houseofmil Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Hi there I'm new to this forum. Just about to start a dcc layout project with my.son who's 10. I have an older dcc set (2010) western pulling which I used for awhile and it was stored for last 3 years. We currently have 3 locomotives and once we are up and running we will have about 12 points which we will want run also off the select. A couple of questions. Will.we have enough power to do this? layout will be 8ftx4ft. Do I have to use the hornby accessories decoder or could use some other manufacturers? I have seen an 8 output one online just want to know if it's possible to use this. What should I be looking at buying next ie upgrades for command centre etc.? Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofmil Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 Sorry it's the west coast pullman set Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Caesar Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Hi houseofmil... welcome to the forum. A Select controller will be able to operate up to 60 locos but only with enough power for 10 at one time. It can operate solenoids like points etc and can operate 40 and you can, via the control knob, operate, physically, only one loco. You change the loco ID on the Select to be able to control another on the track. With the Select you are only able to access functions F0 through to F8 I believe off hand. Hornby function decoders will operate 4 items from one unit so you need more for the extra ones you will eventually have. The next controller up is the Elite from Hornby... it can access up to 254 loco addresses and 255 accessory addresses. There are two control knobs to physically control two trains at once although, again, changing the ID, you can control another which stops control of one of the other two running locos, but never more than two physically. A USB portal allows connection to the Internet for updates etc to the firmware for example, you can enter names or numbers of your locos for easy identification as you run them, there is a 4 amp adapter supplied which passes 3 amps to the track and 1 amp to the accessories. There is much much more to this unit including inertia settings and with a sapphire decoder you can control water and oil settings so that the loco stops if these levels drop while operating! The you have the eLink unit which runs via a laptop or PC with RailMaster software all by Hornby of course! The software comes with the eLink unit. So it depends upon whther you want to simply use the Elite or the eLink via a computer. The Select can be used as an add-on as a walkabout so you need not lose the use of that. I am sure others will add more but that's the basic gist of it. As for wiring the track and keeping more than one loop in operation with little or power loss have a look at the Brian Lambert site fo this... looks complicated but it will be relatively simple once the information is digested... http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/DCC.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 The short answer is yes, the Select will operate that layout for you with no problem. I think AC has made a mistake on 10 locos at the one time with Select. 10 is the number for the Elite, Select is more like 3-4 so enough for your purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModelerXYZ Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Select would be alright for that, but I reccomend getting the elite. you can run that from railmaster, but you don't have to. DCC wiring, A to A, B to B on the same side of the track each time and bingo you can't go wrong. and no, you don't have to use all hornby. NRMA standards are international, but the select doesn't comply, but the elite does Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Caesar Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 The short answer is yes, the Select will operate that layout for you with no problem. I think AC has made a mistake on 10 locos at the one time with Select. 10 is the number for the Elite, Select is more like 3-4 so enough for your purposes. Well, maybe Fishy, but the stat I actually got from Hornby's own page for the Select says 10. I admit I know little about it but I thought it was ten before I checked. If that is wrong I take it back and will go with your estimate. :-) Does it mean 10 on the rails and running four, say, at one time? You could be right... I'm off to consult the great wizard in the sky as to why I didn't know that one directly... just need someone to tell me where he is... or she is! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 AC, a modern loco uses 250-300mA going flat out. So the 1Amp Select will run 3 or 4 of them at the one time. The 4Amp Elite puts 3 Amps to track so will run 10. Effectively. You can put as many other locos as you like on the track at the same time as, apart from sound locos, they don't draw anything just sitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 It will be possible to program the 8 port decoders with Select too. All these decoders use learn mode programming where you move a switch on the decoder from Run to Learn or Program, then throw the point number you want for it, switch back to Run and it's done. Some do the ports individually, some in banks for all ports in the decoder. Either way, just throw the point you want with the Select and the decoder port/s will be programmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofmil Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 Thanks for the advice. Will investigate further into elink with railmaster software having read about it on other threads here. Does anyone know who has current stock of the decoders for the points. Having trouble finding then online Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Hi, DCC concepts, if hornby have none, 2, or 4 outputs Hattons. Avoid some of the others. Hornby are very good, as are DCC concepts. Both easy to prog. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofmil Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 Hi, DCC concepts, if hornby have none, 2, or 4 outputs Hattons. Avoid some of the others. Hornby are very good, as are DCC concepts. Both easy to prog. john Who.stocks dcc concepts or do they come from Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 House ofmil, Hi, ADS8-FX £56, hattons, also come in 2 ads2-FX. Great, simple to program. Good price. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Thats hattons, liverpool. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofmil Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 House ofmil, Hi, ADS8-FX £56, hattons, also come in 2 ads2-FX. Great, simple to program. Good price. john Thanks John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofmil Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 Whats the best way to connect droppers to track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rog RJ Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Whats the best way to connect droppers to track. Solder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofmil Posted December 1, 2014 Author Share Posted December 1, 2014 Whats the best way to connect droppers to track.Solder.Is there any prefered way to do this? Excatly wherre do you solder to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 See the thread you posted on earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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