Sound chips

Hi can you help, I have a Bachman class 37 fitted with a sound chip, but recently it has stopped making sounds, lights still work and everything and if you press F1 it won`t move untill the engine would have started, any ideas, thanks in advance, Phil

Reply to
Phil
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Disconnected speaker wire?

Ian J.

Reply to
Ian J.

I`ve just had a look inside can`t see any loose wires, but now it`s acting very strange I can`t renumber the chip won`t do anything on the programing track but runs ok on the layout? I got it on ebay was a 4 figure id but I only have 2 numbers (Hornby select) was changed at a shop got accidentaly changed and can`t change it back

Reply to
Phil

"Phil" wrote

My suggestion would be to find someone with a 'proper' DCC system and get them to reprogramme the decoder for you with a 2-digit address. With luck your Select should then recognice the decoder and away you go.

Would the shop you mention not be willing to recode it for you? Certainly if you were in Hull I'd be glad to do it for you.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

would love a proper Dcc system but funds don`t alow at the moment, did think it had been done had it as 19, then the whole layout was changed to 40 can`t change it back, did think it had been done to program it as a 2 digit codes, but how do you explain it not working on the programing track but working on the layout, even tho its the same controler?

Reply to
Phil

I hate to have to say it, but from what I've heard using the Hornby Select to do anything with DCC other than Hornby's own decoders can be very problematic. Which is not a good advert for Hornby, who have done so well in other areas recently. I believe the Elite DCC controller is more NMRA compliant, but that could just be a 'rumour'.

Ian J.

Reply to
Ian J.

Well your programming track may have less than able connections or be a bit dirty. Have you tried removing all locos but the problem one and programming it on the main track ?

CHeers, Simon

Reply to
simon

yes, and managed to program some other locos on the programing track, had a similar thing with a 56 wouldn`t do anything on the programing track, but shot off at high speed when on the layout, untill it burnt out its chip. don`t want that to happen with this one lol

Reply to
Phil

"Phil" wrote

That's the sad thing with the 'Select', it encourages you to part with your money then doesn't quite deliver.

controler?

I don't offer any explanation at all.

I wouldn't really have recommended the 'Select' to any of my customers, in much the same way that I've tried to discourage those same customers from buying the Bachmann EZ-Command set up.

Both are nothing more than glorified trainset controllers, but at least Bachmann's crap system had the advantage of being extremely cheap.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

You may have to reset it to the factory defaults to unlock it again. The way to do it differs between manufacturers (sometimes it involves putting a value in CV8) but I doubt if you can do it with your Hornby system controller.

Alan

Reply to
Alan P Dawes

I'm new to all this but I keep reading people who do not rate the Hornby implementation of DCC. Personally, I've gone the ZTC route and have no Hornby DCC experience. That said I think we may be being unfair to Hornby. For years (and years) their trains sets have run pretty well "out of the box". You buy the set, put the track together, connect the wires and away you go. If I was them I'd be trying to maintain that with DCC - the average buyer doesn't really recognise the difference between DC and DCC (I certainly didn't until about 2 months ago). Where I think they have made a mistake is not to implement a "better" range to cater for the enthusiast - it's not quite the same but something along the lines of Athearn RTR vs Athern Genesis in the US.

Written with the great experience gained in 2 months ! :-)

Reply to
Graham Harrison

"Graham Harrison" wrote

Hmm, I've been selling Hornby trains for a tad less than twenty years and could contradict all of that, but before doing so would ask what experience you have of other makes to compare them with?

In fact even today I would rate their analogue (DC) trainset contoller as abysmal, and some of the locomtoives in their cheaper trainsets as little better.

What I will concede is that since production was moved to China, that quality has improved - not as much as I would like to see however. At the same time their pricing structure has outpaced the national rate of inflation by a veritable mile.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

"Alan P Dawes" wrote

Exactly, but if he'd been able to read back the decoder setting in the first place and reset default using his Select, then he wouldn't have the problem.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

So Hornby are very naughty for tempting the OP with a less expensive basic system that allowed him to have DCC.

If you cant find anyone to reset it then you can always post it to me and I'll do it for free of course.

Theres an excellent interview with Simon Kohler in the latest Model rail. He explains the rationale behind their DCC strategy - basically producing what customers want.

Cheers, Simon

Reply to
simon

Ah, but what the customer actually wants/needs, and what they ask for/think they need can sometimes be two totally different things...

Ian J.

Reply to
Ian J.

"simon" wrote

I didn't read it that way. I read it that Hornby were doing it their way and if it didn't comply with NMRA standards then it was tough.

I'd love to know which customers Hornby asked?

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Since when did customers know what's beats for them? ;-)

Reply to
MartinS

Sorry that should read "best for them"!

Reply to
MartinS

Hmm, as Paul Weller once wrote "the public wants what the public gets".

Fred X

Reply to
Fred X

He seemed to be saying that instead of NRMA compliance, Hornby's priority was "ease of use" and the end user, as if they were mutually exclusive. Why should they be?

Reply to
Stuart Smith

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