9volt - ps2 help!!!

Tom,

You might be able to find somebody here who can repair the 5v boards but chances are slim.  The upgrade kit is about the only way you will get the boards from MTH.  The plugs are different on the 3v boards that come with the upgrade kit but you can just remove the black ones from your old board and install them on the 3v boards because the pins are the same.  You will also have to replace the battery and the speaker with the ones that come with the upgrade kit.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Dave,    Thanks for the info. I am going to try and find someone who will take a look at it before going the replacement route. Thanks, Tom

What I have done is look for any older PS-2 engines made before 2004 that you can get cheap that works. The just swap out the board and load the correct sound file. I have picked up several engines that way for the $150 range.

MTH also sells a 3V board with the 5V connectors but you still have to replace the speaker and battery just not the lights.

I prefer the 3V board to the 5V board.  If you don't have a spare in hand, you might as well get the 3V board as the replacement.

As far as the 5V connectors, you can pull the connector bodies off the dead board and replace the ones on the 3V board and make it compatible with the connectors.  As Paul says, you still have to replace the speaker and the battery connector.

Tom,  I can test your board, I can also provide you the correct parts if you can't come up with the upgrade kit.  You can contact me via e-mail.  I am a MTH ASC.   I can also do the change out if you rather not.  Comes with warranty that way.  G

Tom, After some thought, have you tried this in conventional?  Before giving up on the board it needs to me tested in conventional and do a conventional feature reset.  1W and 5B.  If it works in conventional, go back to DCS and try again.   If it doesn't respond attempt an Engine Recovery.  Try the recover several times if it doesn't work the first time.  Use a test track if possible.  G

Thought I said that

You did Dave, I see that.  I was responding to Paul, didn't look closely at your reply.

Do you hear the faint relay click when you initially apply track power?  You should get this click whether in conventional or command. 

If you don't get the click, then there is a slim chance the wiring between the pickups and the PS2 board came loose or whatever.  That would be a preferred event as you might be able to remedy this by inspection.  The not-so-preferred situation is if you don't get the click but you see the engine drawing power such as the current readout on the Z4K going up when the engine is on the track. 

Separately, if it is a hardware problem and GGG can't fix it, I'd consider waiting for the PS3 upgrade.  Yes, no one is holding their breath for the PS3 kit but PS3 is the current technology and has features that make it worth it IF you can handle the uncertain delay...in my opinion of course.

What features of PS/3 justify waiting for it over the PS/2 upgrade?  It's going to be quite a bit more work from what I see, but the performance differences seem to be pretty small.  I'm discounting the DCC capability as most of us will never use it.

John,

The real advantages of PS3 over PS2 are:

• Improved signal strength when used with Rev. L and future TIUs
• No battery
• Ability to upgrade engine Flash memory
• More feature implementation possible, e.g., front and rear ditch lights
• More prototypical, e.g., Rule 17 lighting
• Much more memory for larger sound files, allowing for much higher fidelity sounds, as well as more of them
• LED lighting.

Thats what comes to mind at present

I know about the LED lighting and no battery, but that didn't tip the scales.

As far as the "more features possible", does that imply that I can actually add them, or only that MTH might add them to some sound set in the future, same for Rule 17 lighting?  What does the ability to upgrade engine FLASH give me?  How does that differ from the Sound file loading?

So far, the few PS/3 locomotives I've seen, and the single one I've got, don't have any significantly better sound than a PS/2 locomotive, so I've yet to see the benefits.

John,

As far as the "more features possible", does that imply that I can actually add them, or only that MTH might add them to some sound set in the future, same for Rule 17 lighting?

MTH for sure, operators, perhaps. The important thing is that the capability exists.

What does the ability to upgrade engine FLASH give me?  How does that differ from the Sound file loading?

The sound file capability modification of the operating parameters of the engine. The Flash modification of the functions and features of the engine, such as by adding a playable whistle.

These are software upgrade capabilities that reside in no other modern (or any other) engines except PS3.

Thanks Barry, just wondering what the features are.  It does sound like it would be nice to have, especially if they start to allow the customer some flexibility in handling options.