eLink(s) Problems

[Greynut]

Is it me, am I missing something ... or am I just unlucky with elinks?

 

I've been doing my layout for just over a year now and I admit that I don't run the trains very often as I'm mostly tinkering with things. This is compounded by much re-tinkering as a 'better' way comes to mind or is suggested. I put that as the following is not down to me running the elink into the ground. In fact, I reckon the elink gets about 4 hours work a week at present - and has had about the same running time over the year.

 

I am now on my third elink. No moans at all about Hornby, they've been brilliant at changing them over when I returned them.

 

The first elink lasted 3 months and then wouldn't put power into the DCC bus although the light was on. The second lasted 9 months. It started to buzz for about a week and then died without any light coming on at all. This one is only about 6 weeks old and was buzzing a bit from new. I expected it to go like the second one but it does still come on. What this one now does is to work nicely and then ... no power to the bus ... then the power comes back. No shorting notice or anything like that - the trains just stop for no reason or if it's feeling a bit more user friendly, the trains will stutter, stop then start and stutter again, in different places, for a few minutes ... then off they go again. When it happens, I haven't touched or done anything, no points changed - just trains chuffing away.

 

I've checked it all out on the multimeter and when the trains are stopped - zilch in the way of current flowing. When it's working, it shows as 15.7 volts AC. When I changed the elink the last time, Hornby also changed the 4 amp transformer as it was the same transformer when the first two elinks died ... so the third one is acting up with a different tranny.

 

Instead of pulling the power lead out of the elink when it's on, I always switch the plug off first. When not used, I cover it in case of dust. I detach the bus leads when it's not on. I only put the prog leads in if I need them and I switch it off before I change the leads over. (It programmed a loco OK a few days ago - and programmed some points through a decoder a week ago.) There's nothing special about the layout - it feeds into a 32/0.2 bus and has 24/0.2 droppers, overkill - but it has quite long bus lengths. Each rail length has droppers. There's a terminator/suppressor on the longest bus length. When it's woking, I get much the same voltage reading at the furthest away sections. That's about it.

 

It's not too bad getting it working with the Railmaster and the computer which has Windows 7, sometimes I have to switch it off and on again but no real hassle. I run it as the Administrator. I haven't got Railmaster Pro (yet). Railmaster shuts down OK.

 

Before I re-re-recontact Hornby - is there anything I should look at if it's me? Is there anything I should check out on the elink?

 

I will say that when it working, I'm very pleased with it.

[96RAF]

That sounds to me like an overload cutout scenario, which self resets. How often is this happening in a session.

I don't know if the eLink has such protection, but I would hope so. The usual way to prove it is a coin test across the rails at your own risk.

Taking it further - is there one particular loco on your layout that could be the cause of such an overload.

[96RAF]

Still no edit.

The reason I said 'at your own risk' is when using a 4 Amp PSU if anything goes wrong thats a lot of amps to make sparks.

[Greynut]

Cheers for your reply RAF. If I do get a short - like a derailment, the elink will cut out and I get the notice about clearing it and restarting with the same throttles or not. I would think it would do much the same on the coin test, so the cut out side seems to work. As I said, when this happens, there's no indication from the elink that there's a problem of any kind.

 

I suppose it can happen a couple of times in an hour's session.

 

It has happens with different locos doing the rounds but one seems to get it most - although that might be because I use it most to check out if any adjusments need to be done on a point or bit of track. It's an 0-6-0 GWR pannier with factory fitted decoder. As this loco has always been very sensitive about the state of the track (levelness etc), I use it because if this one goes over it, then the others will.

 

This loco went back to Hornby due to its original decoder dying and while it was there, they adjusted the pickups and back to backs as those needed attention as well. Still doesn't like anything trackwise that's not good though ... which still makes it useful for testing new track out.

 

Having said that, the elink will still cut out when this loco is happily chuffing around areas of track that have passed its appraisal test and it's happy with.

[96RAF]

I wonder if you have a dodgy bit of track somewhere, high resistance or similar that is causing the eLink toget antsy.

Have you tried the thumb test at rail joints to see if any are getting hot. Remember John's melting point scenario that never tripped his controller (and we never got to the bottom of yet).

[Greynut]

No - I haven't checked that ... but I certainly shall. I didn't think about that as each section of track is fed by droppers so the current is not flowing through just the rail joiners. Yes, I do remember the melting point discussion ... I'm about to check it out now.

