I wonder if there's another way, perhaps more accurate, than the 'obvious': Use a stopwatch to time the travel path. Use the SMPH feature on your 'best'/most accurate MTH engine. Finally, use DISTANCE = SPEED X TIME [plus the necessary conversion factors]. Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to ask!
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It could if it had a positioning system. Unfortunately, both command systems lack this. In fact if either system had a very accurate positioning system,that is if it knew where any engine/car was on the layout at a given moment,you would not need DCS at all. Instead a simple slave board in all the engines could be run by a central CPU or logic controller. Collision avoidance would be automatic and sound units could be run through external speakers,not in the engine.
An external system would be more accurate since it measures actual distance traveled,not skewed by wheel slippage.
Dale H
Phil,
Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to ask!
On the contrary, there is an easy way to do so. Simply use the "Measure Route" (FMR) engine soft key from the ENG screen to bring up the Measure Route Menu.
It's listed in Appendix D: Soft Key List, PS2 ENGINE CONTROL SCREEN SOFT KEYS on page 207 of The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition.
This and a whole lot more is all in "The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition", now available for purchase as an eBook or a printed book from MTH's web store site! Click on the link below to go to MTH's web page for the book!
Hi Phil,
As Barry said, you can use the measure route feature. This will return a measurement in 1/10th scale mile increments at the end of the measurement. Alternately, you can use the trip odometer. This gives a continuous readout in 1/10th scale mile increments, which can help you judge partial 1/10ths for a more accurate resolution. FYI, 1/10th scale mile equals 11 feet of real world track length.
Dave,
Alternately, you can use the trip odometer
Agreed. That would be the"DTO" soft key, which also is listed in the table on page 207 of The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition.
"FYI, 1/10th scale mile equals 11 feet of real world track length."
This brings up a question that mystifies me and others at our club.
If a scale mile is 110' of real world track, and our layout has a loop that's just about 110', then...
setting the scale speed on an MTH loco at 2 smph, it should take half an hour for the train to complete a "once around the track loop", yet...
it doesn't take a half hour, it gets there a lot faster. Hmmmmmmm....
Ed
Or, another approach:
If we set the train at about 15 smph, it should go around the track 15 times in an hour.... it goes around a lot more than 15 times in an hour. Hmmmmmmm......
You might try a different engine. Make sure that it's an original PS2/PS3 and not one that's been converted to PS2.
Further, how much is "just about" in actual feet?
It's close to 110'. Maybe between 105' and 115'.
Just eyeballing it while trains are running, it seems like a train running at about 15smph will go around the track in about a minute - that would be 60smph.
Next time we're at the club, I'll get a more precise set of figures, but even ballparking it, it seems like the math doesn't work.
Ed
Ed,
My main loop is just about one scale mile within a foot or two. For a train to make it around that loop in a minute, it really has to be flying. It would never make it at 15 smph on one of my DCS engines.
I would take some exact measurements and do the math. I have found original (not converted) DCS engines to be extremely accurate in measuring distances.
Jim
VERY HELPFUL...Thanks, guys!
Thanks guys, My head hasn't gotten around this thing yet, but I'll check the details and see what's going on.
When we discussed this at the club, everyone seemed to agree that the math doesn't work, but I'll get more accurate data.
If I set an engine at 5 smph, it should go 550' in 60 minutes. Or 55' in 6 minutes. Or 11' in 72 seconds. I'm gonna try that! I currently only use DCS on my Christmas layout and the trains run slow, but it seems like they would go farther in 72 seconds. My "internal clock" must be off! 
Phil: Hope I didn't take this too far astray...
Jim: Please clarify your comments....'Seems to me that:
1. 60 smph should take 1 minute. That's not "flying". ??
2. 15 smph should take 4 minutes....Much less than "never".
Phil,
I'm not sure what you're saying about my post. I think you misread it.
Yes, 60 smph means it would travel 1 scale mile in one minute. That's the speed I referred to as "flying" without mentioning the actual 60 smph speed.
At 15 smph, I said a train would never make it around the one scale mile loop in one minute, as Ed said that his did. It should take 4 minutes to go that one scale mile at 15 smph.
Jim
It's close to 110'. Maybe between 105' and 115'.
Just eyeballing it while trains are running, it seems like a train running at about 15smph will go around the track in about a minute - that would be 60smph.
Next time we're at the club, I'll get a more precise set of figures, but even ballparking it, it seems like the math doesn't work.
Ed
Next time at the club, try the Measure Route or Trip Odometer functions that Barry and Dave suggest to confirm the engine "thinks" your loop is 1 scale mile (110' of track). The DCS speed control systems and the odometer are intimately linked using the flywheel stripes for metering. If the speed is off by X%, then the odometer will be too.
Well, I TRIED to do it, but failed.
1. None of my engines have FMR or DTO as a soft key.
2. When I press MORE, i DO find one called MEASURE ROUTE.
3. When I click on this, the screen comes up, saying MEASURING ROUTE, whether an engine is moving or not.
4. When I click again, it says ROUTE = 0.0, even if the engine has gone 50 feet.
So, I still can't 'connect' the measurement with the engine.....More help needed.
Jim: So it's simply semantics....The words you use vis a vis what they mean to me. No biggie.
I thought the the purpose of the fly-wheel striping was to have consistent measurements from engine to engine so that linkups occur flawlessly; meaning that each engine is moving at the same speed.
This measure route is a no-brainer for the engine.
Phil,
When I press MORE, i DO find one called MEASURE ROUTE.
That is the FMR soft key. You only see the abbreviations when the soft key is one of the first 16 in the list.
Phil et al,
I just spent a few minutes in the train room and can report that both Trip Odometer and Measure Route are both alive and well in my engine's soft key lists. Further, they both work quite well and agree with each other.
However, the two functions soft keys have slightly different functions. The Measure Route function is a "one-time" measurement while the Trip Odometer is cumulative.
Use Measure Route as follows:
Use Trip Odometer as follows:
Thx, BB. I thought I did all of that. I'll try again tomorrow.
I thought the the purpose of the fly-wheel striping was to have consistent measurements from engine to engine so that linkups occur flawlessly;
Correct, but there are variables that affect the speed besides flywheel stripes specifically, gear ratio and driving wheel diameter vary among locos. Two identical locos should travel at same speed.
Robert,
Ideally, all PS2 and PS3 engines should travel at the same set speed. The parameters in the sound files are intended to adjust for differences in gear ratios, driver size, etc.
Barry, I assume your statement is limited to MTH-built locos, and does not include other brands upgraded to PS2. There are also tolerances.
Robert,
I assume your statement is limited to MTH-built locos, and does not include other brands upgraded to PS2.
Of course. With upgrades, all bets are off.
Sure wish it measured in feet and, or inches, seems like that would really be handy. Shouldn't be to hard for the MTH people.
Clem;
Since the system controls in Scale MPH, Scale distance is easy, feet and inches is not.
Yes, they can have the system do the math for us but I for one prefer they use the memory for more functions, not conversion software.
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