ColinE Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi all, I've just got to the point where my track work is completed and fully operational and I've been testing it throughly for a couple of weeks before ballasting. I've created programs to run the passenger services automatically which are operating fine and it was my intention to shunt the goods yard while these were running. Now comes the problem, it would appear that sending commands to the shunter and goods yard points causes missed commands in the running program and vica verser. Is this a problem with RM or my setup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDS Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi ColinUsing the Chain command, I have run up to 8 programs at once. Occasionally I have needed to amend the timing of some of the programs where a command may have being missed because a sound was still happening. I have one program that has 4 Loco's running around loops and at the same time, I have up to 4 shunters moving in sidings, without problems. I suggest that you look at your programs to see if something is clashing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman_Ian Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi Colin,I have experienced this exact problem since I first started with RM a few years ago, I have always assumed that the Elite controller when issuing a command to your track and recieves a command from RM at the same time looses one or the other.The only way I worked out to overcome this and it has worked faultlessly was to repeat each command in the program 0.05 seconds later, I know this is a lot of extra work setting up but it is worth it as the Elite recieves both commands and it is almost certain that if the first is missed the second will get through.Obviously the commands such as switching lights on/off cannot be repeated, but for starting and stopping trains and changing points this method works a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinE Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi ColinUsing the Chain command, I have run up to 8 programs at once. Occasionally I have needed to amend the timing of some of the programs where a command may have being missed because a sound was still happening. I have one program that has 4 Loco's running around loops and at the same time, I have up to 4 shunters moving in sidings, without problems. I suggest that you look at your programs to see if something is clashing.Just to clarify what I'm trying do, the passenger services are running via programs but the goods yard I'm trying to shunt manually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St1ngr4y Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi Colin,I can confirm what Ian has said. I too have noticed that carrying out operations using the screen controls can adversely affect a running program. For example, if the program is using a decelerate command on a train, it will be sending a change speed command onto the DCC bus every second or so. If you then start changing points or running another loco from the screen, some of these change speed commands are not sent and the decelerating train usually stops way past where it was supposed to.Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJ_model_trains Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi RayI have just deleted what I had typed. I had just about completed it ready to send and I saw your reply that says it all. I also got the impression that Colin was using a program and shunting from the screen manually at the same time. I tried this yesterday and got the same problem you have covered above. I think it is more obvious with acceleration and deceleration commands than set speeds due to the constantly changing commands in the program. PJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St1ngr4y Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi PJ,I just stick to either running programs OR shunting (for which I use Voice Control, but that's for another thread :-) ). A lot of my programs end by stopping the train in my "hidden sidings". At one end of these sidings I have two marker pegs, one at each side of the eight tracks, and I try to align the ends of the trains between these two markers - the end of the train for anticlockwise trains and the front of the engine for clockwise trains. In this way they are in the correct starting position for their next program. By hidden sidings, I mean hidden from guests who may drop in to view. My control point is inside these hidden sidings so I can physically view these marker pegs. Those programs which terminate a train at these markers usually slow the train to a crawl, and display a message on the screen reminding me to stop the train at the marker "manually" i.e. using the onscreen throttle for the loco. This is something I added to Desirable Features - to be able to open up the large loco throttle control for a given loco by program control, because sometimes I forget and the message telling me to manually stop the train appears and I have to scroll through the small throttle controls looking for the loco. Sometimes the train has passed the markers before I find the throttle. C'est la vie ! ;-)Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJ_model_trains Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 It sounds really good Ray, look forward to some pictures ;o)The pop up throttle control for a loco from within a program sounds a good idea to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinE Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 To put things into perspective, after my attempt at both program and manual control simultaneously had failed I decided to revert to my old control system (Dynamas, which I haven't used for three years) as I always was pleased with the level of control and the usability it had given me. On connecting it up the cobalt point motors worked straight away so after putting a couple of locos into the roster off I went. That's when I realised how far control systems have advanced and what a brilliant system Railmaster is. Yes it may not be able to process two commands simultaneously (on the keypad systems you can't input two commands in simultaneously anyway) and on rare occasions it bugs but the bottom line is it is so much easier to use and gives so much more flexibility and control. So well done Railmaster.Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDS Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Just to clarify what I'm trying do, the passenger services are running via programs but the goods yard I'm trying to shunt manually. Sorry for the late response - I have only just seen your answer. I cannot understand that problem because I regularly do exactly what you are trying to do. (I know this is no help to you!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJ_model_trains Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Good report Colin. Many of us on here have come through the early days of RM. It was frustrating and HRMS kept asking what we wanted and eventually improved the software to what you have now. They are working on a few bugs that have gone on a while but, they will fix them and they still say... there is a lot more coming! If you like RailMaster now, you sure will, we just have to hang on, 'Good' will get even 'Better'. RM could very easily be the best and most affordable model railway software on the market. We join you Colin... well done Hornby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman_Ian Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Totally agree, Railmaster is a fantastic system and the best I have ever used. I model US HO gauge and run about 15 rather old Athearn diesels which I have converted to DCC and my Elite with Railmaster handles them very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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