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the Hornby Tiger engine with an 18 pin decoder fitted


mal

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Hi  Having sold my original set up earlier in the year which was elite - railmaster -contolled totally I got withdrawal systems  and have now created an end to end layour   (no circuits) and invested in a bluetooth dongle and two accessory units.   I have on older tank loco, a new Hornby Rocker, a Rapido Lion with sound and the latest steam generator Flying Scotsman.  All of these work well on both bluetooth and via the EliteDCC.   However I have recently bought the Hornby Tiger and its now just come back from its third visit to Hornby.

when you get it started it runs great and the sound is perfect - a great engine - until you stop it which of course with my end to end is quite frequently it will not start even with a little gentle help.  If you turn off sound and press resume operational control it will start and off it goes not problem until it next stops.    On DCC all I get is the sound but it will not drive at all.  Hornby have changed the chip and say it runs perfectly.   Yes it does until you stop it.    On this engine the dcc chip just about fits - it really is a tight fit.

As I say the engine has just been returned and has the same issues.  The fact it runs perfectly when it is is running does suggest to me that it does not like the chip.   As I say all my engines run on the tracks with little problem, even the tank engine performs very well.    Any help or ideas please   many thanks Malcolm

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First thing I’d recommend is to completely unlink/delete decoder from your device & then re-link.  This will ensure that if issue is due to corruption in app, it is cleared out.

If that doesn’t resolve issue, I’d then try swapping the decoder to the Rapido Lion (& vice versa with Lion’s decoder/blanking plate) to prove if the issue is with loco or decoder.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi Thanks very much for your replies they were all helpful.  However after another return from Hornby I am still having the same problem   Hornby suggest it is my layout in that not level and may be dirty.    I dont think I have ever had such clean rails and the track is level.   They say it runs on their oval track and as I say when it runs it runs well.  All my other engines run on all tracks without issue including the wonderful little rocket.   The lion no problem.  My basic tank only slight problems over points.  Flying scotsman with steam no issues.    When I have unlinked etc and relinked it has come back to life and does a run but once it stops will not budge.    Although on at least three occasions, the last when I was talking to Hornby tech it just moved on its own.  (I had left the slider in the one position)  Tonight I tried again but no joy but like has happened before the device is not picking up bluetooth.  All my other devices never loose the bluetooth.    I have suggested a new engine or a refund but I dont think Hornby wont to give up on it and I am waiting whilst the repairs answer an email from Tech.  I am hopeful of a response this week as it is now getting beyond a joke.   Each time is has come back during the time it runs one or other of the track rods have come out of the wheel.   On occasions when it goes to start it does a dance  i.e repeating back and forward but not really moving anywhere.      I cannot see how it is my track.   Any other ideas would be much appreciated as I would be reluctant to seek a refund.

 

Many thanks and sorry for delay in responding to your replies but I am only just getting used to finding things as the forum as changed a lot since my previous visits over the years

 

Malcolm

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Perhaps @malyou could set up a small experiment.

If you have a bit of extra track around, set up a test loop.  Put Tiger on the test loop and give it a go.

If the problems follow Tiger to the test loop, it is likely Tiger at fault.  If the problems do NOT follow Tiger, it is likely your layout.

Divide and Conquer 

Bee

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On 29/07/2024 at 21:47, LTSR_NSE said:

If that doesn’t resolve issue, I’d then try swapping the decoder to the Rapido Lion (& vice versa with Lion’s decoder/blanking plate) to prove if the issue is with loco or decoder.

@mal did you ever try my suggestion of swapping decoders? (to demonstrate for yourself whether issue is with loco or decoder)

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Nowhere on here do you say you tried it on DC that may be a good start. I assume from the subject it is a next 18 fitment. I had issues with a Bachmann loco fitted with a Next 18 decoder where it would stop and do things like lose sound, admittedly it was a LokSound decoder but that was irrelevant. Anyway to cut a long story short it was the actual ;socket the decoder fitted into. I just very carefully cleaned the contacts (after taking the decoder out) and the loco ran perfectly afterwards. 

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4 hours ago, 96RAF said:

Next 18 sockets can be iffy. The decoder needs to positively click into place.

In my case it was definitely clicked in, it was actual oxide on the connector pins. It was a brand new class 812 from Rails, but connectors are always an issue. Rails was saying when I phoned them up that just putting the decoder in and out sometimes fixes it. The physical act of pushing it in and out sometimes scrapes off any dirt or oxide.

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Hi All once again thanks for your comments.   I do not have the facility  to create a loop although Hornby says it runs on their loop.   I am very reluctant to play around with the chip as when I first fitted a wire came off as it fits into a very compact space and one has to be careful pushing into the space.  Hornby say its fits very snug.  It went back for them to correct and came back with chip fitted correctly (I think).   Getting it out of this compact slot is not easy  but if I did I would be worried about trapping a wire again.   This is also the reason I have not run on DC by altering my elite to cate for a dc engine.  I am assured Hornby have checked all this and they say it runs perfectly.  Tonight I unlinked etc as the bluetooth on the device was showing red and the engine was not moving.  I relinked etc and got sound and the engine reluctantly started moving for about a foot and stopped.   I personally do believe the issue is chip related as when I was talking with Hornby I turned the engine upside down once again to ensure no debris or alike in the workings and then put it back on the track and it worked for about a minute.   Tonight I have run my other engines including the small basic tank with no issues.   I am sure if it was the track then the Rocket which is so small would not run but it is so good.   Still waiting for response from Hornby.  thanks again every one   Malcolm

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