Elite controller number of tracks

[skaza]

Hi just a quick question ,i know i can control a number of trains on the same track ,but could i have two seperate tracks and control two trains on them from the Elite as in one on each track using the Elites 1 and 2 out put ,best wishes Brian

[Chrissaf]

You don't seem to be grasping the fundamentals of DCC control.

 

A DCC Controller sends out a sequential number of digital commands as a broadcast across ALL tracks of the layout. Each locomotive decoder listens to these broadcasts and ignores the commands not meant for them and only reacts to the commands being addressed specifically at them. Therefore the Elite is controlling each loco [decoder] at an individual level. The number of tracks and loops is completely immaterial and have no bearing on how you control the locos.

 

You could have 10 loops with a loco on each loop, or your could have 10 locos on the same loop. It makes absolutely no difference whatsoever.

 

Yes the Elite has two control knobs. But only one of them is active at any instant in time. This gives the illusion that you are controlling two locos (not tracks) at the same time, but you are not. You use the two knobs to pre-select two different loco decoders, then you switch between the two knobs to control that loco which has been selected by that knob. Once a loco is moving around a loop, then those control knobs could be quickly assigned to a third and fourth loco instead.

 

By repeating this procedure and subject to your juggling skills, you could be controlling up to 10 locos with an Elite but only one loco decoder at a time. The use of two knobs just makes it a little bit more efficient to juggle your locos being controlled.

 

To reiterate. The control knobs are not assigned to any particular piece of track or loop the way that Analogue control works. The DCC controller controls the locos, not the tracks.

 

So yes in answer to your question. You could have a single layout with two tracks and have one loco on each track and allocate each loco decoder to an Elite control knob. But you would have to switch control between the two control knobs as only one knob is active at any one time. What you cannot do is rotate both knobs (one in each hand) at exactly the same time as you can do with a twin DC Analogue controller.

 

TIP: As a newbie poster on the forum, just be aware that the 'Blue Button with the White Arrow' is not a 'Reply to this post' button. If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

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See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

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[skaza]

Hi thank you for your reply very grateful to you , 

           I Have two tracks  one inner and one outer ,the inner track is running N Gauge and the outer is running oo Gauge and both tracks are trying to run dcc trains with sound installed which is why i thought maybe the controller might do both ,but after saying that i love the sound but could easily produce better sound on my minidisc in the recording studio for next to nothing as the train sounds are being sold quite openly on ebay and could easily be put together on m/disc ,thanks again Brian

[Bulleidboy]

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[Chrissaf]

You can still do that.

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DCC decoders are DCC decoders. They don't necessarily know what gauge locos they are in.

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The Elite only has one single TRACK A&B output, but there is nothing to stop you connecting both the N gauge and 00 Gauge track in parallel to the same Elite TRACK A&B output. You just need to ensure that all your locos have unique DCC addresses. That is to say that none of N gauge locos share the same DCC address as being used on the 00 gauge layout.

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As I said in my original reply. With DCC you are controlling the locomotives via their decoders. You are not controlling the track.

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Your only limitation is how many locos you can power from your Elite 4 amp supply. That is the only limiting factor to consider.

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[ColinB]

Ok, to control two locos on two tracks you just need to know which train is on which track. So if you have two locos one with an id of 7 and one with an id of 9, then you set the loco on the first controller as 7 and the second controller as 9. The only issue you have is the Elite has two controllers but it is not a true twin track controller, to take control you have to press down the appropriate controller knob. I have a Fleishmann true twin track controller with the left hand part of the screen  showing controller 1 and right part of the screen showing controller 2. With the Elite it is not so easy, but possible. So as long as you remember which ids are the oo ones, and which ids are the N gauge ones, obviously they have to be different between the gauges. So yes it is possible and easy to do.

[96RAF]

If you keep the separate gauges physically separate then there is no reason why you can’t allocate a separate DCC controller to each gauge, i.e. treat them as separate layouts on the same board.

 

That way you can if using an Elite on each ‘layout’ control two locos apiece using the Elite’s dual channels.

[Fishmanoz]

This seems to be getting confusing when it doesn't need to be.

 

Rob, I assume from the question Brian is well aware he can control 2 separate tracks with 2 controllers. His question is can he do it with a single controller and of course the answer is yes. He can do it with an Elite, or a Select, or with eLink and RM, just to cover off all Hornby controllers.

 

Then as Chris points out, all track connected to a single controller is effectively a single track, even if partly N gauge and partly OO gauge, or partly any other gauge you want to connect to the controller. So Colin, you don't need to know which track the loco is on, there is only one track.  All you ever need to know to control a loco is its ID.

 

Finally Bruce, if you're 2 locos are sound locos, you will have no problem controlling those sounds.  All you need to do is call up the loco whose sounds you want to control on your controller, then activate the applicable functions.