HM6000 first impressions

[Roger1707821911]

Just a few thoughts on initial acquaintance.....

Wiring .... all my power feeds are soldered direct to the tracks so I considered cutting off the supplied connectors and soldering them ... then I noticed the conductor spacing was an excellent fit into a pair of Wilko 3 amp choc-blocks cut from a strip.

Setting up ..... didn't go well ... couldn't pair with phone until I switched from Mesh to BLE in the App ...... didn't know there were different modes of Bluetooth then all paired easily ... Setting the sliders and other parameters went easily and all seems to be working well.

Next task is to work out how to swap my phone app to a tablet.

So far...quite impressed....wonder if I can persuade a couple of my DCC locos to run on it.

Roger (Chalford)

[96RAF]

If a module is still provisioned to the app then will not be visible to a new scan, either on the existing or the old device, although it will be visible to connect using BLE mode.

I had some problems with Mesh connectivity, so I started again by force deleting each module, then resetting each module and rescanning, then provisioning each module which saves it and finally reconnecting all.

All has been well since.

I had to use force delete as de-provision didn’t work - no device found.

Disconnect didn’t work- no provisioned devices to disconnect.

Delete didn’t work - no detected devices.

Hence I had to use the big hammer and force delete.

Reset was achieved by holding the button on each module until the red led pulsed, then release. Red and blue leds flash then red goes solid and blue goes out, indicating system is ready to scan.

When scan is complete, select and provision each module in turn.

Once saved you can amend a module name, image, and/or circuit name to aid identification.

Once renamed you can drag and drop modules in the saved list into a more logical order. This reordering then reflects back into the operating screens.

Swapping the app from phone to tablet means setting it all up again, so make sure you have disconnected and deprovisioned all modules or the next scan will not find them.

Be aware there is no need to set up a track-plan. That facility is simply for track planning purposes and filing a bill of materials to buy.

[Roger1707821911]

@96RAF

Thanks for that..I will look into that.

Roger

[JohnnyGee]

I was hoping this gadget would be plug and play, this has put me off.

[96RAF]

I was hoping this gadget would be plug and play, this has put me off.

 

 

Basically it is but there are certain instructions to be followed to get it to plug and play. It is akin to pairing your phone with one or more bluetooth devices, which also has to be done step by step initially.

I don’t know of any bluetooth kit that initially sorts itself out for you.

[Carltonf]

I didn't need one of these, and might not use it that much, but I was very curious, and at such an attractive price, ordered one which arrived this morning.

I have to say, the software setup is awful. I've been a software engineer for 33 years, and the app just needs a bit of work. The setup should be so simple, but even terms such as "Device Provisioning" is unnecessary. They need to engage with a User Experience team, and use simple terms such as "Add controller". Following the steps on video is simple to follow, but they need to be in the quick start guide, as they are not intuitive.

So that's the negatives. Once set up, WOW. What a great little device. Controlling 2 locos, with sound, inertia and braking - brilliant! I've just tested on an iPhone, but would imagine the experience even better on a larger tablet.

I am not suggesting this will revolutionise the way experienced DC modellers run their layouts, but is great fun, and might re-inject some enthusiasm for (maybe) younger modellers who might have got a bit bored of the train set. And you can reuse the power supply from any existing Hornby set, so it's not a huge investment.

I love to see Hornby being so innovative. It is great for the future of the hobby. Loco detection for RailMaster next maybe.....!

[Chrissaf]

And you can reuse the power supply from any existing Hornby set, so it's not a huge investment.

 

 

That is not strictly true. There are numerous threads on the forum relating to 'Does this work with XYZ power supply' type questions and in general the answer given to those questions is no.

Only the power supplies used with Hornby's current DCC Controllers are compatible with the HM6xxx which require 15 volts DC at 1 amp**. The majority of 'train set' power supplies [for Analogue train sets that is] are typically 19 volts DC at 0.5 amps. The 'Digital' train sets will of course have a suitable power supply. The size of the DC power connector is different as well between the digital and analogue train set power supplies. The Digital 15 volt DC power supplies use an unusual size at 6.3mm / 3.0mm connector.

