The following are the questions I submitted to Lionel. Jon Z's answers are in red!
I would like to ask if Lionel could make a screen in cab1 mode to show volts. When running in conventional some of my engines like a certain amount of volts and I cannot see what the volts are when I turn the red knob. The way it is now is a trial and error.
> >We do not have a way to translate a speed step to volts. Each remote power supply has different speed step selections and profiles. When the ZWL ships, the Legacy bar graph will give you the percentage of voltage delivered to the track. Some great feedback for our marketing team would be to upgrade our power products, ie: TPC; to Legacy so the bar graph would be applicable. Stop by the Lionel booth and give the folks input so we can get you more Legacy support across the board!
I'd like to know what plans Lionel has for Crew talk and Tower Comm? The dialogue has been dumbed down a bit. I'd really like for Lionel to get back to unique cab#'s and some more meaningful dialogue in the sound set. For example in Steam engines I'd rather have communication between the fireman and engineer about what they are doing in the locomotive. I think that would be more realistic and pleasing to hear.
>>Crew Talk and Tower com will not have road names or number callouts unless it is a Vision locomotive. We have been given lots of feedback from the community that “Talking Locos” are not prototypical, and to tone down the dialogs. We have, and my decision as CTO is our Tower and Crew talk are fine as delivered, and no plans to change are in process. To change the paradigm, we have added sequence control and much more variety in the tower and crew talk dialogs. Our locos are more feature rich than any time in our history of Command Control, and more to come with our IR transmission on the belly of the loco.
Are there any updates planned in the future so that we could have more than one recording?
>>Not in the Legacy Remote. When the IR Transmission receiving tracks arrive, they can record sequences, and the sequences will have a track specific point to activate (when the loco crosses the receiving track). Our eventual goal is to have the Loco react to your layout. Where the realism is driven from the terrain the loco encounters.
Will Lionel be introducing new serial devices in the future or is the strategy to replace the current devices with wireless devices like the SC-2?
>> We need to upgrade the Serial infrastructure to Legacy compliance. The Serial drive levels have been a topic of discussion; and with the Legacy infrastructure upgrade, this concern would be banished. We have a plan to resolve the drive levels this year, and make the infrastructure available with not only improved drive levels, but functionality enhancements. These enhancements will support all of the newer serial related functionality, such as the IR transmission receiver track.
Is there any chance we will see a Legacy compatible ARC?
>> No plans to update the ARC as designed for TMCC. However, the goal is worthy. As alluded above, when the IR Transmission receiving tracks arrive, they can record sequences, and the sequences will have a track specific point to activate (when the loco crosses the receiving track).
Is there any way to display the commands being processed through Legacy? It would nice to be able to put the CAB-2 in a mode where it displays all of the commands being transmitted.
>> Sorry, this would take quite a bit of work, and the benefit is simply not there unless you are into the techie details. One could receive the Serial Data from the base, decode, and display on a computer, and some folks have done as much. Perhaps a forum discussion would generate results on this front.
What is the best way to report a problem so that it is researched and addressed? For example, the vision-line operating stock car when added to a train will begin a sustained screech after running for a period of time. When it is not added to a train it works fine. This could be a problem with a particular unit, but it is more likely a problem with the software which may only reveal itself in the specific configurations, i.e. linked with specific other engines and accessories. Calling generic CS doesn’t work very well for this type of problem.
>> Please send the concern to “Talk To US” attention to Engineering. While we can’t always fix the problems, they do get logged and addresses on any upgrade to Legacy, or to the products. Your feedback is helpful, which is why we monitor the forums, and created the process (LSU) to allow field upgrades of the Legacy system. Specifically to the car operation question, when in a Train the brake squeal is to play when the Train Brake is applied. Removal of the Train brake will stop the sound. If the car does not respond in this fashion, it may be malfunctioning.
Next 3 are related to the LSU software…
Will LSU ever support off-line editing?
>> No, not for the foreseeable future. Off Line editing creates a host of problems for the infrastructure as designed. We tried this approach originally, and had all sorts of database corruption that made the process too complicated to deliver and be useable.
What are the future plans for the LSU software? Train editing, accessories, switches and routes editing?
>> We will upgrade the utility as time permits. As a free utility, only a certain amount of bandwidth is available to place resources in this utility. I would like to see all of the configurable selections in the Legacy system be editable by LSU.
Are there plans in the near future to expand the utility to allow the editing of accessories? How about saving and loading CAB-2 recordings?
>> I believe the editing question is answered, so I will respond to the recording question. The Recordings are stored in the CAB-2. As such, the LSU cannot access them. The LSU only operates on the Legacy base.
And last the future of Legacy…(Hints welcomed)
Can you share anything new that maybe coming down the pike in form of Legacy accessories, add-ons, or developments?
