Electric rr co. board with DCS

Make sure that the ERR board is defined as an engine rather than as an accessory. The DCS Remote can only operate the ERR Mini Commanders as engines. I have about 2 dozen cars converted and they all work perfectly under DCS.

So I set it up using the TMCC commands with legacy remote.

Eng + 5 + Set

AUX1 + 5 + BRAKE +1

Not mentioning power on off sequence.

Then for DCS the following is confusing. I'm new to using DCS.

"DCS

Operation under dcs can be initiated by adding the milk car as a TMCC Engine(which I understand)."

"When selected, using any one of the soft keys except (AX8/9) under the LCD will operate the car." (Point of confusion)

 

According to Ken at ERR you have to use a cab to set it up. Which I've done. The DCS key sequence doesn't make any sense to me.

 

Legacy commands function properly.

 

Can you clarify, with key sequences. Like I've mentioned my operating reefer does the same thing.

 

Regards,

winger

 

It's been a while since I set up any of the ERR's as engines.

 

If you use the Cab-2 to operate the car as an accessory, you set it up wrong for use with DCS. In order to work with DCS, it must be setup as an engine. I seem to recall that the default is to set it up as an accessory, which is wrong for DCS.

"When selected, using any one of the soft keys except (AX8/9) under the LCD will operate the car." (Point of confusion)

 

Are they referencing the S1 through S5 keys. I have rev L and nothing is under the AUX key (Future Use). I Do have an AX1 and AX2 but that's all for the
Ax buttons.

 

Ps. Bought your book. Thanks for you research and effort. Looks like it going to be a great asset.

 

Regards,

Mike

Call ERR. Tell them you need to know how to setup as an engine.

Winger,

 

I also have the ERR board for my milk car. It works perfectly using either my TMCC or DCS remote. 

 

I have had no issues using my MTH remote. It's VERY early here in California. Give me a couple of hours and I will take it out and send you the details on how to program it for DCS.

 

As Barry said, and as I remember, with the DCS remote, you have to set it up as an engine. Then when activating the milk car with the DCS remote I think you have to use the uncoupler button, don't exactly remember for sure, that is why I have to go set it up on my layout.

 

Just because you set it up in TMCC, doesn't mean it will automatically be set up in DCS.

 

Once set up in the DCS remote and in the Lionel TMCC remote, I can use either one to active the milk cans.

 

As for Ken at ERR, he has no experience with DCS. ERR is a Lionel Company. The board was designed a long time ago. I have always had great experience when dealing with Ken when it comes to Lionel TMCC/Legacy issues. Very knowledgeable. 

 

I'll get you the info if Barry doesn't beat me to it.

 

RAY

Winger,

 

OK here is the set up and operation for the Milk car using the MTH DCS remote.

 

1. Go to ADD ENGINE

2. ADD TMCC

3. NAME, name your car, I used the car type "MILK" and number

4. TMCC ADDRESS, enter the TMCC address you set up for the car

 

You are now done.

 

To activate the car, with the DCS remote, first make sure you have it up on your ENG listing. To activate the milk cansr, use the "Labor - Drift" rocker switch by pushing down on "DRIFT REV DN". 

 

Let me know if this solves your problem. 

 

I doubt it is a bad board.

 

RAY

I'm going into detail to figure out what's going on.

I activate programming mode with a switch with while turning power on.

With legacy remote I enter eng +21+set. Then AUX1+6+Brake+1. I cycle power off for 10 seconds. I re-apply power and select eng 21 press AUX1 and it works.

 

With Dcs I add Engine as TMCC Address 21 and save.

I select eng 21. Then this is where it goes wrong.

I've tried the Laor-drift rocker and about every other button on the remote and nothing happens. Do I need to hold down the program switch with DCS?

 

MIke

Mike,

 

I think I know the problem, and I know BARRY can chime in on this as well.

 

So with your Legacy remote, you assigned the milk car as Address 21, that is fine.

 

With DCS, when you set up the "ENGINE" as I had noted in my last posting, under #4, you assign the "ENGINE" with ID 21. HOWEVER, DCS does NOT use the TMCC ID as the engine assignment number, that is, engine 21 in this case. 

