Hornby 2023 - Bluetooth decoders and control system

[D3489gibson]

3 hours ago, JSpencer said:

Would that be Non DCC fitted or DCC fitted but without sound?

 

Hiya, they're all DCC Fitted, mixed between hardwired and plug-n-play, and the only loco that worked was the fitted Ixion Hudswell Clarke tank engine which had an address of 10. The Sound Fitted Drewry was addressed 1053, and unresponsive on the app with Elite selected as the control style.

 

Nathan.... 

[Tony Walker]

On 15/03/2024 at 16:18, newbryford said:

 

Hi Tony,

Thanks, so i't probably something I'm missing.

I know the loco works on a long address as I currently have a Multimaus handset plugged in - and I've cross-checked operation of the loco with a Powercab on my test bench.

 

I haven't checked the higher F-key functions yet - just trying to get it to work with long addresses.

 

 

I swopped the LVZ200 with my old LVZ100 late on Friday to see if there was any difference. Sorry to say the functions are the same, still nothing above F5 works. And you can only use a two-digit address code. Tried using a four-digit code and got nothing. Reprogrammed the loco to a two-digit code and it worked, but still nothing above function F5. So, it looks like the dongle does work with Lenz, but there are limitations as to what you can do. So, it looks like you are unable to control sound functions above F5, with sound fitted locos, but OK to run non-sound locos with limited light functions. It will work with two-digit addresses on the older LVZ100 v3.6 box and four-digit addresses with the new LVZ200 v4.0 box.

[newbryford]

5 hours ago, Tony Walker said:

 

I swopped the LVZ200 with my old LVZ100 late on Friday to see if there was any difference. Sorry to say the functions are the same, still nothing above F5 works. And you can only use a two-digit address code. Tried using a four-digit code and got nothing. Reprogrammed the loco to a two-digit code and it worked, but still nothing above function F5. So, it looks like the dongle does work with Lenz, but there are limitations as to what you can do. So, it looks like you are unable to control sound functions above F5, with sound fitted locos, but OK to run non-sound locos with limited light functions. It will work with two-digit addresses on the older LVZ100 v3.6 box and four-digit addresses with the new LVZ200 v4.0 box.

 

 

Your experiments with the LZV100 concur with mine.

Pity about the 2-digit/short addressing as I'm up for 5-6 of the dongles to replace the handsets on mine and the club layouts.

Both use LZV 100s. 

 

 

[LNERGE]

For some reason one of my decoders has decided to change its address. It works fine from the phone but switching to dcc mode it can’t be driven but I can turn on the sounds etc. It is allocated address 1. It drives on address 16 along with another loco. 
 

edit. 
 

Sorted now. The consist address had become 16. I don’t know how because I have only been controlling it via dcc. I haven’t opened the ap on the phone for ages. 

Edited March 18 by LNERGE

[RAF96]

10 hours ago, LNERGE said:

For some reason one of my decoders has decided to change its address. It works fine from the phone but switching to dcc mode it can’t be driven but I can turn on the sounds etc. It is allocated address 1. It drives on address 16 along with another loco. 
 

edit. 
 

Sorted now. The consist address had become 16. I don’t know how because I have only been controlling it via dcc. I haven’t opened the ap on the phone for ages. 

As previously reported there is a glitch in the app whereby DCC control is lost. This can either be lack of response, usually because a consist address has bern invoked by the bug (reset CV19 to zero to fix it) or there is runaway due to CV2 (kickstart) being corrupted to a high value - (reset it to 0 or 1 to fix)§.

It is thought the decoders may see variable track voltage (grubby rails, etc) as programming commands and corrupt certain CVs.

Edited March 18 by RAF96

[RAF96]

On 17/03/2024 at 10:02, Tony Walker said:

 

I swopped the LVZ200 with my old LVZ100 late on Friday to see if there was any difference. Sorry to say the functions are the same, still nothing above F5 works. And you can only use a two-digit address code. Tried using a four-digit code and got nothing. Reprogrammed the loco to a two-digit code and it worked, but still nothing above function F5. So, it looks like the dongle does work with Lenz, but there are limitations as to what you can do. So, it looks like you are unable to control sound functions above F5, with sound fitted locos, but OK to run non-sound locos with limited light functions. It will work with two-digit addresses on the older LVZ100 v3.6 box and four-digit addresses with the new LVZ200 v4.0 box.