Note** the Hornby Digital P9300 4 amp power supply is the official upgrade power supply stated in Hornby documentation for the HM6xxx units.

 

 

[redvers]

I bought one out of curiosity and was shocked when it arrived at how small it was. However after trying it for a few days I'm really impressed. I echo earlier comments about some of the terminology could be easier to understand and I wish the deceleration worked on the stop button rather than having to move the slider to the left, but overall a cracking piece of kit. The sounds are a bonus - a little limited and maybe Hornby will expand these in the future, but still great to feed through a bluetooth speaker for some atmosphere. I have always balked at the DCC route due to cost and effort of converting my loco fleet (plus a handful that I probably cannot convert anyway). This seems like a good halfway house and I hope it's going to prove very popular for Hornby.

[96RAF]

If you want to more realistically slow the loco use the brake which slows speed in decreasing increments as the loco stops.

[Rcik]

I bought a HM6000 last week as a test as it seemed an interesting development and is very reasonably priced (I had a spare power pack from my RailMaster). It really seems to be a great product. Followed video for connecting first time and all worked well for me on my iPhone - I am normally great for getting things wrong by not following instructions. Would certainly recommend trying it to anyone thinking about it.

Good new product.

[Arty1707822014]

I bought two HM 6000 and two HM 6010 units for a friends layout , absolutely love them , easy to install and set up , I will be buying them for my layout . The only criticism I have is that the instructions with the 6010 did not mention how to switch accessories controls from points to signal lights/ lights , luckily I had this forum to fall back on .

[Chrissaf]

@ Arty

Granted, the HM6010 Quick Guide instructions do not explicitly state HOW to change the HM6010 configuration for signal operation, but since you can't operate the HM6010 without the APP, the APP instructions DO document the process. There is a line in the HM6010 Quick Guide that does state that a configuration change in the APP is required [see highlighted extract below].

I agree that the instructions in the HM6010 Quick Guide could have been expanded to be more explicit with regard setting up.

[riverlagan]

I have not been able to provide power to the track through my unit.

My Android phone detects the unit when it is showing as provisioned but disconnected, but will not pair with it. When the unit is showing as connected the phone will not detect the unit at all. I have tried the two Bluetooth modes, Meshing & BLE but this has not made any difference. The start up procedure for the unit for provisioning and connection otherwise appears to have worked fine according to the touch screen info.

I have tried the force delete and factory reset options and re provisioned and reconnected the unit but this has not helped.

The phone is less than 5 years only.

Any advice would be much appreciated

[96RAF]

Mesh Provisioning is a fancy word for pairing one or more modules with your phone/tablet. Once paired it still has to connect. As an analogy you have paired your phone with the car (bluetooth) and your home router (wifi)., but they do not connect with each other until they are in close proximity.

HM | DC works the same way (bluetooth only) except connection is manual not automatic., hence you need to pair and connect each module.

BLE is a simpler bluetooth connection method which pairs and connects modules individually i.e. not in mesh configuration. Often this works when mesh plays up, but usually once mesh is configured it is solid, even if left running or turned off for many days. If I fire up my system now, all I have to do is say ‘connect all’ in Settings>Device Connectivity and I am ready to go.

The fact you have tried more than one module rules out a duff module and suggests going back to set-up square one, disconnecting, un-provisioning and force deleting, followed by a module reset. I know you have done this but please try it again making sure at each stage each module is disconnected, then un-provisioned and then deleted/force deleted as necessary, then reset.

Resetting the module is by pressing the reset button until the red led pulses, release and wait until blue and red LEDs have flashed and you get a solid red and no blue.

If you haven’t built a track-plan or customised your module name and picture, etc consider deleting the app and reloading from the store.

Then go through the scan, provision and save all the found modules. Connect the modules to the app allowing the app to select a host, which shows as a blue H next to the module BT symbol. If a scan doesn’t pick up your module then likely it is still paired on your phone/tablet. Compare this as not being able to connect your phone to two cars at once.

If you are still getting nowhere then call Customer Care and let them walk you through the process again.