Hornby HM 6000

[The Johnster]

Sorry, didn't read the post properly; I was describing reconnection after going out of range, not having to 'reboot' after powering off, though I am not sure that there is much difference.  I do not like to switch things off unless I have to because I think it is safer to leave them on, as the switch will eventually wear out, and certainly don't like to unplug things from sockets, mains or otherwise, because pulling the plugs about wears them and leads to possible short circuits and fire risk.  So my HM6000 unit is left on all the time, and will usually stay 'paired' as long as the phone is not taken out of the flat.  It is very simple and quick to 're-pair', but it would be better still if this was automatic as soon as the phone is in range.

[drt7uk]

18 hours ago, The Johnster said:

 

I have found that the HM6000 will register a short circuit if I have not centred the direction switch on my old Gaugmaster power controller, even when the knob is at zero, and that the Gaugemaster will trigger it's overload cutout mechanism as if there is a short circuit with the HM6000 connected to the mains, even when they are connected to different and isolated circuits and the HM6000 is 'unprovisioned', but only in one direction; the other direction is fine!  Odd, but nothing I can't work around and learn to live with.

 

Interesting point, hadn't thought to centre my Kato controller to avoid the short circuit, will try that.

 

When I build my new layout I'm going to have a rotary switch to chose between 6 different lines (3 N Gauge for one layout, 3 for my OO/OO9) and my 4 controllers (I have 2 for n gauge, 1 dual Gaugemaster for OO and now this Hornby one), so depending on the layout I can control 2 wireless lines, with 1 manually controlled (e.g. an express train left to run non stop) which will save me money on getting extra controllers. The rotary switch should stop any short circuiting if the above doesn't work for me.

[jprampolla]

Hi Everyone,

 

Is there a way to fix the slight pausing of the steam sound effect as it loops?  I'm using an inexpensive Android phone.  Thanks!

 

Take care, Joe.

[Metradio]

No, I think the delay is down to the Android operating system..

Shame as it makes the HM6000 sound rubbish.. 

 

Mike

[jprampolla]

14 minutes ago, Metradio said:

No, I think the delay is down to the Android operating system..

Shame as it makes the HM6000 sound rubbish.. 

 

Mike

Hi Mike,

 

Many thanks for reply!  "Shame" it is, an otherwise nice device and app!  Guess these things are optimized for IOS devices, which are expensive!

 

Take care, Joe.

[RAF96]

16 hours ago, jprampolla said:

Hi Mike,

 

Many thanks for reply!  "Shame" it is, an otherwise nice device and app!  Guess these things are optimized for IOS devices, which are expensive!

 

Take care, Joe.

 

It is an inherent fault in android audio. Nothing to do with Hornby and likely unfixable.

[jprampolla]

54 minutes ago, RAF96 said:

 

It is an inherent fault in android audio. Nothing to do with Hornby and likely unfixable.

Hi RAF96,  perhaps there could be 2 sound files of different lengths that could be played at the same time, and "overlap" so the pause would be less noticeable.  One file with the chuffing, the other with a "hiss." That might be an option in an update to the Android app. Thanks, Joe.

[21C123]

Hi all

 

is it possible to change between two phones, using just one HM6000 ?

 

I’ve got it running  well using my iPhone but was wanting  to use an old android phone instead some times and it won’t connect.  
 

thanks

 

Roger

 

[RAF96]

21 hours ago, 21C123 said:

Hi all

is it possible to change between two phones, using just one HM6000 ?

I’ve got it running  well using my iPhone but was wanting  to use an old android phone instead some times and it won’t connect.  

thanks

Roger
 

 

If the phone is suitable then yes but you cannot have control simultaneously on both phones for the same sector.

How it works is this - disconnect from the existing phone and deprovision. This makes the modules visible to a scan from the other phone.

Select BLE mode as it cuts down on the steps needed to swap control.

Scan for modules on each phone and save the results. This puts the modules within pairing of each phone. Then connect from one phone to the module you need, and when you want to swap to the other phone disconnect from phone 1 and reconnect from phone 2.

For normal use you simply connect the modules you want to control to each phone...

 

685756110_HM6000-Passingcontrol.pdf

[davo48]

All, thank you for an excellent thread on the HM6000. Answered/confirmed many of my concerns. Just received mine and agree setup and integration into my existing layout was quick and easy. Put me down for request to Hornby for a Bluetooth auto reconnect feature. Have needed to factory reset when turning off power to the HM6000 before disconnecting from the iPad. Just would not reconnect when I powered it back up. Easy fix, just a pity. Cheers all and thx for great info. 

