Southern1234 Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 How does the E-Link and Railmaster combination indicate if there is a short or overload? If it's in the (very brief) E-link instructions or the Railmaster manual - I haven't found it. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMSTim Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 RailMaster just displays a message on the screen saying "Short circuit", stops all locos and waits for you to clear it. You won't damage the eLink or your PC by forcing a track short and see for yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern1234 Posted July 15, 2013 Author Share Posted July 15, 2013 Thanks LMSTim ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyT7808 Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 I don't get anything displayed on my RailMaster screen, just a 2 tone beep when the short occurs and a repeat beep when the short is cleared. Under Windows 8 it is again a case of having to reset everything before I can continue trying to get it working properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 First run as administrator as you found in the other thread. Also, are you running v1.51, the latest version of RM. it should upgrade itself with your permission anyway, but has been known to not give you this option on occasion. If not 1.51, it can be downloaded directly from the site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejack Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 The green light on the eLink also appears to go out under short circuit conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowplain Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I too am finding frustrations with the short circuit issue. I did my first run of RM as an administrator and am using version 1.51, but in the event of a short circuit, or other error, which the Elite always indicated, I see nothing on the screen when using eLink. Indeed, on each occasion I have to power down eLink and shut down/restart RM to recover. This situation is not very clever and it is identifying some fragilities of the eLink module. I am particularly concerned with the neccesity to unplug the USB connection and either the mains plug or power plug into the eLink module. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejack Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 It has been suggested on another forum that using the 4 amp supply gets over most of the short circuit issues as the 1 amp tends to trip out on shorts circuits hence the need to power down. I have only seen an on screen message for a short circuit once using ver 1.51. Can't confirm as I only have the 1 amp supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejack Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I have had another play with the eLink tonight. I made a number of tests shorting the rails and got the following results. eLink 1 amp supply - eLink green light flashes whilst in short circuit and needs to be powered down and rail master closed. eLink powered up and after a few seconds restart Rail master Select 1 amp power supply - elink green flashes but as soon as short circuit removed locos will start running immediately. Only twice have I got the on screen warning and both times I was shorting out the programming track. Shorting out the running track 10 times on no message. So if you have a select power supply use that one to get around the issue until you can afford a 4 amp supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejack Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I have had another play with the eLink tonight. I made a number of tests shorting the rails and got the following results. eLink 1 amp supply - eLink green light flashes whilst in short circuit and needs to be powered down and rail master closed. eLink powered up and after a few seconds restart Rail master Select 1 amp power supply - elink green flashes but as soon as short circuit removed locos will start running immediately. Only twice have I got the on screen warning and both times I was shorting out the programming track. Shorting out the running track 10 times on no message. So if you have a select power supply use that one to get around the issue until you can afford a 4 amp supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornbyRailMasterSupport Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 The latest update to RailMaster (version 1.52), which should be automatically downloaded onto your PC, includes an enhanced short circuit management system, irrespective of the power supply you are using with the eLink. The RailMaster update will also update your eLink firmware to version 1.03. If your PC blocks the automatic download (usually caused by your antivirus/firewall software) then you can also download and run the update manually from www.powerpos.com/rail-master/rm_setup152.exe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowplain Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I downloaded this update earlier today and can confirm that it works as expected. Well done HRMS. Is there any reason why I should not, were I to consider it necessary to, connect my Elite 4 amp power supply to the Elink? