2234220 Not Responding to Commands

That's wrong right off the bat.  If you press ENG and then "9", "9", you should the startup and shutdown icons on the keypad.  Are you sure that engine 99 is configured to be Legacy in the CAB2?  What happens if you open the throttle, it should then wake up and run even without using the startup.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

That's wrong right off the bat.  If you press ENG and then "9", "9", you should the startup and shutdown icons on the keypad.  Are you sure that engine 99 is configured to be Legacy in the CAB2?  What happens if you open the throttle, it should then wake up and run even without using the startup.

I knew something was wrong when after pressing 99 (for the ENG ID) I didn't see the Start up icon on the keypad.

I'm not sure what the default ENG ID is. I thought I read somewhere the default ID of 99 is pre-programmed from the factory (that's why my "LCS ID Assignments" document says "Universal ID - NEVER ASSIGN" for ID 99").

The Owner's Manual has the following sections:

LEGACY Controller Operations

Using the Bluetooth LionChief App

Using the LionChief Universal Remote

TrainMaster Command/Control Operations

Conventional Transformer Operations

I've verified the loco does work with conventional transformer.

On page 4 of the User's Manual it says to press END ID # 1 (or your selected ENG ID#) to address the locomotive with your CAB 2 Remote Controller.

Tomorrow I'll try ENG ID # 1 and see if it responds that way.

I'll report those results tomorrow.

UPDATE: I tried using END ID # 1, but that was already assigned ( need to change that!)

So I programmed the loco to ENG ID # 3. That works.

I wonder what the default END ID # is? It used to be 99. Did Lionel change it to 1?

Also, now that I have it set, when it's running the remote shows "CAB1 MODE". Is there a way to change that to default to the  loco name - in this case AMTRAK 203?

The loco number I entered was 203, but the remote shows 0203. Is there a way to eliminate the leading zero?

Looking at the LCS Owner's Manual starting on page 56 I see mention of setting engine type, and several other engine specs. Is this necessary?

Trust me, the "all" engines code is still #99.  Don't know why there's a leading zero, my CAB2 doesn't do that.

@gunrunnerjohn - Wonder why the loco would not accept ENG ID # 99. I know nothing is assigned to that number.

Maybe there's a problem with my remote?

@paulp575 posted:

UPDATE: I tried using END ID # 1, but that was already assigned ( need to change that!)

So I programmed the loco to ENG ID # 3. That works.

I wonder what the default END ID # is? It used to be 99. Did Lionel change it to 1?

Also, now that I have it set, when it's running the remote shows "CAB1 MODE". Is there a way to change that to default to the  loco name - in this case AMTRAK 203?

The loco number I entered was 203, but the remote shows 0203. Is there a way to eliminate the leading zero?

Looking at the LCS Owner's Manual starting on page 56 I see mention of setting engine type, and several other engine specs. Is this necessary?

All engines should come as ID1.  ENG 99 is an ALL command for Legacy engines.  You do not have a Legacy engine. It's a LC+2.0.  That's why it won't respond to 99. (GRJ has corrected me and says this should work as well.)

I you want to name, set the type, set the control type, and road number you will have to enter that information manually per the instructions on the page you pointed out.

@MartyE posted:

All engines should come as ID1.  ENG 99 is an ALL command for Legacy engines.  You do not have a Legacy engine. It's a LC+2.0.  That's why it won't respond to 99.

That would be incorrect Marty, LC+ 2.0 engines do indeed respond to #99.  I tried both the LC+ 2.0 0-6-0T from a couple years ago and an RS-3 from last year.

However, if the engine type is Legacy, they won't respond, that  may be the real problem.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

That would be incorrect Marty, LC+ 2.0 engines do indeed respond to #99.  I tried both the LC+ 2.0 0-6-0T from a couple years ago and an RS-3 from last year.

However, if the engine type is Legacy, they won't respond, that  may be the real problem.

Thanks for the correction.  I didn't know they had this functionality not owning one.

Surprised the snot out of me when it fired up with #99, so I tried it on the older LC+ 2.0 0-6-0T and it worked there as well.  To round out the test, I tried it on a Polar Express LC+ 2.0, it also works there.  It appears that capability is universal with the LC+ 2.0 board.

Actually, for any Lionchief Plus 2.0 models, you want it on ANYTHING BUT Legacy, LC+ 2.0 won't see a Legacy startup command.  If ID 99 is configured for Legacy engine type, the LC + 2.0 engines will stay silent.  Any Legacy engines, OTOH, will startup for #99 no matter what type of engine ID is configured.

From where I am sitting, this entire story sounds like a scenario where a user bought and paid for a Legacy 990 CAB2 and base, and given today's prices that is a huge $$$$, and yet, really has not yet learned to use $10 worth of features.

This is like buying a house, and only using a closet.

I know that is harsh, but realize, again, that's the facts and this affect you the owner and user more than me typing this.

