DCS newbie

Nick,

I pretty much agree with SJC, howsoever, I can add a little to what he said.

B. Whatever you do, make sure to purchase only the latest new DCS set from an authorized MTH dealer, regardless of price. The latest Rev. L TIUs are much improved over all earlier TIU models. Further, TIUs and DCS Remotes all typically items that you cannot easily repair yourself. The factory warranty, available only from an authorized MTH dealer, is very important.

Nick:

I'll add one thing to get; Buy the DCS Companion by Barry. MTH sells it on their website. pdf or paperback versions.

This book contains more about DCS than all other sources combined.

Yes, it is written by the Barry who posted above.

I agree with the above comments.  I would recommend against buying any used equipment.  I would recommend going the full system route from the start---remote & TIU.

There is a good chance that you can use your old transformer, if you have one.  (I have a two 65 year-old Lionel ZWs & a KW, along with a new MTH Z4000, running my DCS system).  Some of my DCS hardware is original issue hardware the software in which I have upgraded so that I have exactly the same functionality as does a new system.  But, I agree with Barry that if spending money, be sure to get the Rev L, which will bear a "Rev L" sticker on the bottom.

I do not recommend for or against any particular dealer, but Barry is correct on getting from an authorized dealer to get the full factory warranty.

Glad I caught that recommendation. I've been shopping on line for a DCS set and most of what I have seen on auction sites are used or much older equipment sets than rev L. Still, these fetch in excess of $200. Your recommendation to Nick tells me to wait and spend a little extra to get a new rev L set.

The others offer good advice. I would definitely go with a brand new 50-1001 DCS system with the warranty and Rev L TIU from an authorized MTH dealer. I would support my local hobby shop (LHS) if you have one and they are an authorized MTH dealer. Your LHS will come in handy if you have any problems or need assistance with your new system. If not, purchasing from one of the forum sponsors here would be supporting this forum and help to keep it online for all of us to use.

Also as Russell said above, I would also recommend Barry's book, The DCS O Gauge Companion available from the MTH website of Amazon. That will answer almost any questions you might have and help you to get up and running. Lots of good info there.

Thanks for all of the advice. One question, What does rev L mean?

Nickstrains

Nick, the first TIUs released by TIU about 14 years ago are called "Revision G" although that label did not appear on them.  They had some issues and most were repaired and modified by MTH under warranty.  (I have 2 that were so modified and still use them) MTH came out with further revisions, H & I, which had heavier components and internal fuses.  They have now come out with Rev L which uses a different signal generator that gives stronger signals.  Accept nothing else.

Oh yes, all versions exceot Rev G have a sticker on the bottom with the Rev letter.

Unfortunately, all LHS's are not created equal, nor have they evolved into equality.

Nick,

I too am just getting into DCS, my first crack at command control after 45 years of conventional control.  I purchased my 50-1001 Rev L brand new from an LHS for about $100 less than MSRP a little over a month ago.  I have the Barry's book and it is helping me along.  I also bought the O Gauge Railroading Magazine DVD where Rich Melvin guides you through.  The combination of book, DVD, and this forum has been a triple play for me. I still have a long way to go, as I am a little slow picking up on new technology.  Pretty sad for a guy who has been working in the field of electronics, controls, and telecom for 38 years.  ;-)

I think you will love DCS.

Thank you for your replies. I don't have a LHS but was thinking of buying it online. What online hobby store would have it and be the least expensive?

Nickstrains

Price can be determined by on-line search and comparison.  I would venture that most of the largeradvertisers in OGR are probably reliable.  We all have our own preferences.

Then how about supporting an OGR forum sponsor? Nassau Hobby, Pat's trains, Mr Muffins trains are all forum sponsors (more in the banners at top of page). These are all reputable dealers and offer discount pricing. Although these dealers do offer great pricing, a good dealer or hobby shop is worth a lot more than low price is you have any problems with your purchase. Bad news is the DCS systems are in short supply right now, but will hopefully be available again soon (I think they said summer at the MTH York presentations?).

Also, when will I be able to control my layout from my phone. I think I should wait for that to be official before buying a system.

I believe they are saying later this year for the apps. I think Mike Wolf talks about it in this video:

TCA York MTH Presentation

The initial app for iOS should be out in about a month. It's in  beta testing and is looking good (I'm a beta tester). It was demonstrated live at the York DCS User Group meeting last month. It will be free, and will do a lot more than a DCS Remote Commander but less than a DCS Remote.

The paid-for app should be along this Fall, hopefully by October York. However, there are no guarantees as regards delivery dates. It is supposed to be more capable than a DCS Remote.

Android versions are supposed to be out about a month after each iOS version.

Barry, Do I have to have a certain rev in order to use my phone to operate the trains and other stuff?

Nick,

Do I have to have a certain rev in order to use my phone to operate the trains and other stuff?

No, it should work with any TIU and DCS Remote hardware> However, I'd recommend that the DCS software be at DCS 4.20 or greater.

For the iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPad Mini, iPod Touch), I believe that you'll need to be on iOS 7 or newer.

Barry, do you have an extra DCS system that I could buy?

Nick,

No, I do not. I have spares, however, that's just what they are.

Beides, my spare TIUs aren't Rev. L's, I'm not a dealer and I can't offer you a warranty. Those are 3 reasons you shouldn't buy from me!  

Could I buy a DCS system now and it will be compatible with the wifi or should I wait. Also can a Kindle fire hd control my trains when the app comes out?

Nick,

Could I buy a DCS system now and it will be compatible with the wifi or should I wait.

That's up to you.

The existing TIU with the addition of a wi-fi (or wired Ethernet) adapter should be roughly equivalent to any newer model TIU.

There's no predicting if, or when, a newer-model remote will be made.

Nick,

I have received an e-mail from an online dealer that claims to have just received DCS systems. If you want, I can forward his information to you.

I'm not looking to buy one at the moment and I'm not sure how I got on his email list but It may be worth a call, providing these are the new units and they're really in stock.

Edited to add......$309, shipped, Continental USA.

Marty W

Marty,

Every dealer who had DCS sets on backorder got their orders filled last week. DCS will be easy to purchase until these supplies run out, which most likely will be rather quickly due to the pent-up demand.

If someone wants one, they should get it while they're still available.

Thanks Barry, I wasn't sure whether the new ones were in stock as I wasn't looking. It was just funny to receive that email earlier today. That's if they are the new units, his email doesn't say which rev they are. Some dealers, still have new old stock like the dealer near me still has old revs on his shelf.

I'd hate for this guy to get a "new" DCS system that could be new old stock, might have warranty but still might not be a rev L.

So far my call from this store remains unanswered.

If I were the customer and didn't know the dealer, I'd at least make sure I was getting a rev L before placing the order.

That's why I snapped one up last week. No more DCS Commander for me. I'm graduating to full "big boy" DCS.

FWIW, I spent months overhauling the wiring on my layout but it's still kind of a buss mishmash with drops all over the place from the Atlas switches. Was very suprised to see 9's/10's around the layout when I checked signal strength where I had 2-5's previously.

Thanks for info, but, Can I, When the wifi box comes out, run trains on a nook, kindle, or anything that doesn't have a "Contract."

Nick,

If it runs iOS, yes, you can. This would include the iPod Touch and wi-fi only iPad/iPad Mini, neither of which require a contract.

When the Android version is released, you can should be able to run it on anything that runs Android.

Will be getting a DCS system after my dreyfuss is repaired.

I just got your book, Barry. Very in depth detail. Thank you for writing the book.

Nick,

Thank you for writing the book.

Thank you for purchasing it!