Hornby 2023 - Bluetooth decoders and control system

[The Meerkat]

21 minutes ago, RAF96 said:

Basically yes.

The only purpose of the dongle is to send app commands via your Xpressnet capable DCC controller to non Bluetooth decoders. If your decoder supports it then you can control it from the app.

Note that any controller limitations will still apply, E.g. Hornby Select addressing range.

You can only program DCC decoders thru’ the rails so yes you will use your programming track and DCC controller prog output unless programming on the main if your controller supports it.

 

Thank you fir that information, i have the Hornby elite so i should be ok with it working,

 

not sure if  any of my decoders support Bluetooth all i know is that most of mine are factory fitted sound  

[K Hatton]

20 minutes ago, The Meerkat said:

 

Thank you fir that information, i have the Hornby elite so i should be ok with it working,

 

not sure if  any of my decoders support Bluetooth all i know is that most of mine are factory fitted sound  

Your decoders don't need to Bluetooth for the dongle to work. 

 

The phone/tablet sends the Bluetooth signal to the dongle (plugged in to the elite)

 

The elite takes the commands and sends them to the loco via the track as normal. 

[The Meerkat]

1 hour ago, K Hatton said:

Your decoders don't need to Bluetooth for the dongle to work. 

 

The phone/tablet sends the Bluetooth signal to the dongle (plugged in to the elite)

 

The elite takes the commands and sends them to the loco via the track as normal. 

 

Thank you for that,  cant wait to give it ago,  

[RAF96]

The only purpose of the dongle is to extend the use of the app to operate non-Bluetooth decoders. If you do not have HM7000 decoders then you have no real need for the app.

[newbryford]

15 minutes ago, RAF96 said:

The only purpose of the dongle is to extend the use of the app to operate non-Bluetooth decoders. If you do not have HM7000 decoders then you have no real need for the app.

 

My intention is to use the dongle to replace my ageing LH100 handsets on my Lenz system.

It seems a relatively inexpensive way into wire-free control as well.

(As well as using the app to set up my HM7000 decoders)

[K Hatton]

1 hour ago, newbryford said:

 

My intention is to use the dongle to replace my ageing LH100 handsets on my Lenz system.

It seems a relatively inexpensive way into wire-free control as well.

(As well as using the app to set up my HM7000 decoders)

Similar idea here but I'm hoping to use my phone/the app as a walkabout controller (instead of fighting to get a select and an elite to talk to each other!) 

 

On that train of thought, will the elite need a software update for the dongle or just be plug and play?

Edited September 21, 2023 by K Hatton

[newbryford]

I'm primarily interested in how easy it will be to hand over locos from one phone/dongle to another.

And another conventional handset on the XpressNet

 

 

[K Hatton]

I'm guessing if they are TXS decoders and you are swapping them between devices (phones/tablets etc) it will involve resetting and re-linking. To hand over to a conventional DCC controller (e.g elite/select etc) you set the decoder to run on DCC in the app, then select the loco address on the controller and go (same as its always been)

 

For non TXS decoders I'd imagine it's the same as normal (select decoder address and off you go) as they will still be responding to said DCC system commands (not directly via Bluetooth).

 

I'm thinking along similar lines to the Dynamis system but with Bluetooth instead of infra-red connection. 

 

I'm not involved in testing any of this so purely guesswork based on the information I've read previously but I'm sure someone else will come along and either confirm or put me right shortly 😅

 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by K Hatton

[newbryford]

3 minutes ago, K Hatton said:

I'm guessing if they are TXS decoders and you are swapping them between devices (phones/tablets etc) it will involve resetting and re-linking. To hand over to a conventional DCC controller (e.g elite/select etc) you set the decoder to run on DCC in the app, then select the loco address on the controller and go (same as its always been)

 

For non TXS decoders I'd imagine it's the same as normal (select decoder address and off you go) as they will still be responding to said DCC system commands (not directly via Bluetooth)

 

I'm not involved in testing any of this so purely guesswork based on the information I've read previously but I'm sure someone else will come along and either confirm or put me right shortly 😅

 

 

 

Hopefully, it is as simple as selecting the next DCC address and away you go.

And that would also apply to the relatively few locos that are TXS fitted.

I'll be testing a couple under full exhibition conditions next weekend at Wakefield - running them on "normal" DCC from my Lenz unit.

 

[K Hatton]

Next question that's come to my mind on that basis - how many devices can be linked to one dongle?

 

This could also bring a different way of thinking to club/exhibition layouts where the 'driver' of a certain train has to move with said train instead of passing it on to another operator. Could also mean people being allocated certain jobs (driver/signaller etc)? 

 

Again, just my brain running away with things but it would certainly make for a more "prototypical" operation

[newbryford]

16 minutes ago, K Hatton said:

Next question that's come to my mind on that basis - how many devices can be linked to one dongle?

 

 

 

Simon K said multiple devices, but I think was corrected to one device to one dongle in a later post.

edit - single device as per Rob RAF96 post on Jan 19

Edited September 21, 2023 by newbryford

[Kris]

5 hours ago, newbryford said:

I'm primarily interested in how easy it will be to hand over locos from one phone/dongle to another.