The dongle is a simple relay device. It passes along what the app coomands but if the controller is restricted in ability to send those instructions they are ignored. You cannot expect the dongle to magically enable a basic controller to work outwith its spec.

[Johan DC]

So, the dongle arrived today, easy to set up with my z21, works great. Very strange however, only the first one shows the F- buttons, and they work. For the others, these are grey, and don’t work. I must have missed something? 

[Bob83a]

Hornby have released the Sound Profile for the GWR Hall, this was scheduled for Q4 according to the schedule dated 13/2/24.

 

However Hornby do not seem to be updating the release list/schedule or have hidden it away again.

[Kris]

24 minutes ago, Bob83a said:

Hornby have released the Sound Profile for the GWR Hall, this was scheduled for Q4 according to the schedule dated 13/2/24.

 

However Hornby do not seem to be updating the release list/schedule or have hidden it away again.

The Castle is also there now, not seen that before. 

[franciswilliamwebb]

14 hours ago, RAF96 said:

The dongle is a simple relay device. It passes along what the app coomands but if the controller is restricted in ability to send those instructions they are ignored. You cannot expect the dongle to magically enable a basic controller to work outwith its spec.

 

The LZV100 is a top-end controller, not basic, and uses 4 digit addressing.  I don't think there ever was a version of it that didn't, to be honest, (although my memory is increasingly fallible) but if it's running v3.6 firmware then it's definitely got 4 digit. It's what I've been using for years👍

 

Similarly, functions beyond 5 have been supported on this for so long I can't remember.

Edited March 19 by franciswilliamwebb

[Northerngirl]

2 hours ago, Kris said:

The Castle is also there now, not seen that before. 

They also have instructions for the 4vep, but it's not in the app yet

[lapford34102]

A couple of questions that hopefully someone may be able to answer.

 

1/Hornby 08  with bluetooth sound on the layout over the weekend at AllyPally.  Just stopped working and had to be sidelined. Thought the chip had gone but tried it later and was fine. Do these chips have some form of thermal cutout if they get to hot.

 2/ Anyone hard wired a stay-alive of some sort to a one these chips.

Thanks

Stu

[ColinB]

1 hour ago, franciswilliamwebb said:

 

The LZV100 is a top-end controller, not basic, and uses 4 digit addressing.  I don't think there ever was a version of it that didn't, to be honest, (although my memory is increasingly fallible) but if it's running v3.6 firmware then it's definitely got 4 digit. It's what I've been using for years👍

 

Similarly, functions beyond 5 have been supported on this for so long I can't remember.

I admit I haven't got one of these dongles and don't use the Bluetooth system but could it be that if you don't define a default function map for the loco specified on the dongle, it defaults to only four functions. It has got to be something on the app running on the  phone/pad that is stopping it working.

[meatloaf]

10 minutes ago, lapford34102 said:

A couple of questions that hopefully someone may be able to answer.

 

1/Hornby 08  with bluetooth sound on the layout over the weekend at AllyPally.  Just stopped working and had to be sidelined. Thought the chip had gone but tried it later and was fine. Do these chips have some form of thermal cutout if they get to hot.

 2/ Anyone hard wired a stay-alive of some sort to a one these chips.

Thanks

Stu

I had to reduce the volume on mine to 25. 

 

As supplied it got hot pretty quickly with the speaker in the nose end.

 

I have the Hornby power bank in the cab. Fits nicely on the floor. Theres a video on youtube that i mused and pretty much copied his install except i used the smallest speaker enclosure

Edited March 19 by meatloaf

[JSpencer]

5 hours ago, lapford34102 said:

A couple of questions that hopefully someone may be able to answer.

 

1/Hornby 08  with bluetooth sound on the layout over the weekend at AllyPally.  Just stopped working and had to be sidelined. Thought the chip had gone but tried it later and was fine. Do these chips have some form of thermal cutout if they get to hot.