[Greynut]

Nothing getting hot. There was another cut to the power though, this time when I was running a new 4-4-0 compound. Lasted a couple of minutes, no indication of anything wrong from Railmaster - then just all started up again without any further problems even when I had 3 locos (including the pannier) running at the same time. While it wasn't powering, I didn't do anything - I just waited ... and back on it came.

 

The light on the elink stays on and stays steady.

[96RAF]

I'm out of ideas GN.

My eLink gets hot but doesn't buzz, although other people have reported noise.

There was a picture of the inside of an eLink on new RM-Web forum a while back but the guy who posted it got in bother with Admin and the thread was removed. Pity as the pictures might have given us a clue as to what is cooking in there.

[Yelrow]

Hi being a radical total anti bus person could you try disconnecting every wire except the 2 to the track from Elink. Also take out prog track wires.  Then try it and tell us what happens john

[Greynut]

Ah ... these things are all top secret, although, as you say RAF, it could be useful to know exactly what bit is cooking, buzzing or doing anything else that's a bit odd. Still, we have got a nice green light to look at.

 

If I did all that John, what would happen is that the wife would kill me for wasting rather a lot of dosh on wire and stuff and wasting loads of time doing the wiring and soldering - when I could have been decorating or doing something that she would consider more useful and also having a bit more money to do it with. I don't know what would happen train-wise though.

[Yelrow]

Greyinut  you don't have to unsolved anything just disconnect the 2 bus wires leaving just Dec supply  then if it works ok  you will see why I am anti bus particularly if it works a.d it probAbly will john

[Yelrow]

sorry should be un solder. Hornby say bus not necessary, if you simply just disconnect, leaving elink wires to the track, and it all works, hey presto. This from the guy who detests any form of bus. You never know. john

[poliss]

Why would you detest something that helps your layout work smoothly?

[Greynut]

John, yup, it's simple to run the feed directly into the rails - but then this would still be feeding power to the bus via the track droppers. So to test what you say - it would be an all or nothing job.

 

I probably also agree that a bus might not be necessary - but we all make our own choices on things like that.

 

I think I would agree with you more if I was running it all DC and if the finished layout was going to be a lot smaller. The first thing that drew me to bussing the layout was that I wouldn't have to be concerned about rail joiners and be messing about with them if some section lost voltage. Basically, while the track might very well do the job of supplying power, if it's well maintained, it doesn't hurt to have the secondary circuit as a backup. I also like the bus idea as I think it adds more flexibility. I don't think the bus is the problem which is affecting the elink - I think if it was any kind of track feed-back it would happen with or without the bus. When the elink is working, the system does work very well - which follows on from poliss's point.

[Yelrow]

I am a little confused, which is not unusual, but my understanding of a bus was 2 cables running all round the layout. onto which were soldered droppers from the track. If thats right, then only the 2 wires connect to the elink. Taking those out, and temporarily connecting elink to track in usual way, surely would prove  2 things.    If it works normally, the fault is in the bus, or, if it still buzzes, you have a faulty elink. Cos if you replace elink as is, and it still buzzes, you are no further forward. I was simply offering a possible fault elimination.     I wont go into  the bus topic, as the forum, is  somewhat divided, and hornby say not necessary. I have 8x6 layout with 5 running tracks, and 15 points, and until i fitted my turtable, have had no problem, or the need, for this system. john

[Teedoubleudee]

 

John, as the bus effectively connects every part of the track to a single point, wherever you connect your new connection to the track the bus will be re created.

[Yelrow]

I understand that, i think, but if as i suspect the problem is not the elink, i cant think of any other way, apart from setting up 2/3 pieces of track, to test it. Otherwise, the new elink, will do same thing. Perhaps this is a better idea. Now you know why i am anti bus. Faults take a lot of finding. The more wires, the more testing. john

[Teedoubleudee]

I really do not understand the anti-bus brigade, unless it's an aversion to a lot more work in the form of additional wiring at the initial build phase. In fact the ONLY argument against it (apart from the work) is from those who say they like to change their trackwork on a regular basis - I accept that, though it would not be my choice.

