any one use the MTH Z4001 remote system to control their Z4000

Not much to the instructions, here they are.

Don,

If you do, do the handles need to be turned on for the remote to have the transformer apply power to the track

Yes, I do use it.

No, the handles do not need to be moved at all. All 3 of my Z4000s are underneath the layout.

"All 3 of my Z4000s are underneath the layout".  Barry, with your Z4000s under the layout how do you operate in DCS?  I'm wrestling with the issue of placing my Z4000s on a moveble surface in order to reach the handles.

Barry Broskowitz posted:

Don,

If you do, do the handles need to be turned on for the remote to have the transformer apply power to the track

Yes, I do use it.

No, the handles do not need to be moved at all. All 3 of my Z4000s are underneath the layout.

Thanks Barry, that is what I was thinking.

Am I correct to assume then that if the Z4000 has a failed pot that using the Z4001 would work around that issue since the pot in the handle is not being used.

Thanks for the help,

Don

Anybody have one to sell ?

philg posted:

"All 3 of my Z4000s are underneath the layout".  Barry, with your Z4000s under the layout how do you operate in DCS?  I'm wrestling with the issue of placing my Z4000s on a moveble surface in order to reach the handles.

 

Both our Z4000s and both Lionel 180 Bricks, plus the two TIU devises are all "under the layout". Whenever we are going to operate, I first turn on the the master power switch on the wall, then move the handles on each Z4000 to 19 Volts. Everything else comes on with the main power switch. Even with the Legacy and TMCC bases "under the layout" we've never had any issues.

Phil,

with your Z4000s under the layout how do you operate in DCS? 

I leaved all 3 Z4000s, and everything else on the layout, turned on with their individual power switches. All of the Z4000 handles are in the lowered position and they stay that way as I operate the layout.

One master power switch turns on the layout. I then use Z4K  Tracks to manage power on the actual TIU channels.

I have lighted power-on indicators to denote when each TIU channel is putting out power.

I never have to touch or even look at the Z4000s. This is discussed in all off the editions of The DCS Companion.

This and a whole lot more is all in “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition!" This book is available from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at OGR’s web store!

Don,

Am I correct to assume then that if the Z4000 has a failed pot that using the Z4001 would work around that issue since the pot in the handle is not being used.

I honestly don't know.

Phil, Barry is using the Z-4000 remote receiver, so he can remotely set the power.  He still has to crank up the handles from the remote.  Technically, he doesn't touch the Z-4000 itself.

AHA!!   And so the kimono opens. So Barry is using both the Z4000 remote and the DCS remote.

Thanks, John.

Well, the DCS remote will talk directly to the Z-4001 receiver, so he doesn't really need the transformer remote.  I sold my remote, just kept the receiver since I can use it with the DCS remote.

Each Z4000 must have one of those Z4001 "receiver" units plugged into it, in order to be remotely controlled; correct?

John,

I really don't wish to hijack this thread, hopefully others are finding the exchange informative.  I found use of the Z4000 remote receiver and/or remote to be unreliable. Two Z4000s, each with a receiver resulted in unpredictable control. However, I'm interested in knowing which DCS remote commands one would us to communicate with the Z4000 receiver. 

Hot Water posted:

Each Z4000 must have one of those Z4001 "receiver" units plugged into it, in order to be remotely controlled; correct?

Correct, and the remote controller talks to as many as three of them.

philg posted:

I really don't wish to hijack this thread, hopefully others are finding the exchange informative.  I found use of the Z4000 remote receiver and/or remote to be unreliable. Two Z4000s, each with a receiver resulted in unpredictable control. However, I'm interested in knowing which DCS remote commands one would us to communicate with the Z4000 receiver.

The one that I have worked fine for me, but I haven't used it extensively as I run command 98% of the time with Lionel bricks.  

In order to control the transformers from the DCS remote, you configure Z4K Tracks.  If you have Barry's book, it's on page 97.

John,

This has been like a Rosetta Stone for me. Thanks for the great information. Until now I found this and a few other areas of Barry's book confusing. 

Phil, John, et al,

FYI...

• I've been using 3 Z4000s with receivers for 12 years with never any reliability issues at all. Thew only issue of any kind is that, very occasionally, when adding an engine, a Z4K Track would shut down. However, that seems to be corrected with the newest DCS 5.0 TIU code.
• I never have to touch any of the Z4000s. Period. They come up when the layout is powered on because their individual power switches are always on. Their handles always remain in the lowered position.
• To turn on any of my 6 Z4K Tracks, I enter on the DCS Remote:
  • TRK
  • Scroll to a Z4K Track (or press a Z4K Track # which is one digit),
  • Press thumbwheel
  • Scroll to desired voltage. In my case, that's 1-click to go right to 18 volts. A a total of 4 presses/clicks.
• To turn on all of the 6 Z4K Tracks at once, I enter on the DCS Remote:
  • TRK
  • Press the ALL soft key
  • Scroll to desired voltage. In my case, that's 1-click to go right to 18 volts. A total of 3 presses/clicks.

• The limits is not 3 Z4000s. One can have multiple Z4000 handles on the same Z4K Track so the actual number of Z4000s that can be included in a single Z4K Track is, literally, "infinite".  

     This is all discussed in detail in The DCS Companion 3rd Edition.

Barry Broskowitz posted:

This is all discussed in detail in The DCS Companion 3rd Edition.

Page 97, right?

CHOO-CHOO MIKE posted:

Anybody have one to sell ?

Yes I do--actually two.  I wrote your listed email.

Barry,

I thought it was just me doing something wrong. But, you've had the same issue of the Z4K track occasionally  shutting down when adding an engine. Nice to know it not me!!!  I've used the receivers for over 13 years now with very good success save for the one mentioned.  Joe