Creating a consist with Hornby Select

[SealionSteve]

Hi

 

I have a Hornby Pendolino which I want to use in a consist with a Heljan Class 57 - obviously this is going to involve surgery to the 57 and adding a coupling to the front of the Pendolino! For now, I am just trying to set the two locos up as a consist using my Hornby Select and I have run into a problem

 

The Class 57 is initially address 03 and works fine by itself via the Select.

The Pendolino is initially address 04 and works fine by itself via the Select.

Both locos respond the same direction-wise.

 

I want to set up a consist addressed as 34.

 

Following the instructions in the Select's User Guide, I put both locos on the programming track, pressed 34 then "select". Display showed 34.

I then held down "function" to get "A1" flashing, and entered 03, then "select" to add the Class 57 to the consist. 

Display showed "A2" flashing, I pressed 04 then "select" to add the Pendolino to the consist.

Display was now showing 34.

 

That all appeared to be as expected according to page 14 of the Select's user manual.

 

However, on subsequently entering 34/"select", the Class 57 responded to the controls but the Pendolino appeared dead (no movement or light). I dissolved the consist as described on page 15. Reprogramming the Pendolino to address 04 restored it ok.

 

I went through the same consisting process using the Class 57 and a Hornby Sentinel shunter which was programmed as 04 and it all worked perfectly.

 

Is it possible that the chip in the Pendolino has a fault which makes it work ok "solo" but fails to work when it is included in a consist? Or can anyone suggest anything else I could try please?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Steve

[RAF96]

Try adding the Pendo to the consist 1st and the 57 second and report if the consist control result is the same as before. If so you would need a controller that can read CV values to check out if the consist address has taken.

[SealionSteve]

Thanks RAF96. I tried that with the same result. I do have a SPROG 3 somewhere but rather red-faced to say I seem to have "misfiled" it! I'll have a look at the cvs once I have found it.

 

The Pendo's chip is "losing" its address once the consist is dissolved, and has to be reprogrammed, whereas the Class 57 is reverting back to its address of 03 without needed reprogramming.

 

Regards

 

Steve

 

 

[SealionSteve]

Have found the SPROG and will investigate cvs - thanks again!

[SealionSteve]

I dissolved the consist, reset the Pendolino to its adress. Worked ok on Select.

 

Sprog/Decoder Pro was unable to identify the Pendolino as existing in the roster (there was a roster entry for it; it identified another loco in its roster ok, and I cleaned the Pendo wheels and retried with no luck).

 

I deleted the existing roster entry for the Pendolino and set it up again. Sprog could not identify the Hornby chip, so I set it up manually using the Hornby Pendolino chip type (shown as a pop-up on one of the Hornby decoders from the list in Decoder Pro). Pendolino worked ok using Decoder Pro (throttle and lights) when selected from the roster. However when I asked Decoder Pro to identify the Pendolino it still reported "no roster entry found". Retried the "identify" function and again got the "255 unknown manufacturer" message again.

 

I am thinking of just replacing the chip (they are an odd 7 pin one I think?) - or even replacing the power car with a trailer since I only want to use the Pendolino in "drag" mode anyway 😏 Are the chips fitted in the trailer cars the same as the power car ones?

Edited March 6 by SealionSteve
Spelling

[RAF96]

19 hours ago, SealionSteve said:

I dissolved the consist, reset the Pendolino to its adress. Worked ok on Select.

 

Sprog/Decoder Pro was unable to identify the Pendolino as existing in the roster (there was a roster entry for it; it identified another loco in its roster ok, and I cleaned the Pendo wheels and retried with no luck).

 

I deleted the existing roster entry for the Pendolino and set it up again. Sprog could not identify the Hornby chip, so I set it up manually using the Hornby Pendolino chip type (shown as a pop-up on one of the Hornby decoders from the list in Decoder Pro). Pendolino worked ok using Decoder Pro (throttle and lights) when selected from the roster. However when I asked Decoder Pro to identify the Pendolino it still reported "no roster entry found". Retried the "identify" function and again got the "255 unknown manufacturer" message again.

 

I am thinking of just replacing the chip (they are an odd 7 pin one I think?) - or even replacing the power car with a trailer since I only want to use the Pendolino in "drag" mode anyway 😏 Are the chips fitted in the trailer cars the same as the power car ones?

The factory fit Pendo used a unique 7 pin variant of either the old unreliable R8215 or the newer and compliant although still basic R8249. You will either have to hard wire another decoder in or retro-fit a different socket.

It seems as if the consist address isn't taking so that 7 pin may be so old as not to support consisting.

[SealionSteve]

Thanks for the advice, RAF96. Will go for a 7 pin to 8 pin wire harness and a better spec 8 pin decoder I reckon!

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[smokebox]

The Select does the consisting internally.  The decoders have nothing to do with it, they just respond to their original addresses sent out by the Select when using the consist.

[SealionSteve]

I see. But it worked fine when the Pendolino was not involved - a consist of Class 57 and Sentinel worked fine, so doesn't that indicate a problem with the chip in the Pendolino? Or maybe the consisting logic in the Select and the 7 pin Pendo chip don't communicate properly? I will be interested to see whether putting a better decoder in the Pendo (the bar isn't set too high!) works.

 

Regards

 

Steve

[smokebox]

You could try resetting the Select.

[SealionSteve]

Ta - might give that a go tomorrow!

[SealionSteve]

Tried a reset of the Select - no difference.

 

I spoke to Hornby. They think the chip has had it (following some attempts at cv reads etc by me, using Sprog/DecoderPro) and don't supply replacement 7 pin chips. Hey ho. Pendolino seems to have died now anyway. 8 pin socket and chip on order, soldering iron at the ready...!