What do you think of 1.4?

[Gregd99]

1.4 has been out for a few months now.

I know that there have been a number of install issues and these have largely consumed the forum discussions.

Aside from the install issues what do you think about 1.4?

- At first I did not like

the "push to select" change for the throttles. On the other hand I like that the display shows the current speed when you click the knob.
- The function control is much better and I think the point control is more intuitive as well.
- A big disappointment

for me is that a number of issues in the pc interface, which are well known, were not addressed.
- the sapphire controls are nice but not sure how widely they are used.

what do you think?

[stevecamden]

I agree with you Greg as I rarely use the Elite except as a controller to the PC - so those issues are paramount for Railmaster or JMRI users.

Steve

[96RAF]

IMO generally v1.4 is much better than v1.3. I like the more simplified menu way of doing some things rather than having to change CVs e.g refuelling (Sapphire) and auto-ops (Sapphire).
I also find most of the new 'clicks' more instinctive than before,

especially being able to re-hit a sticky point solenoid by pressing the same knob again. Usually only necessary if I try to switch multiple points too quickly and drain the PAD CDU.
I also use v1.4 with Rocrail so the Elite is often a silent partner, but

I still have a problem with points addressing despite trying all variations of points addressing in the Rocrail manual.
Standard mode just won't work for points (maybe due to timing of turnout ON/OFF commands being sent. JMRI had a similar ON/ON problem

and sorted it).
Classic mode still has a 3 point offset i.e point 4 fires point 1, point 5 fires point 2, etc. This can be worked around by fudging the addresses, but having to switch to Classic mode for Rocrail is a pest.
Does JMRI work OK in both

Elite modes?.
Does Railmaster have to be run in a particular Elite mode?
Rob

[stevecamden]

Yes Railmaster has to work with the Elite in Standard mode. Classic mode just sends the point decoder assignments all over the place. Not to mention confuses the loco decoders.

Steve

[Gregd99]

jmri uses what ever the normal mode is - "standard" I guess. there is an offset problem but this has been corrected in the jmri code so that it all works properly.

I only tried the other mode after reading one of your emails a while back. it did

not work properly.

The select update info @ https://www.hornby.com/forums/hornby-forums/hornby-digital/2121/ mentions"
1. Revised dependability when operating R8247 Point and Accessory Decoders.
2. Point and Accessory addresses now start at 61-99

Both

sound as though they are trying to solve points issues. maybe hornby has decided that the select points issues need to be "addressed" (boom, boom) to allow reasonable inter-working with Railmaster (via the elite).

[96RAF]

Greg

Following that link...
Hornby says - [i]In order for the Select v1.0 to operate correctly with point and accessory addresses it was necessary to map the addresses transmitted to the accessory decoders by subtracting 3 from the desired address.

this is over complex, and has now been eliminated.[/i]

Following the trail of revisions to Select and Elite as I understand it the Elite panders to a non-NMRA compliant Select, which at v1.0 frigged with the points decoder addressing, hence the 57-60

output difference seen between Select and Elite when linked and the Elite had to put this right.

From Select v1.1 and onwards this addressing is said to have been brought into line with NMRA, thus the 61-99 change and all the discussion that has gone

with it.

So the Elite is still correcting the addressing when connected to a Select, but the Select could now be in one of two basic states depending upon version - i.e. wrong or right NMRA addressing, hence Elite v1.3 introducing Classic and Standard

modes.

Connect your Elite v1.3 (or earlier) to a Select v1.0 and you need it in Standard mode (the only mode before v1.3) as this mode makes the Select address correction.

Connect your Elite v1.3 in Standard mode to a Select v1.1 or later and

you still get an unecessary correction applied by the Elite, which is why you need v1.3 Classic mode which doesn't make any correction as its not necessary.

All very confusing but I think I've got it figured out.

...So why does RM use Elite Standard

mode instead of Classic.

Rob

[ModelerXYZ]

I don't like having to hit a button to change which train i'm controlling. It makes driving 2 trains on the same track hard work.