Lack of power DCC select

[yerffoeg]

Just purchased a Bachmann CLASS 66 66040 EWS with sound lights etc. Just about runs on a small oval with a DCC select. Only tends to take commands when engine is stopped otherwise runs more or less. I was trying to explain the operation to my grandson but the only words that come to me is totally random control.

The other engine I have just purchased is a Hornby Caledonian sleeper class 67 no 67004 with sound etc. When placed on the track the DCC select goes into overload. Once in a couple of hours it started up made some train sounds and then went into overload otherwise just immediately overloads.

Does this select system have a bark or have I missed something?

I have only so many hours to put into this. Any help would be appreciated.

All the kit is new from the model shop.

[2e0dtoeric]

I would suggest you take the Select and power supply unit back to the shop, and ask them to test them. One or the other sounds faulty, as one loco shouldn't overload the unit. For two different locos to cause the same fault, that points at the power supply.

[yerffoeg]

Anyone know what the square wave drive to the track should be? pk-pk?

[96RAF]

Anyone know what the square wave drive to the track should be? pk-pk?

Depending upon your meter sampling rate it will be around 14 - 17 vAC, although as you probably know this is a fudge measure of the DCC output to track.

 

Here’s a scope grab...blue trace is DCC voltage ringing up to + & - 20  volts.

/media/tinymce_upload/0bbb9fa5015dcb1d56b463ba2867239e.png

Rob

[Howbi]

What version is your Select running?

[yerffoeg]

I think 5.1 hw version 3 - could not see any download upgrades on the web site?

I have a scope to check out the waveform. I will look in the morning. Thanks for the info I will let you know what I find.

[yerffoeg]

I see uou are decoding the track data. What is the comms spec. I have an MD4104C with decode software.

 

[2e0dtoeric]

yerffoeg - you cannot upgrade the Select yourself, (unlike the Elite) which is why you couldn't find any. It has to go back to Hornby, for them to do it.

[Chrissaf]

Are you sure that your firmware is showing 5.1 at power up, the current latest firmware on the Select is version 1.5

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During power up, three sets of numbers should appear. This example below below is based on version 1.5

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15 followed by 30 followed by 03

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The 15 is version 1.5

The 30 is hardware revision 30 for the PCB.

The 03 is the default start up DCC Loco Address ID 03

[Fishmanoz]

A correctly operating Select with its supplied powerpak should be putting 1 Amp to the track, which should be enough to operate 4 modern locos running flat out with sounds blaring.  Yours certainly seems to be faulty on current capability, so take it back.

 

Firmware version will not affect this capability, power handling doesn’t change with version.  What does change with latest firmware is the number of functions you can use, hence needed for a sound loco with lots of sound functions.  The first numbers to appear on the screen are the firmware version, what are they?  I think 1.5 is latest, so does it show 15, 14 or something less.  As it’s new, I would try putting the hard word on the supplier for latest firmware when they replace the faulty one.  If you send back to Hornby for upgrade, charge is £15. 

[yerffoeg]

My mistake version 1.5

[RDS]

As has been suggested by 2e0dtoeric above, it seems like the Select or Power Supply is faulty and need to be returned to the Model Shop.  I would take the Loco's back as well, so that the problem can be demonstrated to them.

[96RAF]

I see you are decoding the track data. What is the comms spec. I have an MD4104C with decode software.

 

 

The device is a Peco-Tech USB scope running their own Picoscope software and the decode is serial DCC (a menu drop down pick) as developed by them for trials here and here.

Rob

[yerffoeg]

Faulty engine and the controller is just not very good. Very unpredictable.

I will try the Hornby software solution with its own interface and see if that is any better.

[Fishmanoz]

Not sure what you mean there.  Have you taken all of the kit back to the shop for testing and found a loco to be faulty? 

 

From your symptoms, seemed more like the Select power handling was faulty. Then I wouldn’t describe the Select as unpredictable, operating correctly it does what it does reliably. But have to agree it is basic.

 

Do you mean by Hornby’s software solution you are thinking of changing to eLink and RM?

[yerffoeg]

Thanks for all the help. I have been reading through posts on the forums.

First one of the locos was bad. I t was very kindly replaced by the shop. I will use them again in  the future.

Second all six power distribution connectors had caps in them. They have all gone now. Must have been killing the signal transitions. No note that I could find in any of the docs only on the forum.

Not mad about the controller still a bit unpredictable but at least we have two engines out of about eight that are running. I think in future keep away from motorised tenders and smal twin axle engins - tend to stop all the time. The diesel electric engines just run and run. Also buy DCC ready with sound units they look, sound and work really well. Pays your money and takes your choice I suppose.

I am going to try the windows software and the interface. Dreaming up numbers for control on the select is a bit like going back to DOS.

 

 

 

[Chrissaf]

@yerffoeg,

Could I humbly request that you avoid using the 'white arrow in blue box' button when trying to reply to posts. That blue button is not a 'Reply to this post' button'. Using it, makes it very difficult for forum members to see what is new reply text and what is duplicate re-quoted text from a previous post.

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The correct procedure for making a reply. Is to write your reply text in the empty 'Reply to this post' text box at the very bottom of the page and click the green 'Reply' button. If you feel the need to bring your reply to the attention of a particular forum member, then just type in their @username at the beginning of your reply, as I have done in this post with your username.

[2e0dtoeric]

yerffoeg -

It's not clear what you are trying to do. Tender-drive loco's will not be dcc fitted, or even dcc ready. They pre-date dcc!

Small twin-axle loco's, if you mean 0-4-0 shunter types, these are well-known for stalling on the plastic section of points, as they don't have enough 'span' in their electrical pick-ups to reach the metal tracks on both sides at once, as they cross over. They are really toy trains for the little ones, who tend to drive them like racing-cars!

'DCC ready' do not have sound,  they are not fitted with any form of decoder, just a blanking board, so are analogue, or 12v dc loco's. Only 'DCC FITTED' have decoders pre-installed, and only 'DCC SOUND FITTED' make noises on command!