Hornby Elite with Select blew decoder

[Shane Powell]

I recently upgraded to the Elite which has been great. I was on the fence for quite a while as it gets a fair bit of slack but went for it and it does everything I wanted.

So I decided to use my Select as a walkabout controller however after connecting them and powering up a locomotive moved on its own then there was a puff of smoke. At first I thought it was from the elite so I cut off all power.

So I disconnected them and tried the elite and nothing. Then tried the select on its own also nothing.

Then realised I the smoke  was from bachmann locomotive behind the controller, I removed this locomotive and everything worked again with each controller on its own.

This is not that bad because it means I have only lost a decoder, but I am not sure why the decoder blew and I am worried about connecting the select to the elite again.

Just to be clear it was just the expressnet cable that was connected nothing else. While they were connected the Select displayed HC on its display (I think this is normal).

The bachmann decoder had a bachmann decoder in it as far as I am aware. I also have another bachmann loco, many hornby ones and some laisdcc decoders which are fine.

[96RAF]

HC simply means handcontroller and one would normally use number 1 unless there were several Selects in Walkabout when each would be given its own HC number, when the Select is operating on its own you will see CS meaning Command Station.

 

You have stated you are using the Xpressnet cable (R8266 is correct one - not the R8236 booster cable) and there is no separate power supply plugged into the Select. This is correct. There should only be the Elite connected to the track. All Select commands pass through the Elite to the track.

 

I think the decoder blowing has been coincidental and has nothing to do with the fact you have a Select in Walkabout rig.

 

You could make a check with a multi-meter set on AC volts to see if there is a spike when you connect/disconnect the Select, but I am clutching at straws here. I would not expect to see any difference.

[Shane Powell]

By expressnet cable I meant an RJ12 cable. I just put expressnet to make it obvious which connector I was using.

As you say it does sound like it must be concidence as I cant see how adding the select with a data cable could cause anything like that.

Thanks for the reassurance, will give it another go later.

[ColinB]

I am probably 99% sure it wasn't the Elite. I had a Bachmann decoder do exactly that, admittedly it had been buzzing at low loads for a while, there is even a post on here about it. Hot days seem to be the worst for decoders blowing up, yes it sounds weird, but I think what happens is a lot of these decoders are in small spaces and when they are used in a hot enviroment, they just cannot just rid of their generated heat.

[96RAF]

The only difference between the two RJ cables is one is a four wire cable (Walkabout) and the other is a six wire cable (Booster), both of which use the RJ12 six pin connector.

 

The reason Hornby went to a four pin cable is that the outer two wires were causing cross talk problems when the then common Walkabout-Booster six wire cable was used for Walkabout.

[Chrissaf]

The 6 wire R8236 RJ12 cable is also a flat cable where the wires are laid in a parallel formation within the sheath. The correct R8266 cable apart from being 4 wires, also uses twisted pairs (not flat wires). Thus the cable is a round cable and not flat. It is primarily having twisted pairs that reduce 'cross-talk', but removing the additonal un-needed two wires of the R8236 also helps. Using twisted pairs to reduce 'cross-talk' theory was covered as part of my electrical engineering apprenticeship.