TTS help please - no sound

[Like2Train]

Hi and Merry Christmas to all of you,

Apologies that my first post is a problem that I can't solve.

This is our first model train set (we have r/c planes and look forward to this new aspect ;) )

We have the Mixed Traffic Train Set - R1236, new for Christmas from a UK hobby store. It all works fine. The Loco's are addressed 03 and 04. We also have track packs B, C and D. (I understand the inner siding (midimat) is '1st curve' and therefore shouldn't be used with loco's that require a greater radius to run efficiently - not an issue for the two that came with the set).

The set came with the Hornby Select which on start-up tells me '20' initially which I believe is software 2.0

We then bought a Hornby R3803TTS Hall class Hogwarts Express, again new from a UK hobby shop.

We removed the two initial loco's from the track before turning the Select on.

We placed the TTS loco on the track and ran it under its default 03 address. The light and all sounds worked both stationary and in motion; all great. 

We then turned off the plug socket of the Select for a tea break. We didn't remove the TTS train. We had not added the other loco's back to the track at any time. We don’t believe the track was shorted at any time. We didn’t use the STOP button.

Problem:

We turned the power back on; the TTS train runs, however no sound at all. We have tried F1, F2 etc nothing.

We then reset the Select, no help. Again running the sole TTS on address 03.

Then re-addressed the TTS as 05. Again, It runs fine backward and forward but again no sound at all. 

I understand I can't reset the TTS using the Select.

We left the train off the track for a few hours and the power off for a few hours. On return, the train moves as before, as it did initially but again no sound at all. The light has been on at all times.

Any suggestions to fix the issue are most welcome?!

Thanks a lot

Alex

[Howbi]

Welcome to the Forum..........As you have the latest firmware version of the Select you can reset the TTS decoder.  Write a value of 8 to CV8............HB

[Chrissaf]

Howbi is correct, your Select has got version 2.0 firmware and can write to CVs 1 to 255. Writing a value of 8 to CV8 performs a full TTS factory reset. Writing a value of 5 to CV8 performs a 'Sound Volume' factory reset.

 

However that said, TTS decoders seem to have a high incidence of sound faults that materialise within the first hour or so of ownership running. Two faults seem to be common. Either the included cheap speaker goes 'open circuit' or the audio amp on the TTS decoder goes dead. Sometimes these faults are preceded by the sound being very distorted and crackling.

 

As your purchase is new, if writing 8 and then 5 to CV8 doesn't make any difference, then I would consider the TTS decoder to be faulty with one of the faults indicated above and arrange refund / replacement with the supplier under Warranty.

 

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.

 

See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum. TIPs include 'How to post images' and 'How to make links clickable'.

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

 

[Like2Train]

Hi howbiman and Chrissaf, 

Thanks a lot for your help; much appreciated.

I removed all loco's from the track. Placed the TTS loco on it. Under address 05, I wrote 8 to CV8 following the line by line instructions. The address was re-set to 03. Following the full re-set, the same issue; it runs nicely, the light is on (saying that i can't turn the light off via the light function) but no sound at all. I then wrote 5 to CV8 for a sound only reset; again the same issue persists, it runs but no sound at all.

Chrissaf, you mention crackling and distortion; when the sound did work, altthough i did not have a baseline as this is the first sound loco we have, i would say it crackled and was distorted.

Thanks a lot

Alex 

[96RAF]

I would be looking at a failed speaker initially or simply go for a full replacement under warranty. Contact your retailer.

[ColinB]

If they are still under warranty and from reading your post you bought them from new with sound fitted, then it is a return to retailer or contact Hornby Customer services. It is not worth messing about trying to replace speakers. If you had retro fitted the TTS to the loco then checking the speaker would be a good idea but since you have not taken it apart, let Hornby do that. Don't worry, I doubt it is anything you have done to make it fail. From my experience and I have quite a few TTS decoders, they seem to fail from overheating or bad wiring, but then the whole decoder doesn't work anymore, so in your case it looks to be a manufacturing issue as you bought the model with it already fitted.

[Like2Train]

Hi RAF96 and Colin B,

Happy New Year to you all.

I haven't taken it apart at all; it ran for no more than 10 minutes total with the sound working before turning it off to take a break.

Thanks a lot for your advice. I contacted the retailer; they don't have a replacement in stock. Therefore i've emailed Hornby Customer Services and await their reply.

We look forward to getting back on track.

Thanks a lot

Alex

[ColinB]

I had one in my HST in the dummy end (the one that doesn't have a motor), it ran perfectly for about 6 months, then suddenly the sound stopped working. The lights still worked and when I put it on my tester it still drove the motor. More surprising was when I switched the DCC on and off, one in every 4 or 5 goes (I could do that on my tester easily) the sound came back until I switched the DCC off. So it is not unusual, shame though, I know how annoying it is. Needless to say it got returned to Hornby.