E-Link Various Problems

[PSummers]

Having received the Hornby E-Link and Railmaster DCC controller last week, finally found time to set everything up and test... and so far... not good.

 

I will quickly state, i'm a Microsoft registered IT Systems Engineer of 14 years, so would hope

 

that might give me a head start (or set me up to fail!)...

 

First up... Does anyone else's E-Link buzz almost uncomfortably loud when plugged in? It leaves a ringing in the ear for hours after even not its located under the baseboard!

 

I've installed

 

RailMaster on a new machine dedicated for the purpose, the new machine runs Windows 8 (as would any new PC you'd have purchased in the past 6 months)... The setup process by Hornby's own admission is not straight forward as would be for a new printer etc...

 

Its a right fiddle! The problem is, for me at least - every time the PC is switched off, the E-Link is lost as a recognised device! Unplugged and reconnecting gives an error stating the USB device has malfunctioned. Giving the PC a restart then requires the

 

full driver installation process to be re-done.

 

RailMaster - This also has numerous graphics problems under windows 8 (running in compatibility mode doesn't help either)... When in full screen, icons become blank squares, minimise etc are lost and windows

 

ghost over each other...

 

Following a de-railment... All locos at stop - The only way to get running again is to close and reopen RailMaster, surely that can't be right?

 

Basically, I do not believe Hornby should be quoting Windows 8 compatibility

 

for this device... Have called Hornby support and await a response...

[Southern1234]

Re: E-link buzzing

Mine is virtually silent - perhaps you have a fault there.

[LMSTim]

I've been running RailMaster under Windows 8 for months without any problems at all.

 

How is installing RailMaster a "right fiddle". You just right click on the setup file an choose "Run as administrator" to ensure it has full admin rights to your

 

OS. How is that fiddly?

 

Perhaps your PC's operating system is dodgy. The program fundamentally works fine and has done for two years.

 

My eLink is virtually silent too, just emitting a quiet, certainly not annoying, buzzing sound.

 

[Fishmanoz]

Hi PS, welcome to the forums. Can I start by saying I have no problem with RM running under W8, so not sure what your problem is there. However, for RM support, there is no use contacting Hornby CC, you should email RM Support from the link in the program.

 

They are very responsive.

 

With E-Link very new, can't help you there but for this I think you will have to contact HCC not RM Support, a pain I realise but this is the way they have their support set up. The RM development team do its support and Hornby

 

the rest. I would ask RM Support about E-Link in case though.

 

Good luck with it. If you check some other threads, it would seem E-Link might have a little way to go before it is bug free.

[RDS]

@Southern1234

Just to try to assist PSummers with his original question.

As well as being virtually silent:

1) Does your e-Link work perfectly?

1) What PC Operating System are you using?

2) What version of Railmaster are you using?

 

 

[Southern1234]

RDS said:

@Southern1234
Just to try to assist PSummers with his original question.
As well as being virtually silent:
1) Does your e-Link work perfectly?
1) What PC Operating System are you using?
2) What version of Railmaster

are you using?

I thought I had tried to assist PSummers by replying that my E-link does not buzz as his is doing. As my PC is not using Windows 8 I did not comment on the rest of his post.
But - in answer to your questions :
1]Does

E-link work perfectly ? I can't say as I haven't tried every feature of E-link/Railmaster. I have run locos which operate as I would expect and I find that it reads and writes to most loco decoders ( Hornby R8215 decoders seem to defeat it)
2] My old laptop

being used for Railmaster is running Windows XP SP3
3] Railmaster version ? The one supplied on the E-link CD

[Fishmanoz]

LMSTim said:

How is installing RailMaster a "right fiddle". You just right click on the setup file an choose "Run as administrator" to ensure it has full admin rights to your OS. How is that fiddly?

And Tim, if I were you I'd

give up trying to tell people running as administrator is not fiddly. Many people clearly find it is, as evidenced by the many threads on this forum to that effect.

And for RDS while I think of it, how about Hornby register with MS so we can stop having

to click run anyway when we open the program.

I can imagine that Hornby is losing customers with these fiddly bits, despite many of us not finding them do.

[Fishmanoz]

Should be not finding them so (that was due to the fiddly iPad keyboard).

[RDS]

Fishmanoz said:

And for RDS while I think of it, how about Hornby register with MS so we can stop having to click run anyway when we open the program.

 

Thanks - I have pasted it into our 'desirable features' so that it does not get lost.

 

[PSummers]

I'm thinking the connectivity issues may be due to the e-link being faulty, as other seem to suggest theirs run virtually silent and mine is painful to be in the same room with longer than 5 minutes!

