Cobalt iP digital

[GBMicros]

Hi Everyone

Can some one please tell me where I am going wrong.

I have a layout running on an Elite and Railmaster. All loco's run fine from either software or controller.

I have recently purchased 6 Cobalt iP digital point motors with built in DCC..

I followed this video on YouTube to program the address I wanted:

This didn't do anything at all for me.

Yes this is showing with the select, I treid to address the point motor on both Select and Elite with no success.

So as a test I connected the point motor to my accessory bus power and a manual switch, this works fine but I want to use the software as well.

I have noticed that if I use a multimeter on the track out put on the Elite it reads -0.16v yet on the Aux Output it reads 14.87v. Is this correct? I'm very confused as I know how to use a mulitmeter.

I have looked through this forum but can't find any new posts as these point motors do not come with the center thing that needs turning off first, I also thought this might be the issue.

Been on this all day now so loosing the will. Please help.

Any questions please ask.

Thanks

Gary

[Chrissaf]

Cobalt iP Digitals has been a common topic coming up several times in the last two to three weeks. If you had searched the forum for "iP Digital" I'm sure you would have come across the previous posts.

.

Since you say you are using RailMaster with Elite, then you can use either of these two following 'step by step' previously published guides.

.

Since you say you have an Elite, then use this guide. You will still need to use the other guide to add the Cobalt iP Digitals onto your RailMaster track plan. Note that this guide uses address 61 - 63 as the example addresses in the 'step by step'. Substitute these addresses with the ones you want to use when following it.

.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/using-elite-to-control-locos-and-select-for-points/?p=1/#post-270482

.

But since you also have RailMaster, then you might want to follow this 'step by step' guide instead. The guide was written for the eLink, but is exactly the same if using the Elite. Even if you use the Elite as per the first link to actually configure the iP Digitals, you will still need to add your iP Digital point icons to the RailMaster track plan. You just won't need to add the three dummy points with the 197 - 199 addresses.

.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/adding-colbolt-ip-points-motors/?p=1

.

The only way your iP Digitals could have been supplied to you with the 'self centering' disabled, was if you bought them second hand, or your retailer made a point of doing that before shipping. Unlikely unless you requested it.

.

I have just reviewed the video link you provided and notice that Simon made absolutely no mention of the three special set up addresses 197, 198 and 199. I feel that his video has left out crucial setting up information.

 

Personally, I would assume that 'self centering' is enabled and go through my documented process to disable it anyway as that won't do any harm at all. If 'self centering' is indeed enabled, that would go some way to explain why you have been unsuccessful in trying to configure and operate them. Sending address 198 won't accidentally 're-enable' self centering if it was already disabled as it is address code 199 that does that.

.

Remember, YOU DO NOT program these point motors on the programming track. Is that where you are going wrong. Also, are you using the 'set & run' switch correctly. Remember also that when using the special address codes 197 - 199 you must power cycle the iP Digital after using the codes. It's all explained in my 'step by step' guides.

.

Just follow the guides documented in my links 'as written' and that should get you working.

.

I have noticed that if I use a multimeter on the track out put on the Elite it reads -0.16v yet on the Aux Output it reads 14.87v. Is this correct? I'm very confused as I don't know how to use a multi-meter.

.

The Aux output on the Elite is 15 volts DC. Thus your 14.87v is correct.

.

The track output on any DCC controller is a bi-polar square wave with a peak to peak voltage of 28 volts running at a nominal 7Khz (7,000 cycles per second). In English, this just means that you use the AC range not the DC range on your multi-meter to measure your track voltage. The actual value you should read will depend totally on the quality of your multimeter because the output is a square wave and not a sine wave. Ideally you should read an AC voltage of 14 volts, but you might read subject to your meter quality anything between 12.5 and 16.5 volts AC. I suspect that your -0.16v reading was read with your meter on its DC range setting.

.

[96RAF]

Concurring with Chris, I just referred to some pictures I have of multi-meters reading DCC track voltage and they show between 12,48 and 16.51 VAC. What you see depends upon the quality and sampling rate of your meter.

Rob

[GBMicros]

 Hi Gents

Thanks for the replys.

After speaking to DDC Concepts the have confirmed that they don't ship the point motors with the centering enabled, so no need to disable this anymore.

The manual you get is an old printed one and they ship them in the centre position only.

If centering was enabled then when power was supplied to the motor it would go left, right and then stop in the centre, this is how you know if it's on or not.

 

Back to my issue, I have found that what I was doing and what was suggested by Chrissaf was all working. It was programming them correctly.

I have now found that the motor just doesn't move. When the address is sent the motor buzzes as though it should be moving but it doesn't.

This is on all 6 point motors as I tested them all, I need to find someone local to test them for me.

 

Mick at DCC Concepts was absolulty amazing. He even offered for me to send them back to them to test. Customer service from these guys is great.

 

Thanks for your help.

Gary

[Chrissaf]

It does sound then like you have got a faulty batch. Not unheard of (this has been reported on the forum before), but it kinda goes against DCC Concepts claims that they test every motor individually before putting into stock for shipping.

.

Thank you for the update regarding the new DCC Concepts policy for shipping the motors now with 'self centering' disabled. This makes sense as there are lots of basic DCC controllers (Select for example) that can't send the 197 to 199 addresses. I should image that DCC Concepts must have been contacted many times (post sale) regarding this and decided on the policy change as a result. Doesn't help though with any old stock sitting on retailer shelves that are still 'self centering' enabled.

[96RAF]

Ditto any old stock Chris. I recently saw some Hornby accessory decoders at a bargain price. Turning them over showed they were the old R8216 units. Someone could be buying them and ending up with trouble trying to set them up. Same for any TTS decoders that have the uni-directional programming problem - easy fixed if you know about it but not what you want to hear if you bought them ’new’.

Rob

[Michael Armstrong1707820172]

Just wondering if any progress has been made on this. Purchased a pack of 6- all but one doesn’t work. Tried everything but all I’m getting is a gentle humming sound and no movement. Given that one out of 6 works plus several from a previous layout I’m guessing that there is a faulty batch floating around rather than something I’ve done or on the elink side 

[TonyO]

Hello Mike, are you testing the point motors away from the points, i.e. on their own? I found it was easier setting the address for the motor before installing them. If they don't move properly by themselves they are faulty.

[Michael Armstrong1707820172]

Yes even had just a single one plugged directly into the elink and nothing but a faint dull sound. It’s as if not enough power is getting through but it’s not a problem with the old ones and one of the new batch so can’t see it being an issue with the elink. Bit disappointing for a product that boasts a lifetime guarantee 

[Nick_]

Sounds like you’ve been unlucky Mike, but the life time guarantee does mean they’ll be replaced without quibble.

i have a dozen of them on my layout and once I’d understood the way to program them from RailMaster I had no problem. The thing I initially missed was the requirement  to power them off and on after programming them. Once I’d realised that it was all plain sailing.

 

Nick