DCS Remote problem

If you are speaking of the scroll wheel click function- then you may have a broken bracket.

That bracket does 2 things, it holds the thumb wheel but also allows you to press down on it and the bracket flexes and then a tab on the bracket presses the select button that is hidden and only pressed when you press on the thumb wheel and it transfers the force. The bracket can crack and thus not press the button no matter how hard you press.

They also sell the entire assembly making the repair a lot less tedious.

BG5000000 THUMBWHEEL ASSEMBLY / DCS REMOTE $23.00/ea

https://www.mthpartsandsales.com

Also see https://ogrforum.com/topic/dcs...-red-and-green-wires

Hello Vernon,

I think you have solved my problem!! After I get the part and install it I will let you know. I took a close look at my scroll wheel and the right side of it has sunk and is lower than the left side. Thank you so much for responding to me. I was afraid that the TIU was the problem, and it still may be, however, maybe not. This is a more simple fix and not as expensive.

Harry W Eisaman

Vernon,

You are correct!!! Took my DCS Remote apart and the cradle that holds the wheel is cracked. Once again we have been let down. With the amount of use the remote gets by both adults and children they should have made the cradle out of metal. I ordered a new Thumbwheel/Cradle assembly from MTH Parts and will let you know about everything when I get it put back together. Again, thank you so much for your help. This is a wonderful Forum.

Harry

@Vernon Barry posted:

If you are speaking of the scroll wheel click function- then you may have a broken bracket.

That bracket does 2 things, it holds the thumb wheel but also allows you to press down on it and the bracket flexes and then a tab on the bracket presses the select button that is hidden and only pressed when you press on the thumb wheel and it transfers the force. The bracket can crack and thus not press the button no matter how hard you press.

They also sell the entire assembly making the repair a lot less tedious.

BG5000000 THUMBWHEEL ASSEMBLY / DCS REMOTE $23.00/ea

https://www.mthpartsandsales.com

Also see https://ogrforum.com/topic/dcs...-red-and-green-wires

At that price, I wonder if someone should 3-D print them.

I'm guessing that MTH will run out of them eventually.

If I'm not mistaken but in order to replace the cradle you will need to unsolder the connections from the remote board.

When the cradle broke in my last remote, I used JB Weld to mend the break and shore up what I thought were a few other weak spots. Didn't have unsolder or remove the wheel from the cradle. Turned out to be much stronger in the end vs. the replacement cradle.

Thank you for your information. What is JB Weld and where do I buy it? I may try your method if I feel uncomfortable with trying to solder the new part to the existing board.

@Williamm posted:

Thank you for your information. What is JB Weld and where do I buy it? I may try your method if I feel uncomfortable with trying to solder the new part to the existing board.

JB Weld is a 2-part epoxy.  Buy it at any hardware store, home center, or big box.

If you're not familiar with it, I suggest doing a little practice before using it - it can be challenging, messy, and permanent.

Given the price of the thumbwheel cradle, I can't see where trying to save a couple of bucks on this repair is really warranted.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Given the price of the thumbwheel cradle, I can't see where trying to save a couple of bucks on this repair is really warranted.

Factor in the value of stress / frustration for de-soldering the wires, removing / installing the wheel assembly (not easy if it's your first time) and re-soldering the wires. You save a couple bucks, have better (stronger) cradle than the one you were going to buy, and the skill of using a little epoxy is much more common than the procedure of replacing the cradle. Your cradle can be repaired in 24 hours as you don't have to wait for a new one to arrive in the mail and you'll have extra JB Weld left over for a multitude of other projects.

@Mallard4468 posted:

If you're not familiar with it, I suggest doing a little practice before using it - it can be challenging, messy, and permanent.

That's good advice, I'd recommend using a small fine paint brush or a disposable detailing pick for this application. It doesn't take much as JB Weld is pretty strong stuff when cured.

I agree with Gunnrunner cradle is cheap enough so why not just replace the cradle expecially  the part is not that expensive! also have noticed some remotes you have to press harder on cradle, but most remote you hardly have to press at all . pressing to hard is what brakes the cradle in the first place!

Alan

MTH did have the whole wheel for sale as a part.  G

Hi mthpartsandsales.com still has the thumbwheel assembly see part number above picture piece is $23.00 plus shipping! Alan

BG5000000

I think it's been mentioned that the cradle or plastic frame is not that well designed for fatigue. After I had the same failure and repaired it I stopped using the "Quickset" function and am more careful and deliberate when I press down on the wheel. I also recall GRJ mentioning that an optical reader would have been a better design choice. That said, I mostly really like the DCS remote. Just wish it could also control the TV during football season. Yesterday I had the DCS remote in one hand and the TV remote in the other. I noticed my engine steaming through the wrong switch setting and on a collision course and pressed "pause" on the TV remote. It didn't end well.

Thank you Scott. MTH spent a lot of money on building great trains but they did not do the same with the DCS remote. They dropped the ball when it came to designing the wheel system, the most used part of it. I wonder how many cracked cradle we had out there that went unresolved because people gave up. Other than the wheel and cradle debacle I also love my remote. Good luck with your remote.

Thanks to all of you for some great information! I will wait for my cradle to arrive and also buy some JD Weld. I will then say a prayer and launch into the wonderful world of repairing stuff that should have been designed better from the manufacturer.

P.S. I hope I am using this OGR Forum system properly. Have not had much experience with it. Have been trying my best.