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornbyRailMasterSupport Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 There's no reason at all. You can happily use your Elite 4amp power supply with the eLink and it will work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejack Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I can also confirm the updates solve the issue. On screen window now appears to notify of short and locos continue when short removed and window acknowledged. I was starting to wonder whether I had been too hasty in buying. Starting to warm to it now. Thank you for the update Hornby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 With the complexity of software these days and the pressure to get products to market, it is not unreasonable to expect that a couple of bugs remain. RM Support has always been very responsive in fixing these. The handheld apps were a case in point as they went from buggy beta, to initial release, to a now stable and useful product. RM Support seemed to be available 24/7 to fix concerns then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff77 Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 I find this discussion interesting. I have just installed railmaster on my 'Little England' layout (approx 22' x 12'). I tested it first on the bench using a length of flexible track and a D49 loco. It worked fine. I then applied the power leads to the layout. With NO trains running, I got an apparent short - table lamps in the Brighton Belle flashed slowly on and off!' Two sources at Hornby said it is a power problem and I need a 4 amp pack. When I apply one I will report back-fingers crossed. I cant see the reasoning behind this solution because surely with no trains running there is no drain on the power pack ,1amp or whatever amp, or am I wrong. Can someone explain? Geoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMSTim Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 You say there is no power because no trains are running on your layout however do you have lots of accessory decoder modules (on a 22'x12' layout) and locos sitting on the tracks, with lights on that may just trip a 1amp supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 Geoff, Tim is likely correct but we can only help you with your problem if you tell us more about your setup, starting with what controller you are using and then what exactly is on your layout so we know what decoders are connected to your track as per Tim's above. For a start, it seems to me that you have more than an apparent short. The short seems real, even if it is not a complete zero impedance but an overall low impedance brought about by some cause including too many decoders in parallel across your tracks. Anyway, tell us more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 Oh, and is this the first time you have run this setup, DCC or otherwise, and if you have run it before, what was that setup and how much track power did you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff77 Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 I have hooked up Rilmaster to a fairly large layout (22ft x 12ft) with 35 locos and 45 points. It ran well last evening so I switched off and went to bed happy after a few hours of frustration getting it going. This morning I switched everything on....NO POWER TO TRACK FROM E-LINK! I have powered down the e-link and re-started Railmaster. NO JOY! I am using a 4amp power pack. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff77 Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Sorry guys, I missed replying to your kind comments. Prior to tyring out Railmasater I rean totally Digitrax. Controller was the Zephyr and all DS54 Digitrax point decoders with PECO motors. After adding a 4amp pack the ;flashing went away and I have, through trial and error, managed to get Railmaster running. That is, running a couple of trains. I am slowly adding locos. I also have built my track plan. I am now trying to add point lights and then I shall try and program the d point ecoders. Big Job , but I think well worth it. Its rather nice to stand in front of a screen with your panel on it and run the layout. Unfortunately, as I said in my last post, NO POWER TO TRACK eminating from E-link. UGH!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Have yet to see a live eLink but know it has a green light to show if it is on, but let's run you through a simple check list for a start and let us know the answers. Is the 4 amp supply working? Measure its output with a meter to prove, but a good indication will be that the light comes up on eLink. Does RM report that it has detected the eLink? If yes, another indication the power supply is functioning, as well as the eLink. You say no track output. Is this because you have measured it and there are no volts, or because nothing will move? If nothing is moving, try connecting it to a separate short section of track and see if anything will work on that. If the latter works, you may have a short somewhere since last used successfully. Have you changed anything since then? If Ou can measure across your track with a meter, it should show a high resistance, not short circuit. Do you get anything from the programming track output that you can se by whether you can read CVs or loco ID? So did you find something wrong in that series of checks? Let us know. And you might also email RM Support from within RM Help and let them know and see what they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 And on program output, can you see if you can write loco ID or CVs, as well as read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB51 Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 Perhaps a daft question - but can you have the DCC command track live and the programming track live at the same time from the same RM/E-link control sysytem? Don't know why but I have developed a habit of unplugging one when I want to use the other. Thanks, R- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 They should not both be live on the same piece of track at the same time. The way to do it is to have a length of track in a siding isolated with insulated rail joiners on both rails. You then connect to this track via a double pole double throw switch which connects program output in one direction and track output in the other. So you can switch it to program, place a loco on the track to program it, then throw the switch to track and drive it out of the siding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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