 

Yes RailMaster run as admin and latest version

 

downloaded inc. firmware updated... It would help if Hornby developers used proper windows 'chrome' for the software as I think this is part of the title bar / min/maximise button issue in Windows 8...

[Fishmanoz]

Southern1234 said:


3] Railmaster version ? The one supplied on the E-link CD

Souther, you should notice that Railmaster does a version check when it first opens and, if it finds a later version, it should ask if you want

to instal it. The current version is v1.51 and is quite recent so unlikely to be the one on your CD as there will be lags through the manufacturing process.

Anyway, if it asks to instal an upgrade, you should say yes as it is important to be running

this latest version. If you installed from the CD using administrator rights as the instructions told you, you can ignore the warning on this in the upgrade instructions. If you wish to double check this, right click on the Railmaster icon on your desktop,

select Properties, then the Compatibility tab and tick Run as Administrator.

It would e good to know what version is on the CD as it will help us help others. You can find it either in the program or on the first page of the Manual that comes on your

CD.

Finally, sometimes RM fails to automatically try to download the latest. If this has happened to you, let us know and we can direct you to the place to download it directly.

[chris c]

PSummers said:

Having received the Hornby E-Link and Railmaster DCC controller last week, finally found time to set everything up and test... and so far... not good.

I will quickly state, i'm a Microsoft registered IT Systems Engineer

of 14 years, so would hope that might give me a head start (or set me up to fail!)...

First up... Does anyone else's E-Link buzz almost uncomfortably loud when plugged in? It leaves a ringing in the ear for hours after even not its located under the

baseboard!

I've installed RailMaster on a new machine dedicated for the purpose, the new machine runs Windows 8 (as would any new PC you'd have purchased in the past 6 months)... The setup process by Hornby's own admission is not straight forward as

would be for a new printer etc... Its a right fiddle! The problem is, for me at least - every time the PC is switched off, the E-Link is lost as a recognised device! Unplugged and reconnecting gives an error stating the USB device has malfunctioned. Giving

the PC a restart then requires the full driver installation process to be re-done.

RailMaster - This also has numerous graphics problems under windows 8 (running in compatibility mode doesn't help either)... When in full screen, icons become blank squares,

minimise etc are lost and windows ghost over each other...

Following a de-railment... All locos at stop - The only way to get running again is to close and reopen RailMaster, surely that can't be right?

Basically, I do not believe Hornby should

be quoting Windows 8 compatibility for this device... Have called Hornby support and await a response...

[chris c]

Think you must have a faulty one .ran mine on windows 8 all ok ,as for buzz if you use the valcrow tape that came with it only get a very quiet mains buzz.my only problem is getting the i pad to talk to the railmaster.all in all nice kit but will take

 

months to learn it .one thing i recommend is printing off the pdf instructions,

[RickyT7808]

Just tried running E-link with 2 different PCs using Windows 7 and no connectivity problems whatsoever. Definitely appears to me that there is a hardware compatibility error between Windows 8 & E-link. I'll stick with 7 for the time being.

 

RickyT

[Fishmanoz]

As I just said on the other thread, unlikely to be a W 8 problem if it works on 7 as they are very much the same apart from the fancy desktop.

[chris c]

Can some one please please give me a blow by blow how to get the i pad to be used on the e link.i know im old and grey but im absolutely stumped .i have gone on to do what hornby said and went on to www.my-apps.eu NOW WHAT, please please take the time

 

to reply as im sure there must be others in the same boat

[Fishmanoz]

What you are trying to do is connect your Railmaster handheld app to Railmaster on your PC and it has been covered extensively in the Railmaster Forum. Take at look at https://www.hornby.com/forums/hornby-forums/hornby-railmaster/4336/?page=6&added=false

 

the whole thread covers it but that page has the most concise information, whoa to go.

[chris c]

Fishmanoz said:

What you are trying to do is connect your Railmaster handheld app to Railmaster on your PC and it has been covered extensively in the Railmaster Forum. Take at look at https://www.hornby.com/forums/hornby-forums/hornby-railmaster/4336/?page=6&added=false

the whole thread covers it but that page has the most concise information, whoa to go.

[chris c]

Thank you very very much for your help.now the dogs got the bone

[Pantherdave]

[reply]Fishmanoz said:

 

Southern1234 said:

 

 

3] Railmaster version ? The one supplied on the E-link CD

 

Souther, you should notice that Railmaster does a version check when it first opens and, if it finds a later version, it should

 

ask if you want to instal it. The current version is v1.51 and is quite recent so unlikely to be the one on your CD as there will be lags through the manufacturing process.