It serves 2 functions.  Rolling wheel bi directional, but also a push button for triggering.  So even an optical sensor would need to be in the plastic craddle, or a separate select button would be needed.  A TV remote has 3 buttons to do what your thumb does with one.  Scroll and press. G

@GGG posted:

It serves 2 functions.  Rolling wheel bi directional, but also a push button for triggering.  So even an optical sensor would need to be in the plastic craddle, or a separate select button would be needed.  A TV remote has 3 buttons to do what your thumb does with one.  Scroll and press. G

It would need some kind of spring function, but it could have been a pivoting cradle with a spring and switch that would have stood the test of time.  Flexing a plastic cradle was a design that was destined to fail, especially since it can be over-flexed before it hits any stops.

Take apart most mice with a thumbwheel and you'll see the kind of mechanism I speak of.  They've managed to do that design for many years before the DCS remote appeared, so I don't know why MTH didn't replicate that idea for something that was much more reliable.

I have project that is still in the research phase of adding a button to the bottom of the remote you can press with your index finger in leu of pressing the scroll wheel.

Haven't spent a lot of time on this but need to find a micro switch small enough to fit what little clearance is available and where to solder on the pcb for the "select" button.

@H1000 posted:

I have project that is still in the research phase of adding a button to the bottom of the remote you can press with your index finger in leu of pressing the scroll wheel.

Haven't spent a lot of time on this but need to find a micro switch small enough to fit what little clearance is available and where to solder on the pcb for the "select" button.

Why not put it on the top of the remote?  I picked up the remote and it seems more natural to between the BELL and MENU buttons for the function.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Take apart most mice with a thumbwheel and you'll see the kind of mechanism I speak of.  They've managed to do that design for many years before the DCS remote appeared, so I don't know why MTH didn't replicate that idea for something that was much more reliable.

Not to mention the parts availability for an off the shelf mouse scroll wheel is higher and cheaper. They didn't need to reinvent the (scroll) wheel, just integrate someone else's part into their remote.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Why not put it on the top of the remote?  I picked up the remote and it seems more natural to between the BELL and MENU buttons for the function.

Well, one could drill small hole in the top of the remote and add some extra rubber on top of the hidden button so that it could be pressed next to the scroll wheel.

Between the bell and whistle button would be nice but there is zero clearance inside the case so the button would have to go on the outside with wiring routed in. That may work but would look a little odd and makes assembly of the remote more difficult.

Well, one hopes after the installation that you wouldn't have to take the remote apart again!

Also, a little button like this isn't much thicker than the plastic on the front of the shell, so cutting a recess for it would probably come close to a flush mount.  Bend the leads out straight, trim them shorter as needed, and run the wires from them.  A couple layers of Kapton tape behind it after gluing it, and it's done.

A clean look would be a nice round hole just for the button. The problems are, the button housing may still be too thick to fit below to remote housing and the round button would need to be longer to extend past the remote housing. The later of these issues is easier to solve.

OR

Cut a square hole the size of the button housing and flush mount it withe remote housing. You'll see the button housing on the face of the remote but need less clearance inside of the remote and the only the round button would protrude past the face of the remote housing.

I like option two more.

Does the use of the MTH App on your Smart Phone eliminate the use of the DCS Remote completely? If it does I need to get the App and put the DCS Remote back in it's box for good. I have avoided the MTH App because I liked the Remote. It's failure is a hassle that I do not want to go through again. Just opening the Remote to get to the inside to repair the wheel is unbelievable.

@Williamm posted:

Does the use of the MTH App on your Smart Phone eliminate the use of the DCS Remote completely? If it does I need to get the App and put the DCS Remote back in it's box for good. I have avoided the MTH App because I liked the Remote. It's failure is a hassle that I do not want to go through again. Just opening the Remote to get to the inside to repair the wheel is unbelievable.

For sure the remote does not like to be taken apart. I recall that I was really surprised at how difficult it was -- at least for me. But, I haven't had a problem since. I just don't use the Quickset speed feature and try to be slow and deliberate pressing the thumb wheel. Before that I was hammering away at it. Would be kind of neat based on what has been discussed above if there was a DCS remote upgrade kit. It would include a different case that comes apart easily, a better battery compartment cover, and a redesigned cradle for the thumb wheel. Cost, $50 (?) and I would buy 3 of them right away. That's day dreaming but I'm one of the ones that wants nothing to do with operating my trains from my phone. I operate my trains to GET AWAY from my phone.

Despite the nits, I love the DCS remote. Ergonomics are awesome. Feedback via the LED screen is excellent and the button arrangement is easy to interface with. Most of the time I don't have to look to see what command I've selected. I saw one NIB on eBay for $290 and snapped it up immediately.

@H1000 posted:

A clean look would be a nice round hole just for the button. The problems are, the button housing may still be too thick to fit below to remote housing and the round button would need to be longer to extend past the remote housing. The later of these issues is easier to solve.

OR

Cut a square hole the size of the button housing and flush mount it withe remote housing. You'll see the button housing on the face of the remote but need less clearance inside of the remote and the only the round button would protrude past the face of the remote housing.

I like option two more.

That's what I'd do.  FWIW, I also have the same button style with a taller button, they were for the Fastrack switch programming buttons that were crapping out.  There are tons of similar buttons available on a variety of sites, so surely something that worked could be found.

Hello Folks,

My MTH DCS Remote works again. I fixed the crack with JB Weld and all is well. Thanks to all who gave me the information to fix it. I also ordered a new cradle with thumbwheel from MTH Parts so I would have a spare if I needed it in the future.

@Scott J posted:

For sure the remote does not like to be taken apart. I recall that I was really surprised at how difficult it was -- at least for me.

The first time a remote comes apart, it's a bit of a PITA and there is a lot of squeezing and wiggling involved.  If you take it apart again, it's considerably easier.