TT3025M LNER, J50 Class, 0-6-0T, 2793

[Tim Allen]

This is why my layout has an isolated inner loop and sidings so I can run either DC or DCC locos on it. HM6K & HM7K combo is best of both worlds. From what I gathered from watching videos and conversations its the chip manufacturers and the availability of the chips. To a fabrication company like TSMC Hornby are a rather small customer and have about as much influence as I do with Hornby. In fact I probably have a little more influence as there's no Apple or Samsung to jump in and buy the product if I walk away unlike a chip fabrication company.

My Class 08 & future J50 will stay DC until the 6 pin is eventually released. It will eventually, it's not technologically impossible to do this. The chip node process is shrinking and being refined all the time.

 

[Peachy]

3 hours ago, 96RAF said:

Cobblers.

We do not have a 6-pin to test yet but we know the spec and there is an anomaly due to there being no CV12 switch, so operation will depend upon power source to the track. The manual does speak to this already. BT capability is (will be) fine.

It will certainly be one in the eye for those saying it can’t be done if Hornby do pull it off.

I’d certainly welcome it as it would make a lot of the smaller “fun stuff” being produced by various 3D printer chaps more practicable 

[96RAF]

On 31/08/2024 at 17:49, Ilmson said:

As nice and inexpensive as the sound decoder is, I would like Hornby to offer an easy option via app of adjusting the number of steam chuffs to the speed level (i.e. adjusted via the 128 DCC levels, some only run with 14 or 28 levels)

I guess if you had been following the forum in the past year or so you would know that the complex speed curve can be used to better map the chuff speed bands to road speed.

[96RAF]

22 hours ago, Peachy said:

It will certainly be one in the eye for those saying it can’t be done if Hornby do pull it off

Pull what off - a 6-pin non sound bluetooth capable decoder. It's a given, just waiting for samples to arrive.

[Porfuera]

Regarding chuff rates, someone on the RMweb bluetooth decoders thread posted that they had found a way to improve it.

I can't confirm it myself as I haven't tried it (and even if I did, I wouldn't know what a correct chuff rate should look like in the first place) but it looks like at least one other person also tried it (further down the page) and was reasonably happy with it.

This is the link in case anyone want to check out what was done or to give it a try.

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/176499-hornby-2023-bluetooth-decoders-and-control-system/?do=findComment&comment=5131217

Apologies if this has been posted already!

Edited September 2 by Porfuera

[ntpntpntp]

33 minutes ago, Porfuera said:

I wouldn't know what a correct chuff rate should look like in the first place

4 chuffs per wheel revolution for a 2 cylinder loco. 3 cylinder locos would be 6 chuffs, but unless the sounds have a "triplet" feel to the chuffs I think 4 chuffs is good enough to at least seem reasonable.    The problem I see mostly is locos running along with just 2 chuffs or less, especially at low speeds it just ruins the whole point of having sounds in a steam loco in my opinion.

[Mac202]

I've been playing around with the complex speed curve for my Duchess.  Am I right in thinking that it has 4 cylinders and therefore should be doing 8 chuffs per revolution.  

I've been looking carefully at it and I can't tell whether its chuffing in time or not, especially if I'm looking for 8 chuffs / rev.

[Porfuera]

5 hours ago, ntpntpntp said:

4 chuffs per wheel revolution for a 2 cylinder loco. 3 cylinder locos would be 6 chuffs, but unless the sounds have a "triplet" feel to the chuffs I think 4 chuffs is good enough to at least seem reasonable.

That also means nothing to me as I have no idea how many cylinders a loco has, given that (as I understand it) there can be inside cylinders out of sight on some locos. On top of that I don't really pay close attention to the wheels anyway.

It isn't something that bothers me - for me, sound is more of an 'ambience' effect.

5 hours ago, ntpntpntp said:

The problem I see mostly is locos running along with just 2 chuffs or less, especially at low speeds it just ruins the whole point of having sounds in a steam loco in my opinion.

Why not have a look at that link I posted and see if it improves things for you? It seems to have worked well enough for at least two people.

Edited September 2 by Porfuera

[Fishmanoz]

Or just read the famous manual as adjusting chuffs via complex speed curves is covered there.

[47606 Odin]

7 hours ago, Mac202 said:

I've been playing around with the complex speed curve for my Duchess.  Am I right in thinking that it has 4 cylinders and therefore should be doing 8 chuffs per revolution.  

I've been looking carefully at it and I can't tell whether its chuffing in time or not, especially if I'm looking for 8 chuffs / rev.

8 chuffs if it’s a lord Nelson. Most other 4 cylinder locos are in opposition so still only 4 chuffs

[ntpntpntp]

16 hours ago, Mac202 said:

I've been looking carefully at it and I can't tell whether its chuffing in time or not, especially if I'm looking for 8 chuffs / rev.

Just watch a single revolution of the wheel from TDC to TDC, or watch the cylinder crosshead movement in and out,  and count the chuffs you hear at slow speed (where it tends to be most obvious if it's out of sync). Maybe as a drummer I'm more sensitive than some folk to timing and beats but I do pick up on it straight away  if it's well out of sync to what I'd expect 🙂 

[SMR248]

On 03/09/2024 at 11:19, ntpntpntp said:

Just watch a single revolution of the wheel from TDC to TDC, or watch the cylinder crosshead movement in and out,  and count the chuffs you hear at slow speed (where it tends to be most obvious if it's out of sync). Maybe as a drummer I'm more sensitive than some folk to timing and beats but I do pick up on it straight away  if it's well out of sync to what I'd expect 🙂 

It might be good to explain your acronyms?  I believe that you mean "top dead centre" but that in itself is perhaps a bit confusing in the context of a steam engine with horizontal (rather than. vertical) cylinders..

[LTSR_NSE]

@ntpntpntp wrote TDC for watching wheel revolution, therefore Top Dead Centre would be the same as saying 12 o’clock - sounds right! 👍

[dBerriff]

This is a favourite bit of false info for the Hornby knockers (chuff rate is all wrong...). I'm fed up of correcting the misinformation on Youtube in the dreaded (by me) comments. If I did not know about CV 29 before I most certainly do now. I also now know that the HM | DCC app has a simple and elegant interface for setting the required value.

With the CVs set up correctly I find the results for Blink Bonny and the Duchess of Atholl to be quite convincing. It does depend on what you expect from the effect. All modelling is a compromise. 

Edited September 5 by dBerriff