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New Hornby computer based DCC system - eLink


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  • RMweb Gold

hi mick may i first say merry xmas and second do you know if the dcc concepts have feed back. ive been looking at the liverpool retailer and they have both decoder accessory's in stock and the man in the red suit brought me a elink yesterday  so im pretty keen on trying the system out 

 

cheers ian 

 

Hi Ian,

 

Do you mean that the DCC concepts accessory decoder has feedback?

The feedback won't currently work with the E-Link and Railmaster as that is going to use it's own dedicated detection system.

 

The link to the DCC concepts decoder instructions is below.

 

http://www.dccconcepts.com/PDF_Downloads/AD1_AD4_instructions.pdf

 

It can use switches to operate it, which is a nice feature to have.

The DCC Concepts accessory decoder looks like it's only for slow action point motors, it's not for use on the snap action such as Hornby, Peco or Gaugemaster types of point motor.

 

What exactly do you want to do?

The E-Link and RailMaster will control different accessory decoders once programmed correctly.

You will need to check exactly what functions the accessory decoder has, many of them don't allow external push button operation.

Many of them don't have feedback, if they do have feedback you will need some sort of interface so that the feedback signal can be read by the software.

Also you will need the correct software to be able to read these feedback signals and act accordingly, note my comment above, RailMaster doesn't have the ability to respond to feedback from any other detectors!

It will only respond to the Hornby train detection system once available, but this is not feedback, it's detectors are placed between the rails and a tag is fitted on the locomotive, when a tagged loco passes the detector you can then in the RailMaster software program what you would like to happen depending which loco has passed.

 

Just to clarify, you can operate a point using RailMaster and the point will operate and move accordingly, in the software it will show the point has been set, if you then move the point manually the software will not know as there is no feedback to tell it that this point has changed position.

 

Cheers

 

Another Ian

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Personally i think the e-link system is the best thing since sliced bread from what ive seen so far, however an ipad will ruin its fun, you just cant beat a mouse and real keyboard for this sort of thing, (lookup the luxeed LED CROSSOVER keyboard) im planning on buying the e-link system very soon.

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Just got they e-link system and have swapped over from the Bachmann dcc system.  I must say so far I like the e-link and it was easyish to set up, ( just 1 call to Hornby tech department).

 

It took a while to load in all the Loco's but once in, it is easy to select and drive.  No more remembering loco addresses!  The programming of cv's on screen is so helpful.

 

Next step is to wire up decoder for points and then link in to the e-link.

 

HAPPY DAYS!

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  • RMweb Premium

Maybe worth swapping its pretty poor 1.5a transformer to a 5 or 7 amp though in my opinion, should find one cheap enough on ebay

 

something like this perhaps:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-7A-7-amp-84W-DC-POWER-Supply-ADAPTER-Transformer-LED-Strip-CCTV-/251364398981?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item3a867c5785

 

I wonder what current you can actually put through an e-link? SK from Hornby certanly recommends that a 4A supply will work.

 

Cheers,

Mick

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As long as the voltage is correct the amperage shouldnt be a problem, 7 amps will run a huge amount of trains and points as the transformer deals with the amperage not the elink box.

That's only true if the elink is driving a separate booster. If the E-link is driving the track directly then ALL of the current is going through the e-link. If Hornby cannot tell you what the real limit is (i.e the current at which it will trip out) then that is a good enough reason to avoid it.

 

Andrew

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  • RMweb Premium

That's only true if the elink is driving a separate booster. If the E-link is driving the track directly then ALL of the current is going through the e-link. If Hornby cannot tell you what the real limit is (i.e the current at which it will trip out) then that is a good enough reason to avoid it.

 

Andrew

 

I'm not aware that there is a separate (stand alone) booster for the e-link - other than hooking it up to an elite, if I understood a quick conversation with SK correctly. His suggested solution was to power it with a 4A supply.

The other way to increase power to the layout is to use two e-link boxes driven from one PC. I believe that is a recommended solution for larger layouts - one e-link powering the points and accessories, one e-link powering the track and locos.

 

Cheers,

Mick

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Mick I don't think its possible to hook the E-Link up to an Elite as that would then mean too controllers on one layout.

 

From the Specs it does say that the Hornby 4amp power supply can be used instead of the supplied 1amp one, if more power is required.

Then as you've said use one E-Link for points and one for controlling the locos.

As the E-Link is only acting as the Elite(or DCC controller) then I would guess you could always split the layout up and use a booster as required.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

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That's only true if the elink is driving a separate booster. If the E-link is driving the track directly then ALL of the current is going through the e-link. If Hornby cannot tell you what the real limit is (i.e the current at which it will trip out) then that is a good enough reason to avoid it.

 

Andrew

You only use the amount of current you draw its nothing to do with voltage

 

ie: a 30 amp car battery will power a 12v dc train

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  • RMweb Premium

You only use the amount of current you draw its nothing to do with voltage

 

ie: a 30 amp car battery will power a 12v dc train

 

But there's a limit to the current that can pass safely through components. If the conductor isn't large enough to cope with the current, it will fry. Higher current needs larger conductors/components to minimise the effects of resistive heating. That's why the plug on a 3kW heater plugged into a wall socket will get warm. Yet a small lamp plugged in will remain cool.

