Blue Pullman

Thanks Hi Roger ive tried to ask for your email but no response so I've just sent off another request

I've now had a reply from Hornby. I have registered to send the decoder back to them however they aren't accepting any returns at present so I'll have to wait until they advise me I can which from what I see of Covid could be months.

Hi Colin and All the Arduino is fed with either 5 or 3.3 volts to get round this you can buy an add on board called a motor shield which fits over the arduino exactly, with a small cut in a track to stop it sending current to the main unit you can introduce say 18 volts without the cut only 12 volts. Both the arduino uno and shield can be bought for less than £10 from China genuine made in Italy units less than £30. the clever software incidentally called a sketch is loaded via a usb cable From a pc The combined units provide the correct dcc circuit married to the higher voltage to power the motor. I'm happy with the 12 volts as I only want to introduce a secondary single track on a dc layout the unit is also capable of providing two outputs POM and a program track Back to my original quest. I've successfully downloaded the software (free public domain) and uploaded it but I'm not getting any output readings and was looking for help round that issue. I see two possible problems one being conflicting instructions on which pinholes to connect the jumper wires to or That I've only loaded part of the sketch As RAF says this is important to get just right and his excellent sniffer paper will be useful as a module to copy get the loading right. Hopefully when I've got that right running the jmri will fall in to place. Using a Raspberry Pi might be the solution to that and you can get them for £25 on that well known sales channel. I know I've now spent £55 why not buy a used unit ? But that's way and I'm eager to add more skills before the virus gets me!!

Hi Roger B thanks for the quick responge. I'm not sure how to contact admin but il have a hunt round and see what I can find. Roger aka Blue Pullman

I've recently bought an Arduino uno and used the free Downloads to make some working traffic lights and as I purchased a kit will also use the stepper motor included with the relay to have a go at point/signal/ crossing gate contro. my real question has anyone successfully used a uno or mega with a motor shield to make a base station and connect it to jmri? there are lots of you tube videos but they are generally old and sparse on bits of info. I've got the bits connected ok but struggling with knowing if I've uploaded the sketch

Hi Colin I think I've read somewhere that 6 pin decoders don't have a blue wire but go straight to black to make the circuit so that's why I'm not thinking it would create a short. I agree with you I could use say the green wire and have that separate from the built in function but then I'd lose my cab light. I have used my multimeter but with no obvious result. I'm away from home now so it'll be a few days before I can have another scrape round. maybe hornby tech might come up with an answer without a two week wait

I think I agree with you I'm sure they would just want to plug it in and test Not try resoldering. Going back to Colins idea of it being my socket I've tried it in 3 different sockets and the Laisdcc test unit all with the same results all these work perfectly with the other one of the pair and their usual decoder though I've looked under an led magni lamp and gently pocked about I can see no cross connection I wonder if it could be as they are next to each other although on opposite sides the yellow wire shorting to the black?

/media/tinymce_upload/c1a1a127cd5d3880bf2e6692cbfd747a.png Interesting thoughts but the same issue if it's only plugged in to the dcc decoder tester if it's in three different engines and if it's on a made up bread board. In all cases the other decoder works fine and another make of decoder is also fine. I'm trying to upload a photo showing just that led on. The LEDs are normal red or white ones using 220 resistors.

I've recently bought a few things via Banggood direct from China. I've assumed the 14-21 days it takes to get here will mean any virus will be dead on arrival however the detailed delivery info advised the items had been packed and Disinfected Including my 50 face masks for 14 dollars routed via Canada and Sweden which has just arrived. perhaps leaving in a sunny window might kill any virus? Ultra violet light is supposed to do the trick. Pre Covid when buying used items from train fares I've cleaned them with baby wipes especially good for coach windows. These seem very gentle and I've lost no paint etc

Thank you all for your comments. In the meantime I phoned Hornby after a long wait not a lot of help as 'Chris' hadn't had the issue before but advised to write in to technical support whose auto response says they can take up to. 2 weeks to reply. Back to my problem and answering comments. I bought 10 pre wired sockets and the issue works with three of them I've tried so it's not the problem. I've also got a Laisdcc tester (really nice piece of kit for £30) and same with that. Bear in mind as a pair for HST's one decoder is fine the other not so it is not my wiring nor the purpose made wired sockets. I've an led magnifying lamp and checked with that and had a little scrape around no change - I have to say the soldering is not very goo. My thoughts are the yellow wire is next although on the opposite side to the black and if there is an unseen short this would permanently light the red lamp. I could cut off the hornby plug and solder on o replace ment or even hard wire it What would that do for my warranty?? Interesting to read Hornby would help me out with an abused decoder I have one that died a year or so back.

This is a rewrite of a quest I started on the back of a similar thread. I have an old class 43 which I bought a twin pack MTU TTS to convert to sound and add lights. in both cases I've added a wiring loom and tested the decoders in situ and out using a Lais dcc tester. unit one works perfectly sound light etc unit two works perfectly as above but always has the rear lights on whether it is selected for forward or backwards travel. The headlight responds to forward on backwards off as it should. so it's not the loom as alternative looms have been tried. any ideas?? Is there some way of changing a cv to control it? Is there a short on the plug wiring making a permanent connection? If I start fiddling here I could spoil any warranty I have Roger

Yes that’s what I found so they were operating from the 30’s to the 60’s. I’m thinking they brought their own coal to the docks for their steam trawlers. Possibly and I don’t know enough about the subject they could have also brought Stone as a ballast to be removed as the fish hold filled up?

Can anyone please advise what kind of mineralast were carried in this wagon? I would like to make up a mock load should it be coal or aggregates sand or something else