Charging battery PS 2.0

Wally,

When I set one engine on the track w/ 14V to charge the battery, should the engine be "shut down" or does it need to be "live"?

Either way is fine.

I don't have a charger; should I get one?

Yes, you should. It's better to not put hours on the electronics while charging the engine's battery. I reccomend MTH's batery charger so that you don't need to remove the batteries from your engines to charge them. It may be found at this link:

www.mthtrains.com/content/50-1019

 I have PRR GG-1, NS SD70ACe, and CSX FP40H, all PS 2.0. Should they all have charging posts/receptacle?

The earliest PS2 engines did not have charging jacks. Thes engines should be chaged on the rails.

The next generation of PS2 engines had 5 volt boards with 8.4 volt batteries and round charging jacks.

The third and final generation of PS2 engines had 3 volt boards with 2.4 volt batteries and rectangular charging jacks.

The MTH charger will charge both types of batteries.

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!

Thanks much Barry. So much to learn and so little time! I did buy your book and you signed it at York in October. I spent some time looking for the charging thing and didn't find it. Maybe when I'm less tired and look more carefully. Your book has been very helpful after first "getting the (incomplete) dope" from the owner's manual. I still have the "dead" problem with my J1e Hudson (2000 vintage) so I'm going to seek out a trained MTH service guy. There's apparently a good one near Asheville (about 2 1/2 hrs).

A "new" problem has occurred: I combined my new MTH CSX F40 with my reliable NC SD70ACe on my large over and under loop; when they got just past the over/under pass

(on two parallel parts of the same loop) they both went dead in their tracks. Maybe a "magic light bulb" needed? foil in the cab? What?

Thanks once again,

     Wally, near Charlotte

Wally,

 when they got just past the over/under pass (on two parallel parts of the same loop) they both went dead in their tracks

That sounds much more like an electrical problem than a DCS signal strength problem.

When a PS2/PS3 engine loses the DCS signal, it just keeps on doing whatever it was previously doing. If signal strength was the issue, the engines wouldn't just stop, rather, they would keep moving and ignore the DCS Remote's commands.

FYI, the battery charger is referenced in both editions of my book. In the second edition, it's discussed on page 162 with a picture on page 163.

I can't help with that stalling issue, but I definitely do recommend getting the MTH charger.  It doesn't cost much and it's worth it's weight in gold as far as I am concerned.  Most larger MTH dealers have the charger in stock (or at least did).  I bought mine from B&E Junction in York, PA, some time ago.

Wow! The saga goes on. I've had three DCS engines "go bad" on this over and under loop. The power is a 275W ZW with a 7.5 amp fuse in line to the TIU. I have four home-run leads to the track, no breaks in the middle rail to form blocks (I laid the track before I read the book). The track has 18V everywhere and no apparent shorts. Barry's book has ideas but I can't seem to track this one down. I added and ran the latest engine (CSX FP40), but when I went to run it a second time the remote said no engine on track.  Hmmm. I placed it on my Remote Commander track; it fired up but wouldn't budge. No commands (lights, sounds, locomotion) would follow the remote input. Is it time to take my patients to a service station? I feel I need to "clean up" the track layout. Befuddled, for sure. Any more ideas?

     Wally 

How do they run in conventional?  If they all run fine, the problem is not the engine(s).

Hello Barry

did not mth, have a kit to put a charging port in the early ps2's

Dick,

did not mth, have a kit to put a charging port in the early ps2's

Yes, it was #50-1022 Proto-Sound 2.0 Locomotive External Battery Charger Kit. It can be found at the following link:

  http://www.mthtrains.com/content/50-1022

How exactly do the chargers work on the new 3v ps2 systems. Do they fit in the rectangle charging jack on the 3 volt boards straight from the wall outlet. I only see manuals for the circular jacks. so which one is meant for the non circular jacks.

Liam,

I only see manuals for the circular jacks. so which one is meant for the non circular jacks.

Look at the picture. There are two wires, one for each type of jack.

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!

PS3 does not need a battery nor does PS2 or PS1. Rather than add jacks and charge batteries,I suggest installing an appropriate BCR and forget about batteries. The technology for using batteries for memory backup is antiquated. Why not simply update your equipment.

For information,click below.

www.Jandwelectronics.com

Dale H

Make up a bulb with alligator clips and make sure you're getting power by checking inner & outer rails all along the area.  Often one will have areas where the outside rails are both dead due to switches, but cars in the trains will bridge the gap.  Deadheading or use of short locos may fail to bridge the gap.