[RichardT]

Just received this via Facebook: Monk Bar Model Shop in York are having a HM6000 demo day in store next Tuesday 26 Oct 11-3. Post text below.

 

(No connection except as MBMS regular customer - provided for info in case anyone is close to York next Tuesday.) 

 

Hornby HMDC DEMO DAY 26TH OCTOBER 2021

By Andy Masheder / October 19th, 2021

Come and experience the Hornby HMDC
Get a hands on product demo and discover all the features and benefits of HM6000/10

Tuesday 26th October 2021 11am – 3pm

 

Richard T

[Metradio]

On 20/06/2021 at 10:37, RAF96 said:

 

It is an inherent fault in android audio. Nothing to do with Hornby and likely unfixable.

Seems that Big Train Sound have no problem with their Android sound pad App:

https://www.bigtrainsound.com/the-soundpad/

 

Mike

[RAF96]

21 hours ago, Metradio said:

Seems that Big Train Sound have no problem with their Android sound pad App:

https://www.bigtrainsound.com/the-soundpad/

 

 

Just had a listen to his three demos and the wind and rain has a definite looping pulse. I noted there was a loop selection on the sound edit screen and it would have been good to hear other suitable spot sounds set to loop as comparison.

I have noted the product to Hornby for info along with the gist of your comment.

 

Still awaiting an update for the app to see what user suggestions if any have been adopted.

[Metradio]

On 22/10/2021 at 13:02, RAF96 said:

 

Just had a listen to his three demos and the wind and rain has a definite looping pulse. I noted there was a loop selection on the sound edit screen and it would have been good to hear other suitable spot sounds set to loop as comparison.

I have noted the product to Hornby for info along with the gist of your comment.

 

Still awaiting an update for the app to see what user suggestions if any have been adopted.

To be honest the HM6000 seems to have died a death, nobody is advertising it or talking about it.. On here, apart from you and I only 3 comments since June 

 

Mike

[Grafarman]

For what it's worth, I got rid of mine and reverted to good old Gaugemaster controllers as I found it difficult to get the 'feel' of control using the touch-sliders, preferring the hands-on 'analogue' feel of a physical dial...I have a few inclines which need subtle adjustments to increase/decrease power depending on the loco and load, and this proved almost impossible on the touchscreen. 

I also found it really annoying to have to pair the controller with my tablet every time I started it up; I just don't like leaving everything, including the tablet, switched on and live for days/weeks at a time between running sessions. 

The sounds began to irritate me from about day 3 so they got switched off! 

Conclusion for me: good basic idea, but poor 'feel' quality which doesn't improve on/replace a handheld controller with a physical dial/slider and direction switches! 

 

David

[RAF96]

 App update released for both Apple and Android devices.

Improved mesh connectivity claimed, additional throttle controls provided and they may have fixed the Android sound glitch.  Sounds OK on my Samsung A10 phone.

[jprampolla]

Thanks for posting!!!!  The sound issue has been fixed on my very inexpensive Android phone and they now added the PWM frequency choices previously missing on the Android version of the app.  What a difference!!!!!! 

[LukeB]

I'm thinking about upgrading to a HM6000 set up for my new N gauge layout where light weight is a priority. I currently have a H&M Duette as well, and the N gauge locos hate it. 

 

The various features of the HM6000 appeal to me - the PWM in particular as some of my locos are old and don't like slow running but I also have new ones that run just fine. I have a pretty new smartphone that the ear speaker doesn't work on to run with it permanently. 

 

My main concern is that it's difficult to figure out exactly what it can do from the descriptions so I have a couple of questions for people who have used them-

 

- When it says it will control 8 locomotives, I assume this isn't like DCC? What it actually means is you can control 8 loops or portions of track at once?

 

- How is it for shunting? Is it nice and straightforward or is it fiddly?

 

- My layout )shown below) is two loops, a fiddleyard, a branch line and a fan of sidings for a depot. Would the HM6000 be appropriate for this sort of use? The points will be switched from a control panel anyway. I assume I'd need two units. But how does it work when you're moving a loco from one loop to the other? With a two dial controller you'd just set them both the same and the loco would just run over the points (in this case they're on the dark brown bridge in the bottom of the layout) and keep going. Can the HM6000 do that or is it too complicated for it?

 

 

Thanks!

[RAF96]

Eight separate loops by way of eight separate control panels. The four 6000 units show across the top of the screen and you pick from one to the other. Each module controls two track channels.

