[Gary]

The Model Rail 32 Page Hornby Digital Magazine has just dropped through the door.

Hornby keep it relatively simple with the whole presentation built around connecting the controller to the track with a simple Hornby R602 track power clip.

There is a 2 page article on "Select" or "Elite"

Then a 4 page article on operating with Hornby Digital. It refers to the hours spent carefully wiring up an analogue layout and scabbling about on the floor trying to sort wiring problems. Hornby say that with Hornby Digital these wiring horrors are a distant memory.

There is a good 4 page article on installing chips into small locomotives (overtechnical though?).

And a 4 page article on how to configure a Hornby Class 50 to run with DCC (again filled with jargon).

And in the mag there is a two page article on installing lights into a Hornby HST operating with DCC.

The Hornby bit is nice a simple with presentation that even I can understand. The small loco and Class 50 articles are a bit technical. Hornby may need to improve on this else they will loose their audience however this section should satisfy DCC incumbants.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

QUOTE I have just put four DCC chipped 00 locos for sale on Ebay as my local dealer would not accept them in part ex against Farrish N gauge stock simply because they have been fitted with DCC chips and he does not know anything about it.

So true. If you are selling a loco with a chip fitted to a dealer then take £10 off the value! Currently it will sit on the dealers shelf gathering dust as customers looking at it will pass.

QUOTE So Gary, do you think you might be convinced to try DCC?

I already have the Bachmann E-Z Command set up and that has convinced me from an operational viewpoint. Even the kids liked playing with trains when they can run several trains at a time so this has to be good from a family view point if my experience is anything to go by.

So no need to convince me as long as the price is right!

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

QUOTE I agree with this but Hornby have subsequently stated this decoder will using a 2-3 digit range

Where have Hornby said this?

I refer to this latest Hornby press release:-

http://www.hornby.com/pages/nws_det_press....?NewsItemID=541

If Hornby are having discussions "off piste" then I am very surprised as this is not normally their way.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

The MR booklet states that the Hornby decoder is said to feature Back EMF and 4 on/off function outputs with 2 being dedicated to the direction of lights front and rear.

Exactly as described in the Hornby spec:-

QUOTE as well as a 4 function loco decoder measuring 10mm x 17mm x 3.5mm to retail for under £10

also

QUOTE The Elite Unit supports up to thirteen functions per locomotive if available

This is contrary to the 9 quoted elsewhere in another topic.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

It does say 13 in the MR Hornby Digital Magazine.

I have noted that the Elite provides the "name" feature for locomotives. The image of the lcd display in the magazine shows "Silver Streak" in an abreviated form. On the evidence the name feature permits up to 8 large characters maximum as this would fit the full width of the lcd screen on the Elite.

The Select offers the more traditional method of picking a number between 1 and 60. The lcd displsy on the Select is smaller in size.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

QUOTE Bachmann have done this to a point with their Dynamis release info. A bit vague, but at least they won't be cought up by specifics until release.

Don't agree with you here Doug.

Bachmann have released no technical information on Dynamis.

Hornby released specific technical information at the time of the product launch on January 1st. They released absolutely no information in the public domain before this. Having listened to feedback Hornby have modified things a touch since.

The only reason Bachmann have made this announcement at this early stage of development is to act as a spoiler for the Hornby product with Xmas coming up. Lets be brutally honest about this!

Did I see Hornby releasing an "Evening Star" when Bachmann announced their Class 9F?

Bachmann probably have little idea themselves at this time how the end product will be specified. They will inevitably make some modifications once it has been demonstrated to the public as they did with E-Z Command between its first showing at the London Toy Fair and production.

Without being critical of Bachmann they do have this habit of making announcements 18 months before a product is available. This seems to be their way of doing things and we have got used to this. When Hornby make an announcement they tell everybody when delivery can be expected and normally deliver on time within a 12 month timeframe!

Notwithstanding the differences in how the 2 companies go about marketing their products, isn't it just fantastic that the 2 biggest suppliers of model railway kit to the British OO gauge modeller are now taking a serious interest in supplying DCC products to the masses and we should all applaude this!

The Hornby product will be on the shelves for this Xmas although it is likely to be in short supply so those thinking about the Hornby product had better get their orders in!

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

QUOTE Will you be delivering these Gary?

My father-in-law does indeed do his "Father Xmas" routine around Xmas so does anybody want me to pass any requests on?

Pat Hammond makes an interesting comment at MREmag today in an editorial observation after one of his correpsondents emails on the subject of Hornby and Bachmann Digital:-

QUOTE A little birdie tells me that there are some surprises in store

What a little teaser Pat is!

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

Its Tintin by the way.

Unless you mean Tin Tin from Thunderbirds.

Hailing from the wild west I would have thought that Dennis was more of a Rin Tin Tin fan?

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

Of the 34000 who buy Model Rail this month how many of those actually use DCC right now?

Less than 1000?

I suspect that this is a generous figure!

Bachmann E-Z Command users probably outnumber any other DCC operator and they more than likely are not the typical Model Rail reader.

For the remaining 33000 who have never used DCC then the 32 page supplement is a good showcase.

It has not been designed with the experienced DCC user in mind and we should remember this. An experienced DCC user is not going to be in the market for Hornby Digital. Lets be honest about this.

If jargon has been muddled so what? It seems fairly clear to me what is required and I did not even realise that jargon had been muddled.

From the perspective of the 33000 it is interesting.

As for adding anything new do Hornby need to?

It will be the first time that most of the readers will have even looked at the Hornby system!

This basically is where the masses are coming from in the UK. A position of absolute DCC ignorance!

There are massive potential sales for Hornby and Bachmann and now that Digitrax can see that the big 2 are suddenly taking the UK DCC market seriously they are coming in for their piece of the action. Its all getting very interesting.

When the 33000 start searching for more information this is where Model Rail Forum comes in!

Happy modelling
Gary