Gaugemaster prodigy and Hornby decoders

There are a many decoders which do not have an NMRA conformance warrant. It is the Prodigy set up that appears to have the issue and this appears to have been recognised. There have been issues with other decoders and Prodigy in the USA and so this should come as nothing of a surprise to DCC experts. Gaugemaster know that if their console will not function with a Hornby decoder then they will reduce their potential UK sales considerably and they only have a licence for the UK.

I would guess that every console supplier to the UK market has by now tested the Hornby decoder with their system and as we have not heard from nearly any of them then it has functioned. Any console supplier who offers a console that will not drive a Hornby decoder is at a serious commercial disadvantage in the UK.

Therefore I am puzzled by the tone of one or two Model Rail Forum members but what is new.

Model Rail Forum has Digitrax console users yet none of them have yet tried out the Hornby decoder. How about trying out a Hornby decoder with your Digitrax consoles to give us all first hand experience with Digitrax?

Considering Digitrax users claim it is a fantastic system and one of the worlds top selling systems (and I have no doubt that this is the case) then it does seem a little odd that we have yet to have feedback from a UK Digitrax user!

QUOTE I have used the decoder with my Lenz system with mixed success, but without any full NMRA compliance/conformity, who can say if it will work with other DCC systems?

Hornby decoders do work with other DCC consoles. They work with my Bachmann console which has a conformance warrant and they work with ZTC and Lenz consoles and others as has been reported here and elesewhere. If a DCC console has a conformance warrant then the Hornby decoder will work as Hornby have indicated it has been designed with this in mind and apparently has been benchtested against the Lenz system.

Hornby have said their decoder has been designed to be NMRA compliant. Hornby have said it has yet to receive a conformance warrant.

Do you have to submit your decoder to the NMRA to be NMRA compliant?

Happy modelling
Gary

QUOTE why should other makers have to change to suit hornby

They don't.

Why should other makers have to change to suit Marklin and German DCC?

Germany is the 3rd biggest economy in the world and the UK the 4th so the answer may be linked to this.

Hornby have implied during conversation that they have benchtested their products with Lenz who created the standard and that the Elite will function with Railroad software.

How do TCS, Digitrax, MRC. NCE and others get on with Lenz?

Is there a devide between European product and American product?

What we don't know is how many systems and decoders Hornby have sold relative to online feedback. It is human nature to report issues and to keep quiet if there are none. Also a large number of Hornby digital users may not be members of any forum and this is very likely. Yes there is a lot of forum chit chat about Hornby Digital and is this because they have sold a very large number of digital bits and bobs before Xmas? After all there are a lot of "sold out" messages.

Happy modelling
Gary

A Digitrax representative has said this in the Digitrax faq section:-

QUOTE In general, DCC compatible decoders can be programmed from any DCC compatible command station. Programming compatibility problems do occur from time to time and for the most part, there are work-arounds available. These problems were caused because several different programming strategies are allowed by the NMRA RP's and not all of the strategies are supported by all systems. The RP's call for paged mode, direct mode and physical register mode. Digitrax uses paged mode as the preferred programming method so be sure decoders that you purchase support this method. If you experience programming problems, contact the DCC company for assistance.

The representative confirms that NMRA recommended practices are not compulsory and that it is the lack of support for recommended practices by systems that can lead to compatibility issues. It does seem slightly odd that the NMRA permit a choice of programming strategies.

Any reason for this?

Happy modelling
Gary

Gaugemaster claim that the Prodigy conforms to a standard and yet the console and its MRC cousin is not on the NMRA list of products with conformance warrants.

What does conformance mean in these circumstances?

Gaugemaster do offer decoders for their product.

Do these decoders function with the Hornby Select console?

Ask ourselves why Gaugemaster Prodigy Console owners and other higher end console owners are purchasing and using Hornby decoders. Hornby must be offering something that DCC users want.

Hornby decoders are sold out at a large number of online stockists.

Its a bit silly to say that Hornby Digital has not been an instant hit with customers.

The only negative remarks here seem to eminate from folk who by their own admission are never going to use Hornby digital products and are basing their judgement on heresay and the comment of others who may have an agenda.

At least the Prodigy owner who raised the issue with his Hornby decoder and his Prodigy console had the balls to go out and buy the product! He has every right to comment and provide feedback.

How can your opinion count if you have not owned, used or tried the product?

There are Hornby Select owners who say that the console works remarkebly well and these comments are conveniently and routinely ignored. It could be that some of the reports are linked to owner inexperience with digital and DCC.

Model Rail Forum have reviewed Hornby decoders and they perform well for a budget decoder.

Click HERE to read the review.

If a Model Rail Forum member comes here to seek help lets use our experience to offer help and stick to that agenda rather than go off on any other.

Happy modelling
Gary

PS Warley MRC are having an open day on 11th February. A large O gauge Class 47 Loco with sound was being tested last night with the Digitrax DCC set up used on the O gauge layout. It sounded absolutely fanatastic as it cruised around the large layout. Those who visit on 11th February are in for a treat!

I'm not too sure what points you have made dbclass50 except to agree with the commonsense remarks of Gordon which anybody would have difficulty taking issue with.

Happy modelling
Gary