>> I believe I let the “cat out of the bag” to a large degree already in the above answers. The future is exciting, and we are creating lots of cool and exciting proof of concept designs in Dr ZW’s Lab. Many things in our lab will become products in the coming year, with many more products to make the hobby fun coming. So keep buying Lionel Products, so we get the R&D budget! In return, I promise Lionel will keep bringing you the latest in conventional and command products to promote the Worlds Greatest Hobby !
And some additional information from Mike Reagan!
A question from email...
I just had my Legacy Base returned after getting the charger repaired The note from the technician told me I was using the wrong rechargeable batteries and to not use them again. They gave me a new set of the stock batteries (GP2500 1.2v 2450 mAh). The batteries I was using are Sanyo eneloop rechargeable batteries. they are 1.2 v 1900 mAh and are widely considered the best rechargeable batteries on the market right now. So my question is, what are the proper batteries to replace the rechargeable battery in the CAB-2? Can we get a list of good batteries to use in the CAB-2?
This is a long explanation. Basically the GP batteries use a trickle charge. Other commercially available batteries use a different method (forget what it is called). Anyway, commercially available batteries end up getting hot in the Legacy charge circuit and go into fail mode (two simultaneous flashing red lights). The GP batteries that come with the set as well as the green metallic wrapped rechargeable batteries that Radio Shack sells works well in the Legacy handheld.
Mike also informed us that parts from all premier steamers circa 1999 and up are available and more to come. If it shows unavailable email them. It might just not be in the system yet.
Lionel Customer Service open house is Saturday August 18th.
Some additional items that Jon Z gave us... 1.5 will be available in the fall. So far it includes multi-engine module capabilities and...ready for this... better response of the feedback function. As someone who experienced a weak feedback remote I can confirm it works great!
Mike also gave us some info on 1.4 including additional control of the ZWL.
The battery charging circuit has been improved in all shipping Legacy Systems and Lionel CS continues to service Legacy Systems under warranty as Mike realizes w/o Legacy Systems, Lionel cannot sell engines. The charging circuit woes are continued to be addressed on older systems.
Videos from Mike and company continue to be a success.
Black Modules should be heading to the LHS soon. Around June.
Systems shipping with 1.4 should not be downgraded. 1.4 also contains some code for a new screen and touch pad. The previous touch pads and screens were no longer available and a new source was needed. The 1.4 code adds support for those screens.
Additional info from Jon Z....V1.4 handles a different display (changed in current Legacy set production) and adds the ZWL and R100 modes. The ZWL fix was mainly to allow the DIR button to return power to the track. As you may note, the CAB-2 sends out a speed 0 when a DIR change happens on locos. The ZWL would have not returned the voltage with this command; so we twekaed the commands to allow the ZWL to return the track voltage with DIR.
We demo'd the LSU software and covered the multi-engine module, and creating system modules. We demonstrated making both a Cab and System module using 1 module. We also showed how the base is backed up and restored.
Steve Musso talked about his experiences with Dale Manquen's MANCO Serial Booster. This is a solution to help drive the serial data for TMCC items suchs as ARCs, Bock Power Controllers and TPCs. Steve related how the MANCO Booster helped a friend achieve smooth operation of these items which were suffering from a lower signal drive from the Legacy base. Information on Dale's Serial Booster can be found here! Thank you Steve and Dale for the great information. Flyers were made available at the LUG meeting! Jon Z said it was a good solution until Lionel releases the products with improved drive levels.
All future system upgrades will be handled via download and the Black Modules.
Anybody in attendance that can add or correct some of the discussion please do so. My memory isn't what it used to be. My intent in the fall is to video the LUG meeting ala Scott Smith and let the video speak for itself.
A good meeting that covered a lot. Mike covered a lot.
We would especially like to thank Mike Reagan and Phil and the entire CS team for their continued support. Jon Zahornacky, Rudy, and the entire Legacy team. We would also like to thank everyone at Lionel for their continued support of the Legacy system. The Lionel Beta testers who continue to find the bugs so we don't have to. Special thanks to Paula and the staff of Alexander's! And finally we would like to thank everyone who attended, whether a Legacy user or someone just starting out!
FIN
Thanks to the Mayor of Lionelville Phil Monroe for these photos!
Not a very flattering picture.
I think Phil isn't quite awake yet...
Yes Virginia there is a Will Allen!
Many thanks to Mike Reagan for joining us!
There's always one bored Postwar guy in the crowd!
Going over the questions submitted to Jon Z.
Steve Musso talks about the Manco Serial Booster from Dale Manquen.
A close-up of the serial booster.
Mike fields questions from the group.
After the meat of the meeting we broke up. Some folks stayed behind to see the LSU software. We went over making system modules and engine modules. We also demo'd the multi-engine module.
Sounds like there should be some neat stuff coming down the pike.
