Engine not on track message

Brian:
Thanks for the reply. After four hours of chrging using the 50-1019
charger, the sound continues in conventional after the removal of track power.
However now I can't find the engine listed among the engines and I get the "no
DCS engines on track" message.

Now continuing charge until morning.

Al

After about 11 hours charging, put the engine back on track. Still no DCS engines found. Went to menu and added engine. Now locomotive responds to the DCS control.


Al W.

Replace the battery.
It may be better to just insert a BCR. Twice the battery price but ends the issue forever.

Hugh:
As I said I am not a fan of BCR's. Perhaps I should have used stronger language
about BCR's. I fail to see why the extreme interest in BCR's exists for PS2 locomotives. For PS1 locos ok.
THe battery is holding a charge and the loco is fully functional in DCS (and conventional).

Al W.

One of the "fixes" for the loco may well have been Barry's book and I will attend to that very soon.

Al

hi Aiw i had this problem before and it was the tiu . but non of my mth engines would run in command mode.

quote:

Originally posted by Al W.:
Hugh:
As I said I am not a fan of BCR's. Perhaps I should have used stronger language
about BCR's. I fail to see why the extreme interest in BCR's exists for PS2 locomotives. For PS1 locos ok.
THe battery is holding a charge and the loco is fully functional in DCS (and conventional).

Al W.

Al, please advise us of what the final fix is.

I just suggested the BCR. I am not a big fan of BCR's either but in early PS2 9V applications it is a winner. Have not had your symptoms on any 3V engines yet. but those batteries are not that old yet.

BTW, just because a battery holds its charge at 9V does not necessarily mean it is a good battery. You can tell that it is a good battery by placing a bulb (of right approximate voltage rating) across the terminals. If it stay lit at the same brightness for 60 seconds it is a good battery. If it dims during that period or goes out, battery is bad. It may still read 9V or 3V as appropriate.
Cheers!

Hugh:

The battery was charged and I re-entered the locomotive in the remote. This is all it took to solve the problem. I say re-entered but somehow the loco had disappeared from the remote. So when I entered it the second time the fix was "on".

As for batteries. nine volts is nine volts HOWEVER some times we don't understand enough about what is really happening to know the problem. For example, I have found that some of my TMCC locomotives are very fussy about the brand of battery. I have found that Panasonic batteries do not work in my TMCC engines but Everyready batteries do work. The problem may be internal resistance of the batteries o it may be something else. Is 9 volts 9 volts?

BTW, I do load test the 8.4 volt batteries with a 82 ohm resistor.

AL W.



a

Two 9V rechargeable from the same company, Radio Shack, are not the same, one is 8.4 and the other is 7.6 volts I believe. So I can see where certain different brands might be different also.

Greetings All,

My GP 35 MTH does this,sound gone as soon as I kill the power.

Can I leave the engine sitting on the track to charge it?

For how long and at what power setting?

Or should I replace the Batt?

 

Thank You

It is best to inspect the battery.  If it is the white 9V style replace with new, that battery is too old.

 

I also recommend charging out of the engine or using the MTH charger if you have a charge port.  Less wear and tear on the PS-2 board.  Especially if it is a PS-2 5V board (9V style battery).  G

Thanks All,

I just changed the battery and am charging it now.