The throttle slider has been improved by way of faster and slower increment buttons as well as the slider and the brake and stop buttons.

Transferring loop to loop is the same as a twin controller - set the speed and direction to match and over you go. To avoid shorts put IRJs in the point to point junction.

If you use 6010 units you can operate your points from the app, but if you have the control panel already working then stick with it.

 

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by RAF96
Typos

[LukeB]

On 13/03/2022 at 11:15, RAF96 said:

Transferring loop to loop is the same as a twin controller - set the speed and direction to match and over you go. To avoid shorts put IRJs in the point to point junction.

 

Thanks very much for that. So if my two loops are track 1 and track 2 I just set them to the same speed and set my point polarity and away I go? And if I wanted to move a loco from the sidings (let's call them track 3) I just set tracks 1 and 2 to the same speed. That makes sense.

 

I think I'm going to give it a go. 

 

[RAF96]

On 15/03/2022 at 11:33, LukeB said:

 

Thanks very much for that. So if my two loops are track 1 and track 2 I just set them to the same speed and set my point polarity and away I go? And if I wanted to move a loco from the sidings (let's call them track 3) I just set tracks 1 and 2 to the same speed. That makes sense.

 

I think I'm going to give it a go. 

 

 

By setting polarity I meant match track polarity else as the loco crosses the IRJ between the cross-over points the 6000 will detect the short.

[RAF96]

HM 6010 firmware.

Be aware that although there is a firmware update for the HM6010 module (v1.7.1) it has a wee glitch, so I suggest you stay on v1.6.3 for now.

The glitch turns off all ports after 1 minute; control is regained by pressing Resume Control, but the process simply repeats. This happens regardless of connectivity mode - BLE or Mesh.

If anyone has already updated it is possible to revert the firmware by picking v1.6.3 from the scroll list seen at bottom of the screen when the latest firmware block is clicked.

I will post again to let you know when it is fixed.

[Chris M]

I’ve updated to 1.7.1 and have that glitch! I hope there will soon be a 1.7.2 as it is quite annoying.

 

Overall I am quite a fan of the HM6000 system. I have a couple of sockets that I can plug my controllers into. Well I have 2 sockets at the front of the layout and two at the back. I mostly use a Gaugemaster  dual track panel controller but I like to have options. My favourite controllers are the H&M Walkabouts from the last century but these are not to be used with coreless motors. I have fitted my standard plug to the HM 6000 outputs so these can quickly and easily be plugged in. I find it very useful to do this if I want to view or film my trains away from the control panel.

I get on on with the slider speed controls and I like the way you can set a maximum power for each track. In my view the inertia setting is pants. Nevertheless it is a very useful controller and I’m very pleased that I have it.

[Chris M]

I have recently purchased 3 HM 6010 accessory controllers. Apart from the glitch mentioned above my only other moan is that you can’t edit what the points are called. I would find this very useful especially as I am not using the units in a conventional way.

I use them to control the points and isolation sections on my garden railway. This gives me a cost effective means of controlling points and sections from anywhere in the garden. The little HM unit would be unlikely to be able to push garden railway point motors 60 ft from the unit so I didn’t even try. Also, rather inconveniently, the LGB point motors are two wire rather than three; they rely on the current flowing one way or the other to change the points.

I have made a little board consisting of relays in pairs. The power from the accessory unit flicks the relay and a cdu then provides power in one direction or the other through the circuit pins on the relay.

 

I know which channel is which point but it would be great if I could edit the name of the points on my screen.

My relay system

 

Th relays on the right control my isolated sections and also flick power to the correct track when points are changed. For isolation I simply use the signal control on the accessory unit . Off means no current so the relay is off and there is power to the track. If  I press red then the relay is turned on which breaks the feed to that section of track until the signal is switched to off. Again it would be useful to be able to edit the channel names.

 

Here the power to the section of track allocated to channel 2 is off while all the others are on.

[Chris M]

I am currently considering adding accessory units to my N gauge layout to give me full control from anywhere. Again I would have to get the accessory units to flick relays. I reckon I could control my layout which has 12 storage sidings, two station loop roads and eight semaphore signals from three accessory units. I just need to buy 36 more relays and wire everything up. The great thing about doing this is that my layout could be controlled by either of two control panels or the HM6010 units without having to switch between them, just use whatever is nearest.

Again, if I was to do this it would be flippin useful to be able to edit the channel names.

 

All in all I think these are very useful units that have been overlooked by modellers. Maybe they are seen as a “toy train” thing but I think they have potential for more serious modellers as well.