Point and Accessory Decoder Wiring.

[Bighandz]

This should be a really quick question with an equally quick answer, so here goes.

I have four point/accessory decoder units.

can I program these units prior to wiring in my points or do I have to connect all my points and then program the decoder.

Once again, many thanks in anticipation of everyone’s help.

[96RAF]

If they are Hornby accessory decoders then you will have to program them on a Programming track before you connect them to your layout.

If your accessory decoders are of the self-learning type offered by several other manufacturers then you simply connect them to your layout, set them to learn per the instructions, select the associated point and return them to run setting.

[Bighandz]

Cheers RAF.

They are in fact Hornby Accessory Decoders.

Although I don’t have a seperate programming track at the moment I don’t actually have anything connected to my Select controller at the moment.

that was the point of the question. Could I program my accessory decoders then put them aside and connect my track.

then program my locomotives and when they are all done connect up my points so that everything is programmed.

I am aware that I can’t have anything else connected to my controller whilst programming other than the item I want to program.

At the moment, 18 locomotives and four Accessory decoders.

And yet again, thanks for your help.

[Chrissaf]

Assuming that they are Hornby R8247s [not the obsolete R8216]. Then just wire them with a temporary pair of wires [one decoder at a time, and never more than one together] between the Select 'TRACK A&B' output and the R8247 input.

My R8247s were pre-configured this way on my dining room table without any point wiring attached. Albeit, in my case I was using an Elite and not a Select.

With the Select, the 'TRACK A&B' output doubles up as both TRACK and PROGRAMMING output, hence why any decoder of any description being programmed [excluding non Hornby self learning decoders] needs to be the only device physically connected to the Select track output during the DCC addressing & configuration process. I appreciate that you have indicated you know this. I am just reiterating it for others as it is critical.

[96RAF]

Remember with a Select you have to start your points at address 61.

[Bighandz]

Hi Chris and as always thanks for your input.

I am just rushing off to make sure my accessory decoders are the R8247’s.

I’m sure they are but now that you pointed out that there is an older type I now need to check to be absolutely certain.

So whilst I realise that you do know that I know about programming one item at a time it is really useful that you have inadvertently pointed out another potential problem that I wasn’t aware of.

So of course, once again, many thanks for your help and input.

[Chrissaf]

Just for info. If they should be R8216s then these need pre-charging before programming. This is not actually an issue with the Select, because you are wiring them to the powered TRACK output of the Select anyway. Rob can give 'chapter n verse' on this, but I believe unlike the R8247, the R8216 needs a point motor attached as a load. The point motor can be loose laid on the table next to the decoder. Rob can advise which port it needs to be wired to. Port 1 or port 4. The R8216s are also programmed using a REG programming mode whereas the R8247 uses DIRECT mode, thus there are likely different method instructions to follow in the manuals for the two different products.