RDS Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 ... finding out that decoders lose programming due to shorts ... Decoders do not (generally) lose their programming due to shorts. As has been pointed out , some of the older ones could but it is years and years since I had a problem like that. You should not be put off DCC by that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted April 25, 2016 Author Share Posted April 25, 2016 im staying with dcc RDS,just a little annoying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 My R8247s were purchased in 2013 so not years and years old. I had one accidental short where a loco went against an electrofrog point set in the wrong direction. One of my three R8247s instantly lost configuration. I reset it, I reprogrammed it. Everything seemed fine. The next time I powered up my layout, the same R8247 powered up with a lost configuration and I had to reset and reconfigure it again. Everytime I turned the power off and back on again, the R8247 lost its config, and that was without any further accidental shorts..Not only that, but it wouldn't accept the DCC addresses again unless I did a full CV8 to 8 reset first. As far as I was concerned it was trashed and unusable. It was out of warranty and I replaced it with a new purchase..Strangely, I have never ever had a loco decoder (all Loksound) have any issues with shorts or any other DCC phenomena, only the Hornby R8247. .So to say that only really old Hornby decoders had this issue, is in my experience not strictly true. As I said, mine were bought brand new from Hattons in 2013 (3 units). The other two have been faultless, but one was obviously prone to this 'short induced' fault. Maybe just bad luck on my part, but my experience shows that later manufactured units can be affected too. As was Paul's latest purchase.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Chris, 2013 is still old stock pre them going out of supply for over 12 months then returning with apparently the same design but hopefully more reliable manufacture. Pre were certainly characterised by a very high failure and return under warranty rate and a high chance of losing config after a short. You've done well with a 67% pass rate on yours. I have a whole bunch of old stock sitting brand new in their boxes and my fingers crossed for when I try them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 I've got 4 - An R8216, a wrongly labelled one and 2 definite R8247s. They are all getting on a bit - as old as 2007 and certainly no younger than 2009. They have been installed to a relay board which has travelled around with me and at times they have been powered up for days, left unpowered for weeks and never once has one played up. Their reliability is probably due to the relay board being operated from a second controller which protects them from the effects of any track shorts. The only problems I've had with decoders is the old R8215s when they had red, white and I believe yellow or was it blue spots at times to denote they were getting better, but they never really did. They could lose their memory over night between sessions never mind if there was a short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 You've done well with a 67% pass rate on yours..Not so much a 'pass rate' perhaps more to do with installing short circuit protection RC filters to my Bus as a result of the first failure..Still doesn't account for Paul's R8247 failure which would appear to be from the latest manufacturers batch i.e. after the year of not being orderable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted May 1, 2016 Author Share Posted May 1, 2016 complete change of mindlayout will now be 14 feet long x 10 feet wide,base board 2 feet wide all the way round,mdf going on top of base board that is there allready,all braced/media/tinymce_upload/b3d9e1837f23835fd3dac2a986feb449.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/edd426bb131ec7ad676d8ef89e232577.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/fd9848871ab5397eeae65c4ae2990007.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/77ec53c4dfedca17b01a81c2a45dc281.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/e06f79aa2ed1534a0f8de075693cdae0.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted May 31, 2016 Author Share Posted May 31, 2016 here is an update with some pictures/media/tinymce_upload/1a438132454324148fbfe68a7edecdf0.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/121d040fc3dc76f8c199cccb21435b6b.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/5bb7309a3e16151df51dca2b006bc652.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/03caf6f34a96fca88f4331c1930f5dbe.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/319f7f088a19828162f42fe53478d633.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted May 31, 2016 Author Share Posted May 31, 2016 some more pictures/media/tinymce_upload/ad9028059478df23d926750fd1df2603.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/3ccdfb174ba070129745378e1f6c1840.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/08dd4ab8f41feac2ec4fc268fa05b3c8.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/61b0369ff4338e4e7e718046f7dd2e89.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted May 31, 2016 Author Share Posted May 31, 2016 last 2 pictures/media/tinymce_upload/63188b528e7fe98e22d8765af42445ef.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/e6021fc74af192b166a090fa139661d0.