 

A bus whether it's DC or. especially, if it's DCC can only improve the smooth running of a layout. You can have a bus dropper go open circuit and probably never notice it, but a badly connected fishplate or a poorly mating point blade will soon make itself known to you and trying to fix that on a completed, nailed or glued down, ballasted piece of a track is a nightmare. My previous layout in N gauge had those problems so never again!

 

To get back to Greynut's problem, you say you don't run trains very often and that may be the source of your ills. I'm like you, spending loads of time tinkering with bits and bobs and regularly changing things or trying out new ideas gained from these forums. So much so I don't run trains over the entire track very often either. When I do, I find the biggest problem in the inbetween time is the track has become dirty or dusty, the loco wheels pick it up and move it around, they start stuttering and eventually stop. During this phase the controller wiil respond by supplying a heavier current to overcome the higher restistance and this MAY result in it buzzing. I have heard mine buzz occasionally in such circumstances without getting the short circuit message in Railmaster. I'm not saying this is your solution but it seems very strange to have had 3 e-links with the same problem.

[Yelrow]

Teedoubleudee, Ah, there you have it, we, who cant just sit and play trains, and there are a lot of us, regularly change part of layout. In my case, that is as interesting, as running trains. Trying a new configeration, looking at Helixs, playing turntables. Remember, hornby themselves, have a massive layout, totally without a bus. Thats the other thing, i dont do, apart from points, dont nail down. I cannot think of anything more boring that running the same layout, day after day, but, it takes all sorts, and as long as we enjoy our hobby, thats all that matters, at the end of the day.. until last week , i had an elink, which was only used spasmodically, as i have large DC, oo TT, N gauge, 3 rail, layouts, the latter, having to be run daily to keep track in order. Have never had elink running probs, only connecting ones. If greynut, just tries  a little loop, with just elink, and it works, we would know. I do however, give a lot of credance to your clean track, argument. john

[Greynut]

John, regarding the bus/track side of things, I was really wondering if something not quite right in the setup could 'wear down' an elink without it giving warning that it was being 'strained' or overloaded if that can happen. In other words, was there a known situation with a track or bus which might have chronic effect that might cause the elink to shut off every now and then but not register that it had done so. My feeling is that something like an elink would flash a notice if it was overloading as even if an overload built up slowly, it would pass the cut-off point and the elink would react the same as if it were a short. So whether a bus is involved or not, I was asking if something like this might happen.

 

TWD - a good point. But I cleaned and vacuumed the track when I got the latest elink and it buzzed from the moment that it first came on ... not a train had run. This one buzzes all the time but the buzz doesn't alter at all, even when trains run - whether it's one train or several. Perhaps I should have said that it's a very quiet buzz - more like a buzzette if there is such a thing. All in all, I think it's just a buzzing elink. It runs warm, not hot, around where the power outlet is but the temperature doesn't seem to vary.

 

The first elink that I had made no sound at all; it just stopped powering the track. The second was silent but developed a buzz just before it died completely. This one buzzes but so far it has powered up every time I've used it - except that it cuts the power every so often for no apparent reason.

 

I've just run everything for an hour or so and it was perfectly well behaved!!

[96RAF]

Its pointing more and more to a wiring anomaly GN, whether actual wiring or a track piece part fault I have not idea.

The best prover for the eLInk is as suggested by John -create a small loop of track and run the naughty train round it until it cuts out or not. That would rule it out of the equation.

Fault finding the track could be a nightmare task as John has found with his melting points.

[Teedoubleudee]

Greynut, do you have anything else connected to your track bus such as accessory decoders? If not, when you disconnect the bus input to the e-link and remove all locomotives from the track, if you have a multimeter you should get a reading of infinity across the rails - anything less, even a few megohms will show there is a short or point of low resistance somewhere in your wiring.

 

I've just checked my e-link and with nothing running, it is warm, not hot. If I put my ear next to it I can detect a faint (and I do mean faint) noise though mine is more like the sound of sausages cooking in the frying pan! Not the smell though!

[Yelrow]

How much better would it be, if it smelt of cooking sausages. What an idea for the future. Roast beef elite, liver and bacon, select. cor. john

[Rog RJ]

How much better would it be, if it smelt of cooking sausages. What an idea for the future. Roast beef elite, liver and bacon, select. cor. john

 

I think we'd all end up as fat controllers then. :-)

 

I could murder a bacon butty.

[Graskie]

You'd have to make sure they didn't cook or fry any locos on the track, though.