e-link

[Blackbird]

I've been using DCC for some years, using another make controller, but would like to get into 'computer control'.

Question is; does the Hornby 'e-link/Railmaster' package negate the use of a (Hornby) controller, i.e. Elite, And the , programmed computer

 

take full control?

[Fishmanoz]

Blackbird, RM works with either Elite of eLink. The only capability difference is that with eLink, you can only operate via RM on the computer. With Elite you have the choice of using the knobs and buttons on it standalone, or via RM on the computer. Clearly

 

Elite is far more expensive and you need to decide whether you need separate knobs and buttons.

 

It is easy to play with RM to see what it is like. You can download the trial version from this site. It will then update itself to the latest version and

 

give you all of the latest documentation on your desktop to look at. Make sure you do the original installation as administrator. You can start to enter your Trackplan and set up locos for 90 days before you have to actually buy it. When you then buy it, either

 

with eLink or by itself, you just enter your licence code to unlock full capability.

[Yelrow]

hi, blackbird, i only have the elink, so am only on the laptop, but others on forum, have an elite for train control, and elink for points etc. I think this is perhaps the best solution, but cost of elite precludes, this step for me at this time. The full

 

laptop control works fine, in that the mouse becomes the controller, but you will see from demo programme, that railmaster happily allows you to have both, in fact the best of both worlds. I am very content with the laptop solution, you have to remember to

 

stop it going to sleep, as you can lose the elink connection when it does, and you need enough usb connections, for mouse, elink, speakers. You will see from other posts that 4 gang powered usb hubs are not recommended, by hornby for use with elink. So your

 

laptop needs enough usbs, unless you use a desktop, which, normally, has enough. My only problem, has been with changing loco id, which is , i think easier with an elite, and probably down to my more haste less speed approach. However, great system, especially,

 

for the price. If only i could find a cheap elite, john

[Fishmanoz]

Blackbird, there are lots of stories going around about eLink, then others saying the things in those stories aren't true. I think much of it comes from new users yet to be fully familiar with how to work it.

 

Hornby certainly says elink shouldn't

 

be run via a USB hub. However, there are some recent threads saying it works fine this way. Some say you must upgrade to the 4 Amp power supply but Hornby Railmaster Support, or HRMS, say they run an extensive trial setup on 1 Amp. This is the one upgrade

 

I would consider seriously.

 

While some do run both Elite and eLink from RM, using one for locos and the other for accessories, I see little reason to do so. For a start, it means you have to run 2 completely separate DCC supplies to track and accessories

 

as you of course can't put 2 controllers on the same circuit. If you were running out of power, there might be a reason but it would have to be a very large layout and, if it were mine, I would split it into 2 power districts and use a booster.

 

And

 

I think IDs are easier to set with RM then directly from Elite. And whether RM is connected to Elite or eLink is irrelevant as the procedure is exactly the same and fully documented in the manual.

[Yelrow]

most of the stories and theories seem to eminate from people who do not have elink, but have read the theory behind it. As usual, fishy talks a lot of good sense. I in fact do run a usb hub, but it is not recommended. those who have elite all think ids

 

are easy with it. Those of us with elink, certainly find it more difficult, than the manuel suggests, and whilst it is in the manuel, i for one needed help, and i am not alone. Should you buy the package, you will not regret it, but then, you will be one of

 

the new users, fishy refers to, not yet familiar with how to work it, and there are a lot of us in this club, john

[Raven_Electric]

Hi Blackbird

 

I would echo absolutely everything Fishmanoz has said on this.

 

As a further comment on your first question Blackbird, one of the pleasures of the Elite is that you can control things from the computer or controller and go straight

 

to the other and take over, you don't have to press anything or pass command from one the the other, both are fully functional at the same time. I use three link couplings and can set things running on the computer with throttles displayed and walk straight

 

to the track and select shunters or anything on the Elite and off they go (with a shunt dedicated Select from the Elite elsewhere trackside). It is wonderful and great fun! As Fishmanoz says you don't need to run accessories seperately the system handles them

 

both seamlessly and if you do put pressure on the power supply it will probably be from locos so once again Fishmanoz's suggestion of a booster is the easy way to go.

 

It is a hard call to resist the superb deal Hornby has on offer on the eLink/RM but

 

I did because I spend too much time with computers anyway and a railway without a knob to twiddle is no railway at all for me. I admit though that 99% of train control is done from the computer where everything is onscreen in front of you - this is a the clincher

 

for computer control if you have a good few locos and/or accessories.

 

Shop around for deal from a retailer on an Elite/RM purchase before making your decision, you may do better than you expect. Computer screen sliders are fine but other manufacturers

 

controllers with up/down buttons or tiny sliders for throttles are so beyond the pale for me I wouldn't have a railway if I had to use them. It is all about creating the setup you personally enjoy.

