Hornby APT (2020 tooling)

[RedgateModels]

I got my 7 car set yesterday from TMC, boy are the colours weird (compared to the 1980's version) 😄

 

I suppose first job is to take the powered NDM apart to snip off the motor capacitor....

 

I want to get it apart to substitute the pan for one of my generic ones to get better photos in any case

[RedgateModels]

About time to get the screwdrivers out to swap the pan over for a photo shoot 📸😁

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by RedgateModels

[piranha240]

Does anyone know what the redesign of the cab windows is on the latest release?, hopefully it’s a representation of a cab side window frame.

[sandwich station]

14 hours ago, RedgateModels said:

I got my 7 car set yesterday from TMC, boy are the colours weird (compared to the 1980's version) 😄

 

I showed you that back in January 2022.

[RedgateModels]

Snippity snip 😁

 

[RedgateModels]

Quick snap this evening before I get the proper camera out 

 

[Josiah]

So the question is, is it worth buying an "old" rake (prices seem quite good) or getting a new rake? 

[sandwich station]

8 hours ago, Josiah said:

So the question is, is it worth buying an "old" rake (prices seem quite good) or getting a new rake? 

 

Depends on how many coaches you want to run. With the old, it has only 5, unless you are prepared to do some modifying work. With the new you can go up to 14.

[GordonC]

On 08/07/2023 at 05:21, sandwich station said:

 

Depends on how many coaches you want to run. With the old, it has only 5, unless you are prepared to do some modifying work. With the new you can go up to 14.

 

I think they meant old as in 2020 release or new as in just released and updated.

 

For a £200 price difference I can't see anything being a 'must have' improvement.

 

Personally I suspect they might struggle to sell the new ones too so I expect them to drop in prices too, but that might take a while.

[RedgateModels]

The revised sets have 21 pin sockets for DCC decoders and it has already been stated in this topic that the NDMs have a sugar cube speaker prefitted. I've not had confirmation of this though. 

 

Personally I've just bought a 7 car 2020 release set from TMC and would have no problems in fitting my own decoders and speaker if Hornby release a sound profile for the HM7000 decoders and will relocate or replace the capacitors in the cars where they are visible myself. 

[PeterStiles]

6 minutes ago, RedgateModels said:

NDMs have a sugar cube speaker prefitted

 

well, mine just has a nice space to put the sugarcube, not a fitted one.

 

the magnetic couplings are awesome

[RedgateModels]

1 minute ago, PeterStiles said:

 

well, mine just has a nice space to put the sugarcube, not a fitted one.

 

the magnetic couplings are awesome

 

Thanks for clarifying that 😁 so it's like the new 9f then.

[wairoa]

I just ordered a new NDM from TMC. If any APT sets are available next year I may try and get another APT set. I bought the 2020 5 car set. 

[RedgateModels]

PM sent @letterspider

[RedgateModels]

Got the chance to test my 7 car set last night. All good apart from the DEV coach would derail one bogie when entering a 2nd rad curve, just one wheelset and it popped back on as soon as the set straightened up. Looks like the bogie in question is tight in it's mountings and can't swing well enough. The wiring to the pickups might be too tight. No biggie as I'll look into it when I strip the coach to measure up the internals for a 3D printing project.

 

The lighting on a couple of cars was a bit flickery at first, but improved with running.

[zoomer1979]

@RedgateModelsJust wait until the squealing starts as the pickups find their grove. I ended up putting an extra pair of pickups on my Dev coach with the cable running behind the computer banks.

Neil.

[RedgateModels]

Postie arrived today, pair of TRBS accidentally (?) ordered from eBay for just over 60 quid. 
 

one thing that struck me after taking my 80’s power car out yesterday for more pan photos, was how I dislike the new Hornby “egg box” packaging. The old polystyrene tray just seems to present the product better to my eyes.

 

the outer card is, however, much more robust, which is good 😁

[PaulRhB]

1 minute ago, RedgateModels said:

was how I dislike the new Hornby “egg box” packaging. The old polystyrene tray just seems to present the product better to my eyes.

But a pain in the wotsit to recycle compared to the easily mulched egg box 😉 How long do you spend admiring it in the box, a few seconds? Even display windows are usually obscured by the loco being wrapped in tissue paper. 
Get it out and run it! 😆

[RedgateModels]

Just now, PaulRhB said:

Get it out and run it! 😆

if only I had a layout big enough 🤣

[letterspider]

I have taken a chance on the updated APT, by buying an NDM. (I sent my last set back as it had too many of the problems listed here)

What an improvement

Negotiates 2nd radius curves and setrack pointwork at speed, no derailments.

Haven't tried gradients yet but doubt they will be an issue fr a 7 car set (which is what I will run)

There is now a larger lid for the DCC chip, which is 21 pin.

Well done Hornby for listening  and getting these errors fixed and thank you

Now just waiting on a bargain rake!

[APT Fan]

Finally managed to build a big enough layout to give my 7 car +2 coaches a good run. The main pcb in one of the driving units failed after about three hours of use. That's a bit rubbish isn't it?

[JSpencer]

1 hour ago, APT Fan said:

Finally managed to build a big enough layout to give my 7 car +2 coaches a good run. The main pcb in one of the driving units failed after about three hours of use. That's a bit rubbish isn't it?

 

Do you mean the capacitor blew like a T-80 tank? (that's what happened to mine).  BTW, is yours from the original or new batch?

 

Strongly recommend replacing them (details earlier in the thread).

[Bucoops]

It might be argued that it is behaving prototypically?

 

Tongue firmly in cheek of course.

[APT Fan]

4 hours ago, JSpencer said:

 

Do you mean the capacitor blew like a T-80 tank? (that's what happened to mine).  BTW, is yours from the original or new batch?

 

Strongly recommend replacing them (details earlier in the thread).

 

R3874 - No the cab lights had stopped working but not the coach lights and when I checked the PCB some of the components were running extremely hot, I mean dangerously hot! Probably something I should report to Hornby? Anyway I bought a replacement board on line and managed to solder it to the existing wiring without dismantling the unit as to my surprise there was just enough slack in the wiring for once. Never expected to have it open for repair after only a handful of runs.

[GordonC]

54 minutes ago, APT Fan said:

 

R3874 - No the cab lights had stopped working but not the coach lights and when I checked the PCB some of the components were running extremely hot, I mean dangerously hot! Probably something I should report to Hornby? Anyway I bought a replacement board on line and managed to solder it to the existing wiring without dismantling the unit as to my surprise there was just enough slack in the wiring for once. Never expected to have it open for repair after only a handful of runs.

 

You certainly shouldn't. Complain to Hornby, they shouldn't be rushing out such junk