TTS engine has a life of its own.

[Chrissaf]

I can't say 100% categorically that upgrading the Select firmware will fix your issue, because some TTS decoders have issues of their own (see details further below). But to get the best out of the Select for TTS locomotives you do need Select firmware 1.5 as a starting point.

.

Version 1.1 is now very old and predates TTS technology by many years.

.

Contact Hornby Customer Services (contact details are at bottom of screen) to arrange. The upgrade charge is usually £15 plus your postage costs for shipping to Hornby.

.

If after upgrading the Select to 1.5 you still have TTS control issues. Then there are a couple of options. One option would be to play about with the TTS Decoder motor Algorithm settings (there are many posts on here relating to the improvements that can be made). The issue for you though, is that the motor algorithm settings require new values to be written to some of the decoder CV's. However, this is something the Select is incapable of doing as it is too basic.

.

So, if upgrading the Select to 1.5 doesn't work, you may have to invest in a better controller, capable of reading and writing CV's if you want to fine tune the motor algorithms for optimum operation and control.

.

There are some TTS decoders in circulation with faulty firmware, but the faults only usually show up when using non Hornby controllers, so the firmware could be faulty, but probably unlikely since you are using a Hornby DCC controller (albeit one with out of date firmware). However, if you were unlucky enough to be affected by this. Hornby are offering FREE firmware upgrades for these decoders (they need sending off to Hornby to do this). But to be honest, you can't in my opinion suspect the decoder to be one of the faulty batch ones, until the Select has been upgraded to 1.5 first and the decoder re-tested.

.

For more information on the faulty TTS decoder firmware see this post by Hornby Administration.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/hornby-tts-decoders-reported-problems/

.

PS - You are correct 11-30-03 is 1.1 firmware. 1.5 firmware would read 15-30-03. The 30 is the internal board revision number and the 03 is the default start up DCC ID address 003.

[Chrissaf]

I've just bought a second hand Somerset Belle set and a new R3284TTS Flying Scotsman engine. My problem is that although the Somerse Belle runs fine and I've even managed to change the engine from default '03' to '02'.

The Scotsman though is a different matter. It just sits for a while then starts moving jerkily, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. It ignores the Stop button when pressed. My select I believe is on firmware 1.1 as it shows 11 30 03 upon start up. Would an upgrade fix things or is it an engine problem?

Btw I'm a new user, not had a set since I was a child.

[99ulysses99]

Thank you for that quite informative reply. I have instigated the return and have begun looking into the elite which I always knew I should have bought but the set seemed a bargain. 

Just to add some extra info. I've managed to get the loco to respond correctly for about 3mins from start up (turning power on to the track). The loco moves correctly and some of the sound functions work. However it quickly resorts to behaving erraticly and ignoring everything.

[96RAF]

For now your Select will only be able to control F0 to F8 inclusive so very few sounds, even less if you had a diesel.

 

If you update the Select it will be able to use all the TTS Functions and then if you get an Elite you can use the Select as a Walkabout controller, thus gaining a spare throttle.

 

First thoughts with any dodgy decoder is to reset it, but again as Chris said the Select cannot write value 8 to CV8. Does the loco misbehave in the same way if you put it on the track facing the other way.

 

Edit - also check loco zero does not have any throttle selected, by reselcting loco zero and turning the speed up then back to off. If there is any speed on loco zero it can and will distort the DCC signal resulting in odd behaviour from other locos.

 

Rob

[Chrissaf]

Given your revised observations i.e 3 mins normal control, then it is more than possible that 1.5 firmware will give a fairly robust fix.

.

Just to add to what Rob said about turning the loco around to face the other way. It has been documented that the batch of faulty decoders seem to have faults which are loco direction specific. Thus, if when turned 180 degrees, the faults disappear or change, then a faulty firmware is more likely.

.

I would also take seriously, Rob's suggested address zero diagnostic check. This is also known to cause issues.

[Chrissaf]

Oh and one further thing. If you get the Select upgraded to version 1.5 firmware, throw your existing Select paper manual in the bin (metaphorically). The 1.5 firmware completely revises the order of button pressing to do things. Such that what you are used to doing to control your layout probably won't now do what you expect.

.

There is a completely new 1.5 Select manual that you can download from the Hornby site in the 'Help & Advice' pull down column above, then choose 'Manuals' followed by 'Hornby Digital Instruction Manuals' followed by 'R8213 Hornby Select'.......you will then see the manual 1.5 version listed as a download link.

.

Or if that is too complicated, click this link instead to take you there:

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/downloads/view/index/cat/12/

.

Note that if nothing seems to happen when clicking the 1.5 manual download link, that some browsers will download the PDF file in the background and place it in your nominated download folder. So do check your download folder before assuming that the link didn't work.