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MERG South Hampshire Area Group
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Some examples of our activities:
Presentations to the group & electronic assembly using the Southampton MRS club facilities.
Software development and device programming & attending exhibitions supporting MERG.
How do I contact the Area Group
Who are the leaders of the group?
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Chris Barker - Leader
Stuart Burgess - Deputy Leader
Ian Hart - Deputy Leader
Would you like to join today?
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Select South Hampshire Area Group from the drop down list in Other Area Groups and press the Subscribe to Area Group button.
How do you meet?
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We meet at the Southampton Model Railway Society (SMRS) clubroom and also on Zoom.
Dates and details of the meetings are listed below and on the MERG diary https://www.merg.org.uk/content/events
The SMRS clubroom is Unit 1b, Kemps Quay, Quayside Road, Southampton, SO18 1BZ. Free parking is available.
Bitterne railway station is nearby and about 10 minutes walk to Kemps Quay.
Evening meetings take place on the 2nd Thursday of each month starting at 7:30pm (clubroom should be open at 7:00pm).
Workshop days normally take place on the 3rd Saturday of each month, unless we are representing MERG at an exhibition, starting at 10:00am (clubroom is usually open by 09:45am).
The club room is well equipped with several work benches, which are available on a first come first served basis, an open area with a 50“ screen that can be used for presentations and discussions, plus catering and toilet facilities.
It is situated on the first floor of an industrial unit. Access is by stairs, and there is a recently installed stairlift enabling disabled access.
The meetings are flexible: You can build, test and fault find your electronic modules. Chris can assist you in developing your soldering skills. We can program the PICs used in MERG designs and have some basic test facilities for CBUS modules and DCC loco decoders and accessories. Presentations are welcome, and advice, guidance, tea, coffee and biscuits are always available.
We are currently rebuilding an 009 exhibition layout to enhance its operational capabilities and possibly add some animations.
The layout is being controlled by MERG CBUS and DCC modules. It can be controlled using route selection from a single control panel and one or two CANCABs can be used for loco control.
Recently the layout has been upgraded to be automatically controlled by JMRI running on a laptop. 3/4 trains can operate under computer control.
The pictures below are from its first public show at the Southampton MRC exhibition in January 2024.
And the Next Meeting?
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| Date | Event | Description | Location | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:30 21-Nov | 19:30 GMT South Hants AG Zoom Call | Online Zoom Meeting | ||
| 09:30 23-Nov | 09:30 GMT South Hants Saturday Workshop | Southampton Model Railway Society clubroom | ||
| 19:30 28-Nov | 19:30 GMT South Hants AG Zoom Call | Online Zoom Meeting | ||
| 19:30 05-Dec | 19:30 GMT South Hants AG Zoom Call | Online Zoom Meeting | ||
| 19:30 12-Dec | 19:30 GMT South Hants AG Zoom Call | Online Zoom Meeting | ||
| 19:30 12-Dec | 19:30 GMT South Hants AG Merg Live Meet. | Southampton Model Railway Society clubroom | ||
| 19:30 19-Dec | 19:30 GMT South Hants AG Zoom Call | Online Zoom Meeting | ||
| 09:30 21-Dec | 09:30 GMT South Hants Saturday Workshop | Southampton Model Railway Society clubroom | ||
| 19:30 26-Dec | 19:30 GMT South Hants AG Zoom Call | Online Zoom Meeting |
Local Links
Link to local model railway sites.