Same reason why the cable to the starter motor on a car is larger than say, the cable to the radio - it's going to carry a much higher current.

Cheers,

Mick

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You only use the amount of current you draw its nothing to do with voltage

 

ie: a 30 amp car battery will power a 12v dc train

The problem is that we don't know how much current can be passed through the internal wiring and / or the PCB tracks of the elink without overheating.  It may be ok with more than 4 amps flowing but we can't assume that it is.

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The trains and points depending on how many you have will only draw what they need, ie if you have a 10amp transformer, doesnt ness mean the layout will draw 10 amps, even if you you get  a 4a transformer thats still hell of a lot more headroom than the supplied 1a

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  • RMweb Premium

The trains and points depending on how many you have will only draw what they need, ie if you have a 10amp transformer, doesnt ness mean the layout will draw 10 amps, even if you you get  a 4a transformer thats still hell of a lot more headroom than the supplied 1a

 

Agreed, but if you were to draw more than the e-link is capable of passing through, then it's the e-link that fries.

 

Cheers,

Mick

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Hi

 

This is an area people always seem to misunderstand. Current is not pushed, it is sucked into a circuit by the components.

 

If the Voltage remains constant, the lower the Resistance the higher the Current. With Zero Resistance, i.e a short, you have infinite current. Not good. that is the purpose of a fuse or circuit breaker to be the weakest point in a circuit.

 

The Current or Amperage rating is the maximum safe current that can travel though that device without it starting to mis-function / melt / catch fire.

 

If you rely on the fused value of a transformer then that is the current at which it will trip, if this is not the weakest point in the circuit, things will get very hot , very quick and you can start a fire.

 There is no reason you could not use a 100 amp transformer if you so wished, but to do so needs extra measures to ensure that the maximum current fed through any component or device does not exceed it's maximum safe working parameters.

 

That is why people are concerned at what the rating of the E-link is. To draw 5 amps though a device only rated at 4 amps will end in tears.

 

Sorry to butt in, but sometimes, my conscience about peoples safety overcomes my desire to stay out of contentious subjects 

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Hi

 

This is an area people always seem to misunderstand. Current is not pushed, it is sucked into a circuit by the components.

 

If the Voltage remains constant, the lower the Resistance the higher the Current. With Zero Resistance, i.e a short, you have infinite current. Not good. that is the purpose of a fuse or circuit breaker to be the weakest point in a circuit.

 

The Current or Amperage rating is the maximum safe current that can travel though that device without it starting to mis-function / melt / catch fire.

 

If you rely on the fused value of a transformer then that is the current at which it will trip, if this is not the weakest point in the circuit, things will get very hot , very quick and you can start a fire.

 There is no reason you could not use a 100 amp transformer if you so wished, but to do so needs extra measures to ensure that the maximum current fed through any component or device does not exceed it's maximum safe working parameters.

 

That is why people are concerned at what the rating of the E-link is. To draw 5 amps though a device only rated at 4 amps will end in tears.

 

Sorry to butt in, but sometimes, my conscience about peoples safety overcomes my desire to stay out of contentious subjects 

All said is true current is a collector not a distributor. As electrical circuits and internal components that bear the CE logo have a +/- 10-15% tolerance threshold, changing the e-links transistor and heatsink plus wire would allow for doubling of its rated current actually thats the limiting factor, heat. please watch video and you will see what i mean: 

 

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  • RMweb Premium

, changing the e-links transistor and heatsink plus wire would allow for doubling of its rated current actually thats the limiting factor, heat.

 

 

Beefing up the components is fine, but you didn't give any hint to that earlier when you said just to feed it with a 10A supply..........................

 

Cheers,

Mick

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  • RMweb Gold

The E-Link is a brand new DCC controller!

Why would you even want to start beefing up wires and changing components?

 

There are loads of DCC systems out there and when more power is required, the usual solution is to split the layout up in to sections and use a power booster.

So why is there this need to start messing about with things and taking everything beyond it's capabilities, something is going to get damaged or even worse.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

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  • RMweb Gold

A quick word with Hornby DCC support provides the answer!

 

No more than 4amp maximum limit for a power supply.

 

So my advice to anybody reading this thread is to stick with a 4amp supply.

If thats not enough then split the layout up into isolated 'power districts' and supply each of those with it's own powered booster.

 

Not worth damaging something or creating a potential hazard.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

 

EDIT to remove my crap explanation.

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A quick word with Hornby DCC support provides the answer!

 

No more than 4amps as a limit any more and you are basically going beyond the recommendations.

Yes it may work OK with more amps but then your working on the tolerance of the components and some may fail at a lower current than others.

I seriously hope that is not what they said, or maybe it is and they just don't understand, either.

 

If the e-link has no internal current limit to protect itself, then I would steer well clear!

 

Andrew

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