 

On the USB hub issue I have no experience with the

 

Elite and RM with a hub attached but plenty sorting systems with problems from dodgy, cheap UBS stuff that has been plugged in, including poor quality cables. So with good quality cables and a hub from a reliable manufacturer it will probably be OK but then

 

if you are using a desktop the best way of getting more USB items plugged in is a USB card plugged into the motherboard. Same rule applies though - buy quality, there is loads of real junk USB stuff around and it can take ages to even know there is fault let

 

alone track it down by which time you may have lost valuable data. This equipement quality issue may explain why some have had success and others haven't as it is nothing to do with Horby's equipment, other controllers such as external hard drives on USB can

 

and do play up too on poor quality USB stuff.

 

On Laptops shutting down. Obviously with no juice left they will give up the vital spark so there is always the unlikely possiblity a voltage controller or battery may be dodgy. Other than that setup the

 

Windows OS not to automatically power down then shutdown and boot into the Laptop's BIOS and look at/change the power management settings there if still needed. There are two different power management systems in use though it is 99% likely the machine is

 

using one and that one will be detected by the OS. There is likely to be full BIOS documentation to help you in the the box or on the recovery partition, or somewhere on the laptop, in motherboard utilities perhaps. Failing that you will find it on the motherboard

 

(System Info will give their name/model) manufacturers website though it is fairly straighforward even without the documentation.

 

A further computer comment. On ALL Windows computers fast shutdown and startup routines such a Hibernate are handy for

 

people on the move but even if you need to use them do a full shutdown and startup fairly regularily (every time in my case). Only in that way is the vital Windows Registry properly updated. Each time you do a full shutdown Windows dumps a Registry copy and

 

adds the the latest "successful" shutdown/boot to the list of Registry copies it keeps. Letting the machine do its thing at shutdown/startup can save you a great deal of grief and even a re-install if something does go wrong as Windows will ask to select the

 

last undamaged Registry copy to boot from and if you need service so can the engineer. There is a Windows utilty on your machine to do a Registry backup too and that is worthwhile once in while (every day by one systems programmer I knew) and can save a trashed

 

OS.

 

 

[Graskie]

I had an Elite before RM was available. With that I got so used to programming DCC decoder locos that I use it first for new ones even now, and then add that loco to RM once it has been fully set and tested on the Elite. I still find the original Elite

 

instruction booklet helpful where appropriate. Perhaps I should change fully to RM programming, but I'm not that bothered at the moment. So I also enjoy the facilities of both devices, even running them together as suggested by RE. I have a note book running

 

RM and, because its charge doesn't last much more than an hour, I always have it plugged into its mains charger. It's so easy for time to pass without realising it. I've never had any RM problems with it going into hibernation.

[Raven_Electric]

Hi Graskie

 

My comment on laptops shutting down was in response to yelrow's comment. Depends how the supplier or user configured things really. There are loads of options of course. A machine can be setup to drop down into low power mode or save

 

a "state" configuration and nod off to sleep after a settable time interval without user or some other, also settable, activity. But changing these settings to "always on" is straight forward.

 

You still get to choose whether or not you do a full system

 

shutdown though. Basically the machine keeps three copies of the Registry and the running copy on an earliest saved earliest dumped basis. If you or very likely the system or installed applications change any Registry settings then those changes will be lost

 

if the system has to fall back to an earlier copy of the Registry to boot up. This can screw things up in a big way if stuff is dependent on what it has written to the Registry to load and/or run properly and this is why very regular full shutdowns are advisable.

 

I keep telling my family and friends this but they will not give up the convenience of fast shutdowns and boots and some days there are tears and they are always mine because I get landed with the job of sorting the thing out!

 

I haven't looked very

 

extensively but Railmaster doesn't appear to store much in the Registry but Windows stores lots about Railmaster. menus, uninstall information URLs etc and very important, port information and names so having up to date "successful boot" Registry copies on

 

the system from full shutdowns is very worthwhile.

 

If you have flashed the Elite firmware to version 1.41 you could find it worthwhile to download the v1.41 manual pdf as it has changed a bit and the menus have changed too. Railcom for instance is

 

no longer a toggle in the UNIT menu as it is now permanantly ON.

 

 

[Graskie]

Thanks for that, R_E. I do in fact always do a full shutdown of my notebook after playing trains with it. It is only connected to the charger when running RM and on a few other occasions where I consider it advisable. I had also updated my Elite and printed

 

a copy of the 1.41 Instructions. I mentioned the original Elite booklet because it's a bit smaller and handier than A4 instructions which I do refer to as well when necessary. That booklet still covers basic settings such as allocating an ID, adding a loco

 

description, double-heading, reading and writing CVs etc.