 

Anyway, if it asks to instal an upgrade, you should say yes as it is important

 

to be running this latest version. If you installed from the CD using administrator rights as the instructions told you, you can ignore the warning on this in the upgrade instructions. If you wish to double check this, right click on the Railmaster icon on

 

your desktop, select Properties, then the Compatibility tab and tick Run as Administrator.

 

It would e good to know what version is on the CD as it will help us help others. You can find it either in the program or on the first page of the Manual that

 

comes on your CD.

 

Finally, sometimes RM fails to automatically try to download the latest. If this has happened to you, let us know and we can direct you to the place to download it directly.[/reply

 

The railmaster version on the CD with e link

 

is 1.44.

I upgraded this to 1.51. Also saw onscreen that the elink had upgraded itself to v 1.02. I seem to be lucky, using Windows 7 64bit everything has worked fine first time. My only query was with railmaster wondering why the loco detection symbol

 

was greyed out but I've realised that's an overdue addition which seems to have been sidelined.

 

I wish the elink/railmaster had come with a decent booklet to start with along the lines of that supplied with the Elite. I hate printing of pages of instructions

 

from downloads...shows my age I suppose!

[ChrisA]

PSummers said:

Having received the Hornby E-Link and Railmaster DCC controller last week, finally found time to set everything up and test... and so far... not good.

I will quickly state, i'm a Microsoft registered IT Systems Engineer

of 14 years, so would hope that might give me a head start (or set me up to fail!)...

First up... Does anyone else's E-Link buzz almost uncomfortably loud when plugged in? It leaves a ringing in the ear for hours after even not its located under the

baseboard!

I've installed RailMaster on a new machine dedicated for the purpose, the new machine runs Windows 8 (as would any new PC you'd have purchased in the past 6 months)... The setup process by Hornby's own admission is not straight forward as

would be for a new printer etc... Its a right fiddle! The problem is, for me at least - every time the PC is switched off, the E-Link is lost as a recognised device! Unplugged and reconnecting gives an error stating the USB device has malfunctioned. Giving

the PC a restart then requires the full driver installation process to be re-done.

RailMaster - This also has numerous graphics problems under windows 8 (running in compatibility mode doesn't help either)... When in full screen, icons become blank squares,

minimise etc are lost and windows ghost over each other...

Following a de-railment... All locos at stop - The only way to get running again is to close and reopen RailMaster, surely that can't be right?

Basically, I do not believe Hornby should

be quoting Windows 8 compatibility for this device... Have called Hornby support and await a response...

My elink arrived a couple of weeks back and thus far I am not impressed with anything about it! I'm in the USA so calling for help is not

an option. I also have a brand new W8 64bit PC and my layout is brand new so no concerns with dirty track or wheels.

My layout responds just fine with the Hornby select controller that came with a set I purchased. Unplug the select and substitute the

elink and I get fat nothing. By the way it takes at least 5 attempts to get elink and railmaster to talk. When it says it's connected it does nothing - can't setup a loco, can't run a default 3 loco, and so on. So frustrating I'm about to toss it out. When

I can get RM to see the elink, the RM setup says its connected to Com3 at 19200 baud.

I did try to communicate with Hornby via email support and the SOB's basically told me to read the documentation! Like the other fellow I have been in IT for many

years so I am very used to ironing out problems. It strikes me that this elink / railmaster combo was written several years ago - why are we still dealing with Com ports, why is it not plug and play?

Has anyone ever gotten an intelligent response from

Hornby?

[Fishmanoz]

Can you confirm that you have contacted RM Support via the email button in RM Help? If so, you are one of a very few who don't find them very responsive to problems. If you didn't contact them this way, I can only suggest you do and that you give them

 

detail of your problem to work with.

 

One issue that may be difficult for you is that some early eLinks have been faulty and have had to be returned for replacement.

[Class_of.66]

I had an elink that wouldn't work on win 7 64, so built a computer out of spare bits and put on xp.I was able to run the update for my elite and also start my elink/rm which was my second version after a return.It works perfect now on xp and I am very

 

happy with what I have seen so far and its got huge potential. Later I may try to get it to run on win7 64.Its a shame this is happening with win 7 64,the comm links must be different from xp etc.I do love RM its amazing.

[beejack]

I have successfully installed and run rail master and e-link on the following:

 

Win XP 32 bit. 1 gig mem

Win 7 32 bit 1.75 gig mem

Win 7 64 bit 8 gig mem

Win 8 64 bit. 8 gig mem

 

just ensure with win 7 and 8 it installed under admin

 

rights and all should be ok.

 

 

[Fishmanoz]

I agree with beejack, it works on all operating systems, just uses different drivers which are selected correctly during installation by following the instructions for that operating system.