E-Link and Points ??

[Railway_Ron]

I'm still new to this DCC world and I am running my layout through E-Link. At present, I am trying to set up points but appear to be having trouble with decoders. Decoder 1 is a Train Tech PC2, I have 3 point up and working but when I connect the fourth, all I get is a low CLICK sound from all points and nothing moves.  Ok I have left that for the time with only 3 points working.  I have tried to connect a Hornby R2847 decoder running 2 points & 2 signal lights. (trying to get this to work is a nightmare) I had it working some months ago but now can't seem to get this working properly.  I have followed the instruction to the letter. When I program the R8247, it appear to do something as points click (Not change) and signal lights illuminate briefly.  When I ask to read the decoder I get a message saying the thing is not accessible.  When I try the Hornby decoder nothing works - not even the points on the Train tech decoder.  Is this possibly a power issue?

[idlemarvel]

Ref the R8247 (which is the only accessory decoder I have experience of) bets ting to do to check it out and program it is to connect the power lead directly to the program output of the elink, and then use RM to read and write the settings you want.  That's what Hornby support will tell you to do,

What kind of signal lights do you have?  If you have the Hornby bulb type them you can drive those directly from the R8247 using continous output.  If it's an LED based signal then you need some intermediate circuitry as the polarity of the output is wrong for most LED signals and the voltage (12v) may be too high.

[Railway_Ron]

First of all there is nothing else running -No trains nothing except the power for the points. Hornby's Instructions say to "Read the decoder before writing to the it". When this is done RM says the decoder is not accessible?.  Connect to the Programing track and program as 61 - 64,   (63,64 lights on). When RM is programing, as I said the signal lights flash on- off.  The signal lights are the Hornby bulb type.  I have disconnected the Hornby unit and am using the the Train Tech PC2, but I can only get 3 of the 4 points to work.  Surely the E-Link should be able power 4 point motors?    It's not an issue with the PC2, as i can wire any 3 ports and they work, as soon as I wire the 4th, they all stop working.        This is becoming a real pain.

[RB51]

Sorry to be Pythonesque - and state what is perhaps the bl***ing obvious. Is it the same fourth point and port the causes the problem for you? Or are you swapping them (ports and points) around? R-

[Railway_Ron]

I have swapped the point motor. I have changed the wires around. I have had points 1,2,3 in ports 1,2,3. Swapped them around, had them in ports 1,3,4   all 3 points working. As soon as i connet a 4th the lot stop working. I have tried all sorts of configuration. Can only get three to work but i will keep at it.

[RDS]

It does sound like a Power problem.  When you say that you have no trains running, are they actually on the track, because I imagine they would still consume a very small amount of current even when stationary.  You mention signal lights in your first post - are they still connected.

I would not have thought that power should be a problem but several members have had (apparent) problems with the e-link 1 Amp supply.  The Elite has a 4 Amp supply and if you know anyone who has one of those, it may be just worth trying it because that would rule that out, or confirm it is the problem.

[Fishmanoz]

Have you updated RM to v1.56?  There is a new driver that comes with it which is supposed to fix 1 amp supply issues. If you've already installed that and still have the problem, I'd be talking to HCC about a faulty eLink, although you might email RM Support from the Help window in RM first.