[Sidney Sidings]

I have also had no answer back from Hornby over this issue. While I have had no concerns up to now over my Prodigy unit, this begs the question, is it Hornby who is not NMRA and DCC compatible or is it Gaugemaster? Very simple question realy, who can shine any light here?

 

[Sidney Sidings]

Well I have managed to find out some information regarding the Prodigy /Hornby issue. It appears that the Prodigy cannot be sold with an NMRA standard on it as it currently exceeds it. The standard currently only recognises systems that can handle up to 10 functions where as the Prodigy will handle 20. The unit also, when shipped from the US, has the DCC logo on it however gaugemaster aparently cover this when it is badge engineered. The Hornby digital items DO NOT have any reference to either standard, so its obvious to me now who dose NOT conform.

I'm not a Hornby or a Gary basher but why after so long of there being standards set, and by in large most conforming to those standards, Hornby would want to bring out a system that falls outside of it?

You can throw the cheap price/mass market agender thing around all you like Gary, but no one has crititised any other entry level Digital control system like they have yours, sorry I mean Hornby's.

Lets not get too upset about all this, as consumers we do have a choice, after all Personal Computers are meant to compatible, but if one spent less than £10 on a 'cheap' item of hardward/software and it did not work, I would imagine most of us would just throw it away and not buy from that source again. We get what we pay for in this life, but there is a difference in 'Value For Money' and 'Cheap' and my 'cheap' Hornby chip has long been thrown away.

 

[Sidney Sidings]

Some of these posts concern me. If Hornby do include a decoder as standard in future will it be the same low quality as we have seen so far? If so there are suggestions here that they are not going to use an 8 pin socket, so we will not be able to change them easily for something better?

A friend who hastily went out and bought Hornby's Digital goods set, brought his loco's and select unit round and after the trouble we had, we tried to swap the decoder for a digitrax one and guess what? Hornby have used a non-standard plug on these locos so we couldn't.

Just another example of Hornbys non compatibility this is not libellous this a FACT!

Sid.

 

[Sidney Sidings]

QUOTE (dbclass50 @ 18 Dec 2006, 21:17) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Interesting - is the plug/socket a 6-pin one with the pins in line ?

If so it may be like the N-Gauge one used by others - it is also used (annoyingly) by Fleischmann in some of their HO locomotives.

Special note for GARY - there we are - I've thrown a critical comment about Fleischmann !

No this was not a six pin inline socket, but what I remember a unique plug and socket, a bit like a smaller version of one you would find on automotive electrics, so there was no way could we could just plug in another make of decoder.

I just cannot believe that Hornby has been so arrogant, or are they just being stupid over all this. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone on the forum about this statement but I feel some things have to be said. I think they need to get their house in order pretty quick, and by having someone keep on making up excuses and now empty threats over litigation, I fear is not going to endear too many people on this forum to Hornby's system.

Sid.