Anyone else break thier thumb-wheel on your DCS remote more than once?

Chris I've shaken that bear paw you call your hand, so I don't know why it's only been 3 or 4 thumb wheels LOL! I've broken 1 so far out of 4 remotes that I use.

I've broken mine twice I believe - possibly 3 times. Can't quite remember as it has been a number of years.

I dropped mine once and half of it broke. The wheel was sitting on a slight angle but it still was functional. Got one at YORK at the MTH Parts booth and put it in works great.

Three remotes and no breaks.

quote:

Chris I've shaken that bear paw you call your hand, so I don't know why it's only been 3 or 4 thumb wheels LOL!

Gees Paul; That's what I am beginning to think. Maybe MTH needs to make a remote for us guy's with gorilla hands!

I just got mine back around the first of September and haven't broke it yet, but after reading about you guys that have I've almost got the yips every time I scroll the thing.

Is it because of pushing down too hard or because of scrolling too fast?

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Lonero:

quote:

Chris I've shaken that bear paw you call your hand, so I don't know why it's only been 3 or 4 thumb wheels LOL!

Gees Paul; That's what I am beginning to think. Maybe MTH needs to make a remote for us guy's with gorilla hands!

Hey Chris your not the guy at Fed Ex stamping fragile on boxes with a 16 pound sledge dipped in ink are ya???

I haven't broken a thumb wheel yet but I figure it's just a matter of time.

Like I said before if the new redesigned DCS hand held doesn't have a rotary knob like the legacy MTH didn't do it's homework.

David

What breaks on the thumb wheel mostly is the frame the thumb wheel sets in and that is from pushing too hard.

When the thumb wheel breaks, can it be fixed or do you have get a new DCS remote?


Rick

quote:

Originally posted by Kane:
When the thumb wheel breaks, can it be fixed or do you have get a new DCS remote?


Rick

It can be fixed by replacing the thumbwheel assembly.

What does the fix cost compared to buying a new DCS remote?


Rick

I have two DCS remotes and never had a breakage problem with them. However, I do find that thumb wheel to be kind of awkward for my old hands to manipulate. Once talked to MTH about changing the design and they said that they were working on an improbement. I seemed to think that it was kind of a "bat handle" that you would push in one direction or the other to increase or decrease speed.

As to the "Quillable whistle" control, I think they need a separate handle, lever or slide to operate that. Too many functions for one control can get pretty confusing for an old guy.

Paul Fischer

Thanks, SJC and Paul. Good information to have...


Rick

I picked up a couple spares but have not had to use them yet.
I think it was OGR had an article on replacing them a few years back anyone recall what issue??

Now here is the size thumb wheel that would work for me!

Entering route names does them in for me. It's the pushing of the wheel that seems to break them. I think I'm close to wearing out my second one.

The problem I have with the thumbwheel is that it is too slippery. If the wheel material was a bit gripper, it wouldn't be necessary to press on it so hard while trying to turn it.

This one detail has baffled me for years. Had I been the product designer, this is the first thing I would have refined, since the thumbwheel singularly defines the user experience.

REDESIGN, anyone?

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Voth:
The problem I have with the thumbwheel is that it is too slippery. If the wheel material was a bit gripper, it wouldn't be necessary to press on it so hard while trying to turn it.

This one detail has baffled me for years. Had I been the product designer, this is the first thing I would have refined, since the thumbwheel singularly defines the user experience.

This is my No. 1 question since joining the Forum recently. My problem is if I press the thumbwheel too lightly, my thumb slips over the wheel. If I press it too hard, it goes into Quickset mode and I lose control. I spend most of my time licking my thumb and waiting for the skin to dry to the point where I get the friction I need to scroll the wheel. Drives me crazy and really makes the wheel messy. Has anyone found a solution to this?

Here you go Chris.

