New DCC Layout Issues

[mbnz77]

Hi All

So I've just finished wiring a bus wire to my 6x4 layout and a brand new Hornby Select controller. There seems to be some issues...

Once the controller is hooked up and I place the loco on the rails it immediately starts trying to run with no application of the power via the rotary control. This then leads to an OL error.

I reset the controller and still have the same issue.

Following this with the loco on the track it will run ok, until it reaches a certain turnout where it always derails and then the Select displays OL again.

Can anyone offer any suggestions please?

[morairamike]

Hi. Your buss should be in effect just a mirror of the track above. So if you disconnect the buss from the controller and connect the controller directly to the the track does the same thing happen.

If so then are you plugging the track or buss into the correct output terminals on the controller, not the AUX output. 

Do you have DC running enabled in CV29. 

[96RAF]

What revision is your new Select - first set of numbers on screen at start up. Which power supply are you using 1-amp wall wart or 4-amp brick.

 

Does this fault only occur when there is a loco on track, or does it now only happen at that point. Is it if the point is switched one way or any way.

 

Reset the Select again per the manual, then for absolute surety, select loco zero and turn the speed knob clockwise and back to off. If loco zero has been selected (even if you do not have an analogue loco on track) the controller will send stretched zero bit data to the track which can affect DCC locos.

 

As stated above check your bus versus track with a multi-meter for continuity and cross connections which are likely why your Select is indicating an OL shutdown if the fault is evident without a loco.

[mbnz77]

 

What revision is your new Select - first set of numbers on screen at start up. Which power supply are you using 1-amp wall wart or 4-amp brick.

 

Does this fault only occur when there is a loco on track, or does it now only happen at that point. Is it if the point is switched one way or any way.

 

Reset the Select again per the manual, then for absolute surety, select loco zero and turn the speed knob clockwise and back to off. If loco zero has been selected (even if you do not have an analogue loco on track) the controller will send stretched zero bit data to the track which can affect DCC locos.

 

As stated above check your bus versus track with a multi-meter for continuity and cross connections which are likely why your Select is indicating an OL shutdown if the fault is evident without a loco.

 

Ok so its firmware 1.5, running the 1 amp transformer.

If I turn the Select on without a loco on the track it doesn’t seem to show an OL fault.

Excuse my ignorance, but what does the zero loco function do?

[96RAF]

Loco zero allows you to run an analogue (no decoder) loco on a DCC track, however this is not recommended as just standing a DC loco on a DCC track menas it sees full track voltage which is effectively alternating so the motor just vibrates wihtout turning and in doing so it gets hot and can burn out.

 

Select v1.5 has DC support for DC running enabled as default but you can and should turn it off during the reset procedure - see the Select v1.5 manual.

 

Back to your problem - it would appear to be the loco. Do you have another loco and does the problem manifest at the same point or anywhere on track. If the same point and any loco then the point may be faulty. If only one loco then check the wheel back to back dimension as this can be criticsl to reliable running acroos points without shorting.

[Chrissaf]

Excuse my ignorance, but what does the zero loco feature do?

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See Page 16 of the 1.5 Select manual.

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Basically what Rob is saying. Is that sometimes the reason a loco takes off just by being placed on the track is because the Select controller has been accidental left (by some incident) in Analogue support mode.

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By following the procedure to put the Select in Analogue mode (address zero) then turning the control knob all the way up then all the way down again, then exiting Analogue mode (by changing to a valid DCC address). Then you are ensuring that Analogue support is disabled for that layout operating session.

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EDIT: As Rob says. Disable Analogue support completely at the core controller operating firmware level. It is more hassle than it is worth to keep enabled. Select manual Page 19.

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This (above) may not be the reason for your issue, but the described process eliminates this as a possibility.

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Other possible reasons for your 'run away' issue are:

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1. You do not have a decoder fitted to the loco. Locos that are labelled 'DCC Ready' do not have a decoder in them and are actually Analogue locos.
2. The DCC signal on the track is of such poor quality that the decoder cannot read it as a clean DCC signal and thinks it is on a DC Analogue layout. The decoder then thinks that the DCC track voltage is DC and reacts accordingly.
3. The layout is not being powered via proper DCC power tracks / Power clips [R8241 R8242]. The Analogue versions of the clips (R8602 R602 R8201] contain a capacitor. This corrupts the DCC signal and is a cause of issue 2 above. The presence of the capacitors can also cause the Select using a 1 amp power supply to display OL (Overload), because the capacitor is shunting a certain amount of current from the Select power supply. Adding the current being passed by the capacitor(s) to that being consumed by the loco, then the total current can exceed the Select power supply overload trigger point.

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To eliminate issue 3 from the equation. Open up ALL your power clips and power tracks and check for the presence of a capacitor and remove any and all that you find. This is a very common issue when users have upgraded a working Analogue DC layout to DCC and have not replaced or modified the power track / clips to DCC friendly ones. Or have purchased Analogue power track / clips in error, instead of DCC ones.

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....until it reaches a certain turnout where it always derails and then the Select displays OL again.

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This will be a physical issue with that particular point and the way that it interacts with the affected loco. The point itself may have parts on it that are loose or out of alignment. But the most common cause of this type of issue is actually an issue with the loco wheels. Typically, that the wheel 'back to back' measurements are off and the wheels are either too close together or too far apart. Search the forum for "back to back" or "back2back" or "back 2 back" or "B2B" where you should find many threads dedicated to this issue.

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EDIT: Rob posted whilst I was preparing my long reply.

[mbnz77]

Thanks guys, will check these suggestions tomorrow.

The loco definitely has the decider installed, I just double checked I had fitted it correctly.

Also, I’m not using power clips as the controller is connected directly to the main bus wire.