I understand this is a lot to learn, reading the manual is a pain, this can be confusing to the beginner, but at the end of the day, this entire topic of understanding default ID 1, is different then ALL engines ID 99, and the difference between LEGACY commands VS TMCC commands for a given ID in the CAB2 is important. This is the kind of stuff to master.

By default, the CAB2 IDs in a blank database are set to CAB1 mode for compatibility reasons. But let's not kid ourselves, you bought a CAB2, not a CAB1, use higher modes of operation to enhance your functions and instead of looking at only numbers and having to memorize what they do or mean on the keypad area- step up to at least TMCC mode.

I'm not trying to make fun of anyone. The goal is to give you a nudge, explore these topics, and get some value out of that Legacy 990 set and CAB2- and really your engines and layout. We all could use a nudge and learn more, this is nothing more than that.

Again, sorry for the "tough love", but you need to spend some time with videos and reading the manual, and master the CAB2.

Example video from Dave, but there are hundreds on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDiZKWZJXSs

Again, understanding how to set and access the "Control" tab of the settings for a given ID is something you should strive to master

Even me, I'm not yet getting my full value and there are entire subjects in Legacy I too should learn and master. This is just as much reminding myself to push my own limits, and learn and get the value I paid for from my Legacy as a whole.

@paulp575 posted:

I haven't programmed the loco into the remote. Was trying to use default ENG ID 99 (instructions in the LEGACY System Owner's Manual says all engines will respond to ENG ID 99 - they say that's why you should not use ENG ID for any engines; I haven't).

When I press the red button on the remote, it turns on.

Then I press the ENG button (last button on the row of buttons below the screen.

Then I press 9 and 9 on they keyboard to supposedly tell the remote that's the loco I'm controlling.

No "Start up" button shows up in as the first item on the bottom row of the screen.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong. I think I may have already programmed some locos into the remote, but they are not on the track.

Again, as I see it, the failure is:

#1 using the all engine 99 ID address as your testing or not sure address on a brand new Lionchief 2.0 engine hoping to run it without actually following the proper programming steps to set up an individual ID. I would generally keep ID 1 in my CAB2 at TMCC mode, and use it as a best guess for testing an unknown engine as this ID and mode is more compatible IMO.

#2 Not knowing or not sure how to validate the mode of a given ID in the CAB2 remote, coupled with the fact that knowing if an engine is even capable of decoding the Legacy commands VS TMCC commands. Lionchief Plus 2.0 might be the same control board as recent legacy, but they use a LC+2.0 specific firmware that limits to TMCC commands only. Again, the basic premise that is extremely important when using the CAB2- know what you are sending (TMCC VS Legacy) and know what the engine is capable of understanding (Legacy VS TMCC) for a given ID # slot in the database.

#3 Because there appears to be some lack of understanding of this whole mode and how that changes the CAB2 display "No "Start up" button shows up in as the first item on the bottom row of the screen." My impression is, you are not getting the full value of owning a CAB2 and properly setting it up for each engine, and why the icons change with modes and all those fun extra features you probably are missing. Even if I wrong and you do know some of that, then knowing what mode the remote was displaying at the time you got the "No "Start up" button shows up in as the first item on the bottom row of the screen." is settings and usage of the CAB2.

Again, at the end of the day, the error and state of using ID 99 and it not working with the LC+2.0 also appears you may have changed the mode to Legacy in ID99 "I think I may have already programmed some locos into the remote, but they are not on the track."

Again, it could just be a mistake of taking shortcuts, but it also appears you were not aware potentially that sending Legacy flavored commands will not be read by a TMCC capability only engine. Even simple commands such as startup- but also more importantly the "set" button also would not work when setting the ID in the engine (sending a Legacy set command vs TMCC set command).

Worded another way, when using the CAB2 and Legacy to "program an engine", you are BOTH

• Setting up the engine to store an ID and then listen for commands using that ID(program VS run mode) along with the "set" command sent from the remote. I cannot stress this enough, this is a process where the engine must be powered and set in program mode, and then receive an ID and the correctly "flavored" "Set" button command to store the ID in the engine.
• but you are also configuring or programming that ID "slot" and mode (TMCC commands VS Legacy commands) into the database that the CAB2 uses to change it's display and settings. Again, depending on the mode of a given ID, the all important "set" button command is TMCC VS Legacy specific. So really, you need to do this first, and ensure the remote is sending the correct command types before expecting the engine to be programmed. If you are not sure- then default to TMCC as even a Legacy engine will accept TMCC flavored commands.
  

And that's the real difference. The old way with CAB1 and CAB1L, they (for the purpose of this discussion) only sent TMCC commands and thus were compatible and "set" would always be the TMCC version and thus always work to an engine regardless of Legacy or TMCC. But the CAB2 is special, and IDs can be set to other modes, and all the buttons used in that mode are sent using that command flavor (legacy VS TMCC).