ColinB

I suspect 96RAF will reply, but I will cover the basics. The Elite reprogramming is pretty crude so the issue you are seeing is not unusual. If I remember right in the reprograming/upgrade there is option to select at what speed your PC downloads the data to the Elite, you have to play about with this setting. The Elite has basically erased its main program, so you are stuck in the routine on the Elite that reprograms itself. 1.45 is the right version so you are doing nothing wrong, it took me several attempts to get it to work. Trouble is the Elite was designed in an age where reprogramming was designed to work with old slow computers.

I buy all my speakers from Road and Rails. They do a really good range. If you really want to hear a good 37 with sound, the Accurascale class 37 is absolutely brilliant.

I am pretty sure my one came with version 1, I updated it to version 2 but I must admit I didn't check. I received my one just after V2 was released so I assumed it must have been shipped with V1 as V2 wasn't around when it was made.

I think the original question was more to do with the ones that get included with the new re tooled models, they are quite good, so I can understand why someone would want to buy them separately. I buy mine ready painted from various sources.

I never use the App other than to load a profile, so I never noticed. I just did a web search to see what other projects they are involved in.

I suppose Hornby probably think the returns are just not worth it. Accurascale does crews for all the locos it makes, they are a bit expensive but do fit properly.

Searching around the Web it is actually Bryter Digital, it appears Bryter is a different company handling a totally different product.

Short circuits shouldn't blow up decoders, the decoder input is sitting the other side of the short circuit. I have had issues with ESU decoders just dying, surprising seeing as they have a high reputation. The only way a short could kill a decoder is when the controller reapplies the DCC signal after the fault has cleared but again I would be surprised if it did. You can do the usual like trying a reset but it sounds like it has died. The other thing to check is that there isn't a short on the lighting circuit.

I can see why, so what is the difference 10%, 20%? I suspect it is the difference in power supply voltages. I think you will get the same effect with any DCC controller. Now if you just run it with one of the approved DC supplies without a DCC controller, then I think it will run at the right speed. In reality you will probably not notice the difference on a layout, unless you were using a Bachmann shunter. Funny when I was thinking about this the other day before I saw your post, I did wonder if there would be an issue.

I am surprised that the testing team didn't do that test. It will be interesting to see if the same issue arises with the dongle when it eventually gets released. It could be that they have designed the product to work with the standard Hornby power supply driving the tracks, with no DCC controller in the way, whereas you are using a DCC controller, so the voltage will be slightly lower. I suspect you will get the same result using the Elite.

That is really interesting sir john, it doesn't surprise me. I only ever use the bluetooth to load the profile and check it works, I then revert to DCC. I wonder what the issue is?

@Sir John have you tried moving the decoder to another loco to see if the fault moves. I recently had an issue with a Zimo decoder where the loco ran a lot slower. Replaced it with another one and it fixed the issue. The offending decoder was new when I fitted it but when I came to running the loco a year later it suddenly didn't run properly. These devices fail in many different ways.

Two things when mine did roughly the same. As everyone says traction tyres then as Going Spare says check the loco itself is moving freely. On my one it was the cylinder chest mounting was split (it is plastic so becomes brittle) meaning that the valve gear wasn't moving properly, so the whole loco was literally sliding on the track with the wheels locked. With the traction tyres make sure you get exactly the right ones, I found that made a big difference. Barrie Davis of Cranworth Model Railway video recommends buying Marklin ones, he seems to think that they are better. In the end I converted mine to loco drive (the old body still fits), far less hassle.

As I said in my original response Fishmanoz I have been buying Peckett decoder sockets for the last 6 months. I forgot they made an 0-4-0 one, so I don't need you to remind me. As I said the best thing to do is bin the 4 pin setup, it takes up more room than the equivalent 6 pin and it is easier to get decoders for. I know all about those 4 pin decoders I bought several locos with them in, I converted them to 6 pin. As for your rather childish statement I am sure if you type in p-e-ck-e-t-t I imagine you would get both types. I must admit if I posted that post I would probably get banned, so please tone it down. To be honest I thought he was referring to the 0-6-0 variant, so what I was wrong, but I also told him how he could fix it which I thought was what this forum is all about. Personally it makes no difference to me, if you don't want my help so be it.

There will be a difference between locos speed because all motors run at slightly different speeds but it shouldn't be that much. The PWM from the HM7000 should be roughly the same at a particular setting as this will be determined by software. As I said before I would expect the loco to run at roughly the same speed on DC as DCC, I suppose there could be a difference in maximum voltage depending on the source. Most DC controllers are PWM based, but your DC controller may not drop as much voltage across its drivers as the HM7000 does. I only test on DC to check that the loco runs so most of my experience is between different types of DCC decoders. I may have missed it but have you tried swapping the decoders over and see if the difference in speed moves. On a totally difference subject I did find "stay alive" lasted longer on a Zimo decoder than a Train O Matic, so it does prove not all designs are the same and the difference was quite noticable.

Sorry, I saw Peckett and assumed it was the same as mine. There again I am amazed it has a decoder, Hornby 0-4-0 don't usually. He would be better converting it to the 0-6-0 type connector it gives more decoder options.

That is one of the reasons I much prefer the members discount option. Sadly now it is just points. Fortunately for me, I only do pre orders from Hornby basically to guarantee the price. I only tend to buy things on discount and replacement motors (surprisingly Hornby are extremely cheap for these) so I accept the cost of postage which generally is cheaper than Peter's Spares.

To check I took my one apart and yes there are six wires. So this begs the question, where did you all get your data. Mine is an 0-6-0 one. I think you can forget HM7000 the space is minimal.

It also shows it as 6 pin on the service sheet Service Sheet No.HSS 446. Unless of course New Modellers Website is wrong.

Well they must have changed it, because read this: https://www.petersspares.com/p/hornby-x7394-6-pin-decoder-socket-peckett Description on Peters Spares Page "Hornby X7394 6 Pin Decoder Socket (Peckett)"

What might be a good idea is to fit a Powerbank to the HM7000 if you haven't already. I found this helps a lot. Try it on one and see if it improves it. You don't say which locos you are using it on. Although I am not a great fan of the system I did find it worked alright for me. I did find it is extremely susceptible to dirty track although version 2.0 of the profiles seems to improve it.

I think SteveM6 you are wrong, the Peckett uses a 6 pin decoder, I have been buying the socket that is fitted to a Peckett for conversion to DCC of all my small 0-6-0 locos for the last six months (part no x7394). I use Zimo 6 pin decoders and LaisDCC "stay alive", I found the LaisDCC is both small and a really good stay alive. With the Zimo you get between 5 to 10 seconds of power. I found with another decoder the time was severely decreased.

Generally spikes don't usually have enough energy in them to cause damage, definitely not to a motor. When I first started working with microprocessors when I looked at the data and address bus they were ringing like a bell but it never seemed to upset anything. A motor is inductive so it generates spikes anyway. Given how many people use Gaugemaster controllers I would have thought there would be a lot more complaints than there are.

I have been testing different decoders in the same locos for a while and yes some work a lot better than others. That is why I tend to use Zimo ones as I found them to be the most reliable and work with most motors. On a lot of my 0-6-0 locos when I convert them to DCC I have found some of the 6 pin varieties are terrible when applied to OO locos. I must admit the only issue I found with HM7000 was it has a tendency to reset itself on pieces of track where the DCC signal is not that great, other than that no real issues. The V2 software is a lot better at curing this but not perfect.

They should still run at the same speed. I must admit I have never measured to see if there is a difference. I did find though that some decoders do slow the loco down, HM7000 wasn't one of them.