Quick wish list before HM7000 goes live

[Ighten 1707822464]

My main one is that someone at Hornby simply tries every chip in every DCC model (at least Hornbys anyway). And then puts a moniker of HM7000 ready on the models description.

I still see a possibility of confusion and perhaps disappointment as people discover (hopefully not). That some 6 pin models are simply too small to take the new chips without getting the Dremel out.

Same applies to a few 8 pin models where people may want sound a sound option but space is tight.

If this exists can someone point me to it as I can't find it. Models are still labeled DCC ready and some then have a further PR section re HM7000 but even that isn't quite consistent for the same model in a different livery.

[96RAF]

Simply impossible at best between now and the launch. At worst it would take months if not years of research to check and amend each product page and put a sticker on every box on every shop shelf in the world.

This is kind of resurrecting the old TTS argument where folk moaned that it takes modelling skills to retro fit them to past models when there should be a bespoke kit for each and every model Hornby have ever produced.

It is simply not practical to check the new decoders will fit every model Hornby have made with a socket. The new decoder sizes are provided and it is down to the modeller to install them. Even if the box said HM7K ready folk would be asking if that is sound or non-sound and where does the power pack go.

[Ighten 1707822464]

I was talking about the website.. not product boxes - which in itself means current catalogue..

Sorry if I confused I do mention in the last paragraph how it seems a start was made but it's not consistent or even clear if it's nothing more than an advert attached to the models description page.

[Goathland]

I understand the angst. I tried to fit TTS sound into a GWR 225 TTS Ready model. There is a nice rectangular space with a grill ... you can use it for either the decoder or the rectangular speaker (if you cut the tabs off it is a perfect fit) but not both. Luckily I had the skills to extend the decoder leads and cut a small hole under the seats so the decoder could hide in the toilet and the speaker could live in the rectangular space pointing down.

I have also had issues with putting TTS sound into a TTS ready flying scotsman. I had hoped to put the round speaker into the tender (as in my TTS sound fitted Hogwarts Express) even though I knew I would need to cut a small hole for the wire and possibly fit a plug and socket but the tender required too much work so I had to settle for a sugarcube speaker inside the smokebox.

I found a long discussion thread on the problem in general with someone quoting a comment they had received that TTS ready does not indicate TTS sound ready. It would be interesting to compare models where Hornby supply both a TTS ready and a TTS sound fitted version of the same loco (so same model number but one with a TTS suffix) to see if the TTS ready version is ready for sound as well.

Going forward I would like all models that can be slightly (and I do mean slightly) retooled to take a good Hornby speaker to have that modification and the description updated. Tender locos generally just need the tender chassis weight altered and other steam, diesel, or electrics just need a small ridge to position and fix the speaker without having to resort to black tack.

[96RAF]

@goathland

TTS stands for twin track sound so there is no TTS ready or TTS sound ready, they are one and the same.

After a particular date all Hornby tender locos were designed as TTS ready in that they had a decoder socket and a speaker mounting space in the tender. Previously DCC ready locos had a socket in the loco and although they may have had space in the tender for a speaker they may or may not have had pickups in the tender hence a power link twixt loco and tender.

Any loco that is now either boxed as or advertised on a product page as TXS ready will similarly be suitable to mount a TXS decoder with a matching pin configuration and it will be the user choice of which speaker enclosure they use from the kit provided if indeed the loco does not already have a speaker pre-installed.

[Goathland]

My mistake. I did of course mean "DCC Ready", which as you point out meant a blanked off decoder socket and room for the (non sound) decoder. What we need is "TTS Ready" so that if you purchase the TTS decoder for that model (eg Class A3 TTS decoder to put in a Class A3) then there is room for both the decoder AND the speaker.

[LTSR_NSE]

@Ighten & @Goathland you do already have that and the range of possibilities will continue to expand. All the locos that already have a TTS fitted option (and those in future that have a TXS fitted option) will have been manufactured with both decoder and sound fitting built into the design.

Any loco (for which no sound fitted option has been produced) needs to be purchased on the understanding that modification may be necessary.

[Ighten 1707822464]

I think this just goes to highlight how unclear the system is(I fully understand I can make it work but I'm not a casual new user).. for instance Iets take the new black 5 tooling web exclusive..all the webpage says is DCC ready.. no mention of TTS or hm7000 other than a tab for what could be PR advertising.. It simply needs to be muchclearer for the casual user

[LTSR_NSE]

I agree that the website could be much clearer (and more accurate) in several areas. However regarding your Black 5 example - there is a sound (& steam) fitted version being produced, which means that it is being designed to accommodate sound.

[96RAF]

I am sure that if the product page or box specifically said ‘TXS Ready’ there would still be folk misled into thinking it was RTR on the HM7K system and not that it still needed a decoder to be fitted. Of course not everyone will want to fit sound so what then - ‘HM7K Ready.’

[Ighten 1707822464]

HM7K Sounds good to me though I'm sure he's a droid already 😉

[Foden 4400]

I found the website in respect to locos very unclear when it comes to Digital Spec. with numerous drop down menus, abbreviations, filters etc. I bought a paper catalogue in the end, which I found much simpler - I don’t think I would have found the Bargain Class 73 without it. Also why i asked the question about terminology for Ble DDC I understand the concept - but not the terminology/ abbreviations !

[Fishmanoz]

So Foden, your question before HM7000 goes live is …?

And if you are looking for the meaning BLE DCC terminology, Google is very good at it.

[Foden 4400]

Fishy - just googled “BLE DCC” Google wasn’t very good at all, just two references …….

[96RAF]

DCC is per the NMRA spec. A signal passed through the rails.

BLE is Bluetooth low energy over the air (OTA) signal, meaning it uses very little power to run it.

In addition it supports mesh communications in that each BLE device acts as a node in the mesh and these nodes talk to each other and if one loses contact, such as due to a derail, then the others will help it reconnect automatically once re-railed.

This node meshing also extends the overall range of tge system from the notional Bluetooth 10 metre range to well over 45 metres or more depending upon number and location of nodes.