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB51 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Very nice Paul - you have got on with that very quickly. R- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo1707820979 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Congratulations, Paul, on your layout build and particularly on the very high quality of your photography in what must be problematical light conditions.Thanks for the enjoyable posts. Looking forward to seeing more as your layout progresses. A picture is worth a thousand words - or more, I would say.BTW are you planning to get a swivveling chair to avoid getting dizzy ? 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2e0dtoeric Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Swivelling chairs are ok - until you get into the habit of spinning round and round on them, when you get bored!With that expanse of track, I'd be tempted to fit a BUS and droppers from each piece of track, to avoid poor joints robbing you of power at the extreme ends of the layout, rather than relying on that flimsy power clip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 Swivelling chairs are ok - until you get into the habit of spinning round and round on them, when you get bored!With that expanse of track, I'd be tempted to fit a BUS and droppers from each piece of track, to avoid poor joints robbing you of power at the extreme ends of the layout, rather than relying on that flimsy power clip. i am not using a power clip anywhere on that layout,flimsy or otherwise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 thankyou Roger and Jimbo,especially Roger as he designed that layout for me ,along with other options as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2e0dtoeric Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 With respect, what is that little black thing attached to the track, three photo's up, with the Select on the other end of a wire, but a flimsy power clip - - or of course, was that just for testing purposes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 the select is connected to a hornby R8241power track,not the power clips i suspect you are thinking of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo1707820979 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Hi Paul. Nice progress on the layout. Have you thought of having a dual elevation set-up ? With the amount of space under your layout boards, I'd be tempted to have a go at it, maybe removing one or two of the uprights if possible for better access and visibility. It would be an interesting project, maybe with some "underground" rolling stock and effectively doubling the length of your main track. Just a thought. 🤔At the moment I am playing around with some removable track on wooden supports in my back garden, storing the track in my garage at night. A few problems, as you may imagine, but I haven't given up yet while the weather lasts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 nice idea Jimbo,but with the new layout designed by Rogerb,i have quite enough to be going on with,and also the expense,will post up a picture of rogerb's design Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 Rogerb's latest version,its a beuty/media/tinymce_upload/5d52166643fa6739411209aa67e567d7.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 Also Jimbo im going to get hornbys class 91 in virgin livery along with a rake of coaches for it,the 91 doesnt seem popular,but i like them,yes they are not highly detailed,but thats reflected in its price,easily pulls 7 coaches,and i dont think that it is very noisy either,the virgin 91 will be my second class 91 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulver Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Paul.P, I am envious, what a great set-up. I tried the loft some years ago, but getting up and down the aluminium loft ladder is quite onerous these days, so have a small track laid out on my conservatory window ledge. I might call the layout 'Window-by-the-Sill' if it ever gets completed. Really admire what you are doing though, please keep the pictures coming.Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 That expanse of layout is about the same size as my old loft layout before I decamped overseas. I had two thoughts about improving the track power supplies, one was to run a normal type 2-wire bus and solder each track piece to the bus and the other was to solder Omega loops across each track joint. I opted for number two as it could be done from above the boards and looked like cables I have seen on some real track, so I could say it was prototypical, not that anyone ever asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 thankyou for the advice RAF96,but with a track tester and an electricians mutimeter test thingy,i have equal power right round the track with no power drops on the track anywhere,this might be different when i go to my final layout plan,but at the moment powerwise,everything is fine,but thankyou,your help might well serve me well later on with the layouts later life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.P Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 Paul.P, I am envious, what a great set-up. I tried the loft some years ago, but getting up and down the aluminium loft ladder is quite onerous these days, so have a small track laid out on my conservatory window ledge. I might call the layout 'Window-by-the-Sill' if it ever gets completed. Really admire what you are doing though, please keep the pictures coming.RodI will Rod,and thankyou for the encouraging comments,will you be putting up pictures of your window by the sill layout? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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