have commented, this is a great educational toy, so I won't repeat those accolades.Getting it to work on XP has been a challenge, but ultimately I was successful. I learned that there are two XP patches out there. One is available on the Lego web site, and keeps the RIS software from automatically starting everytime you boot up your machine. I needed this patch on an XP desktop system. While a bit of a nuisance, this bug isn't really a showstopper. The second patch (called LEGOTower.zip) can be received from Lego support or by searching the internet. This patch solved the much more serious problem on a laptop running XP in which it would completely lock up whenever the software tried to access the USB tower. After installing this patch, the laptop worked as well. Apparently you may need neither, one, or both of these patches depending on your particular system. |
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Saturday, July 28, 2012
Cheap Lego Sets Price Comparisons For Pirates Of The Caribbean Four-Movie Collection (Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
cheap lego sets See Pirates of the Caribbean Four-Movie Collection (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) Details
List Price : $169.99 Price : $102.37
as of 2012-07-28 08:08 AM
Product Description
Set sail with Captain Jack Sparrow for more adventures than ever before with this Pirates of the Caribbean Four-Movie Collection. Inside you'll find an authentic replica Pirate's Chest, a collectible map and an iconic skull disc case that holds the Blu-ray discs and digital copies of all four Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the Blu-ray 3D disc and DVD of On Stranger Tides. It's a fortune in gold worthy of any swashbuckler - alive or dead.
Pirates of the Caribbean Four-Movie Collection (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) Reviews
cheap lego sets : Pirates of the Caribbean Four-Movie Collection (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) Reviews
| 92 of 97 people found the following review helpful  No More Special/Limited Editions For Me, By Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Pirates of the Caribbean Four-Movie Collection (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) I just received this product, the chest is ok... but by the picture of the item listing I was thinking you get a round plastic holder replica of the skull coin, you don't, it's just a a paper skull coin wrapper holding the numerous discs in place. Honestly if I'd known that I would have just bought them separately and saved a little money. The little scroll map is also quite cheap as well... looking at the chest up close, it too is quite cheaply made with sloppy painting, they didn't even paint consistently over the metal pins holding the chest together.More on the "coin" holder... it's basically paper with velcro snaps holding it shut. I'll post pictures later, not in the mood since this turns out to be a bit of a downer. It is a fan style index card type holder and it's kind of hard to find where to slide the discs back into... I'll review the movies later, as for quality etc. Mainly I've rated this 3 stars for the "special limited edition" packaging which for... Read more 128 of 140 people found the following review helpful  Worst Special Edition Ever, By Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Pirates of the Caribbean Four-Movie Collection (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) This review is about this specific product, not the movies...The packaging is the absolute worst I've ever seen for a DVD or a Bluray. They're all thrown together in a little cardboard bangle that's never going to hold up with any handling. It's impossible to get them out without touching the playing surface, usually of several of the discs at once. Then there's the annoyance factor of the Bluray/DVD "features". You have to chapter skip through 8 previews and commercials to get to a menu, you can't just press menu. The menu you get to has two options, "Main Menu" or "Play". Press "Main Menu" and you get a talking skull that talks at you for a couple of minutes before actually getting to the Main Menu - why not just always go to the main menu? Then there's the usual 30 seconds of logos, warnings, and disclaimers. And if that wasn't all bad enough, there's no way to bookmark the Bluray's, and they don't automatically resume from where you shut them down... Read more 28 of 29 people found the following review helpful Gold coin case is just paper, This review is from: Pirates of the Caribbean Four-Movie Collection (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) I was really looking forward to getting this box set and would have given it a 5 star review had it not come with a cheap paper cardboard case to hold the discs. By looking at the picture, I thought it would at least be a hard case made of plastic! I wouldn't mind so much but a case like that will surely deteriorate over time. The chest on the other hand is quite durable and made from heavy plastic. |
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