 2/ Anyone hard wired a stay-alive of some sort to a one these chips.

Thanks

Stu

 

I ran one Bachmann 4MT for over 30 minutes. And stopped running after it had that hot motor type smell. I could feel the heat coming through the plastic body.

I took her apart thinking maybe the chip or the motor. But it was Bachmann's bit of electrical circuitry where the 8 pin plug goes in.

Power supply was a Hornby DCC system, although the loco was controlled via blue tooth app only.

 

I have 2 other Bachmann locos (5MT, 9F) with an identical set up, so I will try those to see if they too get hot after 30 minutes.

I would imagine, this will happen whether or not the loco is running or simply static waiting for instructions.

 

No stay alive in any of these. The 4MT found a few dirt spots on the layout which the track rubber solved on the first few laps (pick ups are drivers only on this loco).

Edited March 19 by JSpencer

[JSpencer]

8 hours ago, Kris said:

The Castle is also there now, not seen that before. 

 And Lord Nelson which I don't think was there before either.

[Kris]

8 hours ago, Northerngirl said:

They also have instructions for the 4vep, but it's not in the app yet

That was the one that I was looking for when I checked this morning. I have heard that it is due very soon. 

[Bob83a]

 

47 minutes ago, Kris said:

That was the one that I was looking for when I checked this morning. I have heard that it is due very soon. 

As of 19/03/24 the following are due Q1 I.e before the end of the month

 

OO.    Class 91,  Class 800,  Class 423 - 4VEP

 

TT.      Class 50,  Class 66,  Duchess

 

But anything announced for later in the Year could appear and of course there is also the possibility that there may be unannounced sound profiles.

 

[Porfuera]

On 19/03/2024 at 18:50, Bob83a said:

TT.      Class 50,  Class 66,  Duchess

 

But anything announced for later in the Year could appear and of course there is also the possibility that there may be unannounced sound profiles.

 

It is interesting that they are getting these out so early because (according to the shop pages) the TT:120 Duchess and Class 50 aren't due until Summer (possibly end of May and end of June respectively) and the Class 66 isn't due until Autumn (possibly end of November) at the earliest. Hopefully the shop dates are being pessimistic!

[wombatofludham]

Does anyone know if there are preview sound samples out there for the sound profiles?  I'm interested to hear what the 4-VEP sounds like to see if it might be a useful proxy for a Class 310 or 312.  Things like the horn sound and brake sounds would be the main issue for me as the motor noise and compressors would be similar enough.

[PeterStiles]

29 minutes ago, wombatofludham said:

preview sound samples

Well, if you have Any hm7000 decoder you could load the profile up to test it, but I don't think there's another way .

 

It's not necessarily the way you'd think of doing it because most other sound decoders need done more Infrastructure to do that...

[Kris]

1 hour ago, wombatofludham said:

Does anyone know if there are preview sound samples out there for the sound profiles?  I'm interested to hear what the 4-VEP sounds like to see if it might be a useful proxy for a Class 310 or 312.  Things like the horn sound and brake sounds would be the main issue for me as the motor noise and compressors would be similar enough.

The 4-VEP is not yet released that I can see. As said however there is no such thing as a sample however. 

[RAF96]

On 19/03/2024 at 10:09, lapford34102 said:

2/ Anyone hard wired a stay-alive of some sort to a one these chips.

Some decoder boards do have C+/- solder pads but the manual says these are for development purposes. I would think they are suitable for hard wiring, but why do so when a plug-socket is provided. DIY or other make stay alives are unlikely to work as they will not have the additional components found in a Hornby power bank.

 

[Ighten]

Could a secondPower Hornby power bank be added to those then RAF

14 minutes ago, RAF96 said:

Some decoder boards do have C+/- solder pads but the manual says these are for development purpose 

 

 

[JSpencer]

8 minutes ago, Ighten said:

Could a secondPower Hornby power bank be added to those then RAF

 

 

One power bank provides a lot of juice so I'm not sure why you would need a second.

 

If it is about charging time, having 2 won't alter that. A few laps out of the loco is normally suffice to charge it up.

 

However I do get why someone would want to fit an alternative  (they might want smaller or have their own preference).