Select OL indication

[96RAF]

I have a conundrum...

I have been playing with a Select at the latest firmware version in stand alone and walkabout (from Elite) modes both as a loco controller and a points controller.

 

I initially used the 4 amp supply but occassionally I saw an OL (overload) indication on screen, when I could see no obvious reason for the flag. If I unplugged and replugged the power the indication cleared, only to reappear at random later.

 

Knowing that the Select handles overloads differently according to the power supply in use I substituted the 4 amp for a 1 amp supply.

 

It played nicely for over an hour so I left it powered up while I did something else and sometime in the next hour or so it decided it had seen an overload and put OL on screen as well as flashing the red led. The unit did not feel overly hot to the touch So I don’t think anything is overheating inside.

 

The conundrum is the Select when overloaded using the 1 amp supply will reboot continuously as the power supply drops voltage in self protection during a real overload condition. This is all in the manual. Mine is showing a continuous overload as if it was 4 amp powered and had self protected itself. At the time I had a single accessory decoder wired in circuit with one point motor attached so there was little chance of a real overload anyhow.  I reset the Select to see if that makes any difference.

 

So far I have only seen this OL indication in stand alone mode, not when hooked up as a walkabout set. I don’t know what an overload in walkabout mode would manifest as on screen If at all.

 

I now have the task of sitting watching and waiting for it to happen again to,see,if there is a common denominator.

 

Searching the forums brings up the odd old post about Select overloads but I ask the forum if anyone at v1.5 has suffered a similar unexplained OL problem when there isn’t one, would they please report their experiences back here.

 

Thanks Rob

[2e0dtoeric]

Am I correct in reading that the OL triggered when there was nothing running?

Try leaving the Select disconnected from everything, but turned on, and see if it still triggers.

If it doesn't, it's either a whisker of wire somewhere giving a random short, or just maybe a strong radio transmitter signal being picked up by the track (acting as an antenna) and giving a spurious trigger.

[96RAF]

Eric

Nothing was running. At the time I first noticed it there was an acc decoder and a single solenoid motor attached. I have since disconnected everything except the power in and after more than an hour just sitting there it OL’d again.

 

On RDS advice I videoed the Select just sitting there to see what happened at the OL point. Nothing exciting it just goes from 03 with a steady green led for direction to OL with a flashing red led. If I unplug and replug it sets off again.

 

What I haven’t done is run it on a steady load like a roundy round loco to see if and when it trips In that scenario.

 

I have heard that led household bulbs are a new source of wild RF to add to that from Powerline internet adaptors and other household tech. Could that affect it.

 

It looks as though the lid will have to come off the Select and the magnifier employed on close inspection duty To rule out a mechanical fault like tin whiskers on the pcb, etc.

Rob

[hedley_reynolds]

Hi Rob 

I had bought the select for my service track which is a circle and my firmware was updated by Hornby in August last year and I had no problems with it until after a couple of months I went to run in new locos and the select stopped after 20 minuets with a OL reading for no reason and every time I tried to use the same loco the same thing happened again and I had left it off for an hour and then the same thing happened after about 20 minuets again with the OL reading and I’m wondering if it’s something  to do with the firmware update as my locos runs with RM and the elink Hedley 

[hedley_reynolds]

Hi Rob

i had forgot to mention that another loco stopped with the E5 code the day before and every time I tried to put it back on the track as soon as the front wheels touched the track the same thing again happened with the code E5 and like I have said that a different one it showed up OL and I haven’t tried it again since as I have been doing other things on my layout and I can’t understand why especially when Hornby has updated the firmware unless it has other problems that’s causing it and with the 2 different codes Hedley 

[RDS]

... I have heard that led household bulbs are a new source of wild RF ...

 

I hope not!

I have just completed our whole house conversion to LED bulbs.

[Fishmanoz]

Quick check of the internet tells me that use of EMI compatible transformers and LED bulbs may be necessary to avoid RFI if found to be a problem.  I have a house full of them too replacing Halogens in downlight fittings  and have never noticed a problem. 

 

And my Select has never caused my bottom drawer to overload, Selects aren’t heavy enough, the reason they are no good as doorstops. 

[96RAF]

 

i had forgot to mention that another loco stopped with the E5 code the day before and every time I tried to put it back on the track as soon as the front wheels touched the track the same thing again happened with the code E5 and like I have said that a different one it showed up OL and I haven’t tried it again since as I have been doing other things on my layout and I can’t understand why especially when Hornby has updated the firmware unless it has other problems that’s causing it and with the 2 different codes Hedley 

 

Hedley 

E5 means emergency stop as if you had manually pressed the red button. Pressing the button again should reset it. If it happens by itself with one loco only then that is odd.

Rob

[Fireman_Ian]

I have two selects attached to my elite as walkabouts, on some occasions when controlling locos from the select I get an E2 for no reason, I always assumed it was because the selects are both v1.2.

 

I just reset by pressing the red button and all carries on running.

 

It used to happen daily when I lived in the UK, since I moved to Spain its only happened a few times in two years, wether this is relevant or not I have no idea.

Ian.

[2e0dtoeric]

Re the LED lighting - it's not the LED's that is the problem, it is the switch-mode power supplies.

This is more prevalent if you re-used the halogen psu's, as the drive load is much reduced with the LED's, and the psu gets it's underwear knotted as a result. It has been found that if you leave one halogen in the circuit, everything behaves!

From a ham radio point of view, an awful lot of switch-mode supplies are not fitted with ALL the components, and they splatter radio frequencies all over the place. It is suspected that the manufacturer puts the chokes, etc n to the samples that go for testing, but leaves them off to save a few bob once they have been 'passed'.

Powerline internet adaptors - are the spawn of the devil! They have been known to wipe out radio reception for up to half a mile around the units. The manufacturers claim they are not transmitters, but they use the house wiring to pass data. If they are not transmitters, why are they fitted with filters to stop them radiating on the ham bands?

If you want to read more about this - have a look at - https://www.ukqrm.org.uk/

[96RAF]

Update:

Close inspection of the circuit board gave no indication of any faults, like bad solder or pcb tracks or failing/failed components, so it was back to watching paint dry.

 

I set up the camera to watch the Select running a loco in Walkabout mode for over an hour, then in Stand alone mode on the 1 amp power supply for 2-1/2 hours with no load and another 1-1/2 with an accessory decoder and solenoid motor attached. Not a hint of a problem.

 

Today it is using the 4 amp power supply and so far almost 2 hours and no sign of any problems. 

 

I guess its going to be one of those every blue moon events. At least I can pass the time by soldering smd leds into my Class 47 (well going cross-eyed attempting to anyhow).

Rob

[Chrissaf]

Could there have been some glitches in your power supply??? I mean the power supply to your house from the street. Perhaps engineers were working on it when you noticed the problems, but now stable because engineering works have finished.

[96RAF]

That was the reason for the camera Chris to see if there was any transitory screen effects, such as a brown out which would emulate a 1-amp PSU overload, but no nothing else in the house suggested a power glitch. My lounge table lamps are the flaky power indicator in this house. They flicker when the TV and PC don’t even notice the wobble. I could do with a data logger to monitor mains levels but not got one so can’t do that unfortunately.

4-amp supply has been powering Select for three hours now and still steady.

I guess its just one of those things.

Rob