Model Railway Forum banner

elite owners club

3932 Views 25 Replies 16 Participants Last post by  [email protected]
As an Elite owner I'd like to suggest that those of us who have the system start to gather information about the bits n pieces that DO work with it.
All we seem to be getting at the moment is a lot of finger pointing and giggling at Hornby's new toy, but precious little hard fact about what it CAN do.
Many of the shortfalls or incompatability issues may well exist but merely slagging them off is of little help to people like me, so what can we do to help ourselves get around some of the apparant issues?
Fistly my own DCC needs are well within the Elite's scope without any add on bits at all, so as long as the loco decoders work with it, then I'm all good.
I've found that Bachmann's "On Board" (both U.K & U.S models) & Digitrax decoders work well and of course Hornby's are a given.
I'm led to believe that TCS decoders are not a happy match to the Elite so should be avoided but perhaps someone else can confirm this for certain.
As far as expansion of the system itself goes, my own inclination is to wait for Hornby to release the required gizmo, be that a reverse loop module or a walkaround controller, same as if I had purchased a Digitrax or Lenz unit ,I would stick to the brand as this should increase the chances of success.
The idea here is to put aside the crap that's been thrown at the Elite and find out what makes it work well, perhaps we could find a way of making a database to keep all the info in one place, that would be quite useful aye.

Cheers
Paulm
21 - 26 of 26 Posts
James,

I do get similar problems with the functions.
If you are controlling a loco on controller 2(Right Hand Side) and operate the functions they switch on for BOTH controller 1 and 2.

I just switch them back off on controller 1(Left Hand Side) and all works fine.

Still get the odd CV29 reading back one digit higher than programmed, still works ok though!

I've had no other problems.
It works with Digitrax DZ123, ESU Loksound and basic Bachmann decoders.
It can also program the Team Digital SMD82 points decoder.

The only thing I would like on my 'Wish-List' is to make the functions easier to operate other than that, it does what it says on the tin.

Ian
See less See more
QUOTE it does what it says on the tin.

Precisely

Happy modelling
Gary
I'm really after some peace of mind with this question but, Does everyone elses Elite make a kind of whistle type noise while it's powered up? mine is quite noisey and I don't have anything else like it to compare with. While we're at it, what about the likes of Lenz & Digitrax, do they make any "don't stick your fingers in here or you'll get a wollop" type noises?
I hope I'm not asking silly questions , but the noise was a little alarming the first time I switched the thing on, it does make it sound like it's doing something, but after years of only barely audible transformer hum from various DC controllers it does have me wondering if it's supposed to do that.

Paul
QUOTE (owen69 @ 19 Jun 2007, 22:26) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>point two nmra knew nothing about dcc so handed it over to lenz (licence to print money springs to mind) so in reality lenz set the rules not the nmra.
Not true - or at least it didn't happen that way. Lenz had already developed their version of DCC when the NMRA started to look around to see what was on offer when they started to take an interest in the subject. They chose the Lenz method as their basis, as being the best implementation of the principle at that time, with plenty of expansion capability. This was the so-called 'Baseline' system (most know it as '2 digit'). When the NMRA took over, they expanded the standards to include the Advanced features we expect to see today.
2
QUOTE Not true - or at least it didn't happen that way. Lenz had already developed their version of DCC when the NMRA started to look around to see what was on offer when they started to take an interest in the subject. They chose the Lenz method as their basis, as being the best implementation of the principle at that time, with plenty of expansion capability. This was the so-called 'Baseline' system (most know it as '2 digit'). When the NMRA took over, they expanded the standards to include the Advanced features we expect to see today.

I totally concur with this. Bernard Lenz is the father "if you like of modern DCC". Overall the NMRA DCC standards have been very successful and far sighted given that the ones were currently playing with were ratified quite a number of years ago.

See less See more
QUOTE (nzpaul @ 21 Jun 2007, 11:51) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'm really after some peace of mind with this question but, Does everyone elses Elite make a kind of whistle type noise while it's powered up? mine is quite noisey and I don't have anything else like it to compare with.
Paul

Mine is basically silent (except when programming when it clicks).

Has anyone taken the control knobs of their Elite ?? - I like to fit a taller knob of the same sort of diameter if thats possible.

James
21 - 26 of 26 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top