And another conventional handset on the XpressNet

 

 

I suspect that you will need one dongle per device. 

[Ron Ron Ron]

To my simple mind, they should have used WiFi for comms between the device (phone or iPad) and a dongle.

That way, multiple users could have connected through a single dongle.

The devices themselves can usually communicate on both Bluetooth (direct train control) and WiFi (dongle) simultaneously.

 

Somebody with better knowledge of these wireless comms should be able to correct me if I've got that wrong?

 

 

.

[The Meerkat]

8 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

My intention is to use the dongle to replace my ageing LH100 handsets on my Lenz system.

It seems a relatively inexpensive way into wire-free control as well.

(As well as using the app to set up my HM7000 decoders)

 

thats why i got the dongle on order,  so i can have walk about and touch screen instead of one spot and the fact i will not change accurascale and Bachmann etc sound for Hornby sound, i  also take my controller to the club  which has bigger layout then i do at home

Edited September 21, 2023 by The Meerkat

[Chrisr40]

Morning all, do any of the developers know if the profile for class 37 is still due this month please ?

Thanks

[Bob83a]

20 hours ago, Chrisr40 said:

Morning all, do any of the developers know if the profile for class 37 is still due this month please ?

Thanks

37, 47, 67 and Turbomotive in OO and HST both versions in TT are all still shown as coming in Q3, but it of course ends next week, that is according to the schedule but the latest version of that seems to be from 20/6/23. I do not believe that any of the Q3 scheduled profiles have been delivered so far.

There are some pre-fitted models of these due in the next month or two so they must be close unless Hornby are slipping those.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Bob83a
Corrected date of last schedule

[RAF96]

On 21/09/2023 at 14:10, newbryford said:

 

Simon K said multiple devices, but I think was corrected to one device to one dongle in a later post.

edit - single device as per Rob RAF96 post on Jan 19

 

You have misquoted me - there can be as many legacy decoders as you have in your box linked to a single dongle. You can have many dongles - up to 7 daisy chained same idea as the Select walkabouts in fact using the same Xpressnet port splitter under a new SKU as they lost the old tooling, thus, you can plug several dongles into suitable controllers and allocate as many legacy locos as you like to each dongle, enabling each dongle controller to run their own fleet of locos. Is that clear.

Edited September 23, 2023 by RAF96

[newbryford]

3 hours ago, RAF96 said:

 

You have misquoted me - there can be as many legacy decoders as you have in your box linked to a single dongle. You can have many dongles - up to 7 daisy chained same idea as the Select walkabouts in fact using the same Xpressnet port splitter under a new SKU as they lost the old tooling, thus, you can plug several dongles into suitable controllers and allocate as many legacy locos as you like to each dongle, enabling each dongle controller to run their own fleet of locos. Is that clear.

 

From Jan19th

"Yes I did - at present it will be one device (phone or tablet) per dongle"

 

I read it as one phone(device) per dongle, the question wasn't about multiple decoders.

 

My original question to SK was for multiple phones and you corrected his info to one phone or tablet per dongle.

Edited September 23, 2023 by newbryford

[Bulleidboy100]

Some earlier (older) Elite controllers have two Xpressnet ports, so you could plug two dongles into the Elite, however the  maximum number of dongles is still seven per Elite controller - you cannot have two sets of seven dongles daisy-chained into each port.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Bulleidboy100

[meatloaf]

I had a look at the new TXS fitted deltics in my local shop today. They look really nice considering they are railroad models - especially the blue one with the silver roof panels and tanks.

 

A pity then, that Hornby have used the old Lima coupling arrangement of the large D coupler fixed with a bar to the bogie. No NEM pockets here sadly.

[NBL]

4 hours ago, meatloaf said:

I had a look at the new TXS fitted deltics in my local shop today. They look really nice considering they are railroad models - especially the blue one with the silver roof panels and tanks.

 

A pity then, that Hornby have used the old Lima coupling arrangement of the large D coupler fixed with a bar to the bogie. No NEM pockets here sadly.

The coupler is the least of the worries with this loco!!

[meatloaf]

3 hours ago, NBL said:

The coupler is the least of the worries with this loco!!

To be fair the decoder in there is 65 quids worth, so its only 43 quid for the loco. If it had have had nems then id have tried one. Might still yet as i can reuse the decoder and bound to get more than £43 if i sell the loco on

[digger62]

Hi does anyone know if the dongle will be compatible with the Signatrak Ace? 

Many thanks 

Mark 

[RedgateModels]

18 minutes ago, digger62 said:

Hi does anyone know if the dongle will be compatible with the Signatrak Ace? 

Many thanks 

Mark 

 

No ExpressNet socket, so sorry, doesn't look like it

[RAF96]

All sound profiles in the app have been updated to incorporate bug fixes and to enable static power bank charging.

It is recommended that to take advantage of these fixes folk should download the new profile versions to their decoders.

There will be a new PDF update listing on the Hornby documentation area shortly, with explanatory notes.