RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion

Solution for HC-2 not charging out-of-the-box

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JJ Crooke:
Hi everyone,

As explained in another thread, I had an issue with my HC-2 controllers where they were both dead right out-of-the-box. Tim at RE offered a solution that worked. This issue seems to be exclusive to the first production run of HC-2's. The following provides a description of my initial problem along with Tim's solution.


My email to Ring Engineering:

I bought two RailPro starter kits in January 2015 at the Springfield train show and although I was planning to start using RailPro shortly after, life got in the way and tons of projects around the house delayed everything. I'm finally done wiring my layout and installed a PWR-56. Because the two HC-2 had been sitting in the box for a year, I'm having issues charging them. I left them charging overnight and, besides a very brief flickering of the screen, I still have a dead screen. I'm having the same issue for both HC-2.
 
After reading the HC-2 user manual and other information on the Unofficial RailPro Users Group forum , I am aware of the following:
 

* “If your HC-2 has been plugged in for 1 hour and the charging screen has not been displayed, then press the reset button (See the section “Operation, Reset Button” for more information) on the back of the unit.”
* “If you press the reset button and try to charge a HC shortly after pressing the reset, the HC will not charge properly.  It will display "Done" charging and the battery charge indicator will show a full charge but it will drain quickly.  Since the reset causes the HC to display nearly fully charged it will only allow a short charge and turn off (This is a safety feature to prevent resets and over charging).”   

Both HC-2 are unresponsive whether they are plugged in or not and even after I press the reset button. So far, I have tried the following:


* When I unpacked the HC-2 for the first time, I left them charging overnight. The screen was dead and the “charging” screen never appeared.
* The next morning, I pressed the reset button as described in the HC-2 User Guide (page 25). The screen on both units flickered briefly (I did see the charging screen for less than a second) and both controllers have been unresponsive since.
* After pressing the reset button, I’ve let the units sit for several hours before charging them again. Still dead.
* I’ve plugged and unplugged the PA-1 several times and pressed the reset button a few more times trying to get a response from the HC-2 to no avail.
I’m not sure what to do next. Would you have further instructions that I should try before I have to send both HC-2’s back to you for repair?


Here's Tim's reply:

Hi Joel,

Sorry for the trouble.  It sounds like you may have some of the first production run HC-2's that had a problem with the code that could prevent them from charging if left to go completely dead.  They can be recovered by doing the following:

The reset button needs to be held in for up to an hour.  The way to accomplish this is like in the picture below.  You can cut off a toothpick to the length in the picture below (note: about 1/2 inch) and insert it in the reset hole.  Then gently press the handheld down until you hear or feel the reset button move.  It moves very little about 1/32 of an inch.  Please do not press too hard because you can damage the reset button.  Then leave the HC charging for an hour then remove the tooth pick (charger still plugged in).  The screen should light up and say charging (note: I had to unplug the PA-1 and plug it back in for the screen to light up).  It will not fully charge from a rest.  So after you use it a few minutes you will need to charge it again. After that it should be working as usual.  After it is charging and running a long time on a charge, then update the software to prevent this from happening in the future even if the batteries become very depleted.
 
If you do not want to do this you can mail it to us and we will get its program updated and send it back to you.  If you do this yourself you should be up and running in about an hour.  Once again if, this is the problem you are experiencing we apologize.  Very few HC's have had this problem and once again with the newest program this problem is solved.  Please let us know your results because we are vary interested in happy customers.   Please contact us if you have any more questions. 

Tim

Ring Engineering Inc.

KPack:
Great information.  Thanks for posting it!

Have you tried the reset trick, and did it work out for you?

-Kevin

JJ Crooke:
Yes, the toothpick trick did work! After letting both of my HC-2's charge for a little more than an hour with a toothpick pressing on the reset button, I removed the toothpick, unplugged the PA-1 and when I plugged it back in, the charge page displayed on the screen. Both HC-2's are now fully charged.

William Brillinger:
Excellent, thank you for posting this!

It's post like this that make these forums so valuable.
and I'm so glad to be part of this community!

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