Chris,
I have broken mine and have not had it fixed yet, I am waiting for the new
hand held remote to come out to purchase it, then I will send the old one in to be rebuilt.
PCRR/Dave

quote:

I have broken mine and have not had it fixed yet, I am waiting for the new
hand held remote to come out to purchase it, then I will send the old one in to be rebuilt.

That is what I was thinking but I think a new remote is still going to be a long wait. Something else broke while I was taking it apart "again" and even with the new part it was D.O.A "OK. I'M done" I had this one for six years so I figure it didn't owe me anything so I picked up a new one. When we do see a new remote I'll have this one around for a spare.

Chris,
Send your old remote control in to be rebuilt, from what Barry indicated, its not all that expensive and you will eventually have 3 remotes for multi visitor running, a way cool option for your layout.
As I have indicated before, the under engineered remote is the one big gripe I have with MTH. Its the most used piece of gear and needs to be upgraded to a much higher quality.
PCRR/Dave

LOL!

Going to replace one how do you get the controller apart?? I know there was an OGR article but will never find the magazine??

 

kj356

 

Jim's article is in the August 2010 issue on page 87.

 

- walt

That is exactly the problem I have been experiencing.  About 70% of the time when I advance the thumbwheel, it goes to "Quickset Speed" mode.  It doesn't do this most of the time when scrolling in the reverse direction, but it's a real pain in the rear end in moving up from one speed to the next.  The wheel concept is probably okay, but the wheel itself does not provide the necessary grip to make advancing in easy (without pushing down too hard).

I don't have trouble with my three remotes. Had the oldest two changed to the new thumb wheel, seems to work better. Wish the quickest speed wasn't even there, that can get annoying. Maybe move to a soft key? 

Coupla years ago, Bill (from Billville), posted a neat DIY repair for a broken thumbwheel.  Involved shoring up the plastic frame the thumbwheel sits in by glueing plastruct as a brace.  He posted a step by step picture tutorial.

Anybody broke a handle on their PW ZW even just once?

 

Pete

 

Yes

MENU/SYSTEM/REMOTE SETUP/QUICKSET SPEED/OFF

 

I had to change my thumb wheel once. I can understand why it failed because I do tend to be a little rough on hand controls.

 

But, what Allan said above is true. I even thought about by-passing the set funtion on the thumb wheel with a N/O push button.  I chickend out, but I do remember someone posting that they successfully did it a few years back.

When you take the unit apart you will see that it's not that big of a deal to do. But I already ordered the new thumb wheel before I took the hand held unit apart. It was tempting though because the only thing that did not work on my unit was the set function.

 

If and when MTH gets around to updating their remote I hope they do just that. I really think such a modification alone would eliminate many of the problems we have.

 

In fact, I plan on bringing it up at York in April. Boy, I bet that will be the first time they heard this one.

Twice but it wasn't hard to repair.

I got mine apart and changed the thumbwheel which actually was not broken took about 20 minutes to do it all once I figured out how to get it apart.

 

If you do not like the feel of the thumbwheel if you get a new replacement wheel they are much better not as slippery as the orginal wheel a very easy and quick fix.

 

Now the reason these break is the that you have to push down to select.

On looking at it why not skip this feature just glue the thumbwheel in place and cut off the little tab that activates the select button.

In stead line up and drill a hole and put in something that fits to activate the select button it looks easy to do I might do it some time when I get some time.

Looks pretty simple and quick to do.

 

Did the thumbwheel replacement on a 2nd remote I picked up only after opening it noted the plastic cover was warped and actually the thumbwheel had just fallen out of place as the cover was warped a little glue and it stays in place well.

 

If anyone is looking to try to get the cover open it is easiest once the screw is removed inside the battery area to try to pry out the top section starting from the battery area working down to the bottom of the controller sliding a screw driver along the edge seemed to open it easiest.

For those wanting more friction, I took a jewelers file and made small notches across the wheel. Now it works great.

Also, recent thumbwheels have a more knobby appearance, I have not tried one but that may also help.