 

Once you complete the set up of the "ENGINE", you need to scroll through your engine listing on the DCS controller and locate the "ENGINE" by the name you called it, ie MILK CAR as an example. DCS  will assign it's own ID to that "ENGINE", so it could be, say, ENGINE 9, not 21.

 

In my case, I set up TMCC ID 74 with my Legacy remote. When I entered the car into my DCS remote, I did show the TMCC ID as 74, item #4 previous posting, but the DCS remote assigned my milk car as ENGINE 9. 

 

So whenever I use my DCS remote, I go to ENG, look for MILK CAR, and see it is assigned #9, I then select it, and I'm good to go.

 

Make any sense out of what I just stated? 

 

RAY

 

 

DCS assigns TMCC engines to the lowest available (open) slot on the dcs remote. This location is not the tMCC address of the engine or car in question. You have to enter it(TMCC address) when  the list of TMCC addresses  shows up after naming.

Deleted engine and added it again. The TMCC address was 1. Do I have to activate the program switch on the car when adding it to DCS? Nothing works. Cab 2 works fine from the AuX1 with eng 21 selected.

Mike,

 

Set up TMCC as per book instruction, which I think you already did. Once you do the programming with you Legacy remote and you are done, more the switch from Program to RUN.

 

When you go through the process of setting up any TMCC or Legacy engine/car with your DCS, you leave the Program/Run switch in the RUN position. DO NOT move the switch on any TMCC engine to PROGRAM when using DCS. Just set up the engine as I noted in my earlier posts:

 

1. Go to ADD ENGINE

2. ADD TMCC

3. NAME, name your car, I used the car type "MILK" and number

4. TMCC ADDRESS, enter the TMCC address you set up for the car with the LEGACY controller.

 

You should be good to go. Try that and let me know.

 

It sounds to me that you run both TMCC/Legacy and DCS. I run both systems as well as I have several MTH PS2 engines and more TMCC/Legacy engines. Whenever I run TMCC/Legacy, I use my Legacy controller. If I run MTH PS2, I use my DCS remote. I never run both at the same time, and I stopped using my DCS remote for any of my TMCC engines. Really don't like it.

 

Since you have a Legacy Remote, why not just use the Legacy to control your milk car and an other TMCC engine. Then use only the DCS to control all your MTH equipment.

 

If you don't have Barry's book, "THE DCS O GAUGE COMPANION", I highly recommend it as it helped me a lot, and when I get stuck, Barry and others are there to help all of us.

 

RAY

 

 

 

 

Ray I have the book. The reason I'm looking into the DCS, is because I have a co-worker who uses DCS and I'm doing the pioneering for him.

 

Your last post step 3. You said type MILK and number. Which number? TMCC address?

Then which keys activate the milk car? Got a couple of different offerings on which keys to press.

On  step #3 when you name the car (milk and number) The number means nothing , perhaps it's the number on the side of the car. Dcs allows you to name it anything you want.  

It's the next step that's important when the list of TMCC addresses comes up. DCs wants to know what TMCC address is used when running with the cab-1 or cab-2.

One last thought... You do have the TIU / command base or legacy base cable?

Mike,

 

Step 3 is where you give the engine/car a name and number./ Any name and number you want, has nothing to do with TMCC ID.

 

So in step 3, for me, I named car "MILK CAR" and gave it the number printed on the side "3662".

 

The "NAMING" is only so one can find the engine/car on the screen of the DCS remote when scrolling down the list of many engines one may have, and then select it.

 

As Gregg said, step 3 naming and number is what ever the individual wants to call it and has no other meaning.

 

What Gregg did write in his last sentence is very important and I did not ask it: I assume you have the Lionel base (either TMCC or Legacy) connected to the MTH TIU with the proper cables as noted in Barry's book?

 

RAY

 

PS let me know if you have any other questions and hopefully tell me it's working.

 

 

Ray, we may have found the issue! I do not have the 2 systems connected together! I guess I thought DCS would run Tmcc separate from the legacy base! I don't see a benefit for doing this! Not good for people with DCS only!

Mike

To all who responded, Thanks! Especially Ray who took his valuable time to call me.

 

Seems some DCS rookie(Me), didn't have the 2 systems connected together. After watching Erick Segal youtube on DCS and TMCC I realize my mistake.

 

Purchased the cable now everything is fine.

